Our house doesn’t have central air, we’ve used window units that, granted, are fairly old, noisy, and difficult to haul up from the basement each year. This year we looked into ductless systems but installing one that would handle our house (middle floor of a triple decker) would run about $10K. Rather than another window unit we’re looking at a portable AC for the livingroom/dining room area where we spend most of our time.
Looks like we’d need a 12-14K BTU unit. I really like the idea of one with an evaporation system that doesn’t require us to empty a tank or set up a drain. Doe they work as advertised? Does anyone use one with the heating option? Brands to avoid/seek out?
We got a unit with wheels and a hose leading to the nearest window. Because of the setup, you can easily move it to different rooms, and you’re not limited to a certain shape window. The hose is also long enough that you can place the unit in an optimal location to manage noise and coverage.
Here’s an example of what we’re looking at. I assume the excess heat and moisture are vented through the hose. We have a few windows that would be easy to access so we could move it to other rooms as needed.
Have you decided where to put it yet? The guidelines prefer close to a window, and preferably about the same height. Your window type also has to be compatible. Add in the power cord to your considerations. Are you planning to transport it between levels? Those things weigh about 30 kg.
Mine supposedly evaporates by itself, but at any fan speed other than low, it condenses faster than it evaporates i.e. leaks. It also broke down very often at first, until we figured out this maintenance schedule - every week, we drain its water and pour an extra litre to flush it out (there are 2 drain pipes, one higher than the other). Then, very counter-intuitively, ADD water to it. Yes, the water pump doesn’t like being run dry.
I actually think those with tanks you need to empty might be easier to use:
Dust is going to deposit on your radiator and get washed away with condensation. So it collects in your evaporation pan. For self-evaporating models the water gets evaporated away, but the dust remains, so your inside gets more and more dusty. With models you empty, you pour away the dust with the water. When I flush mine every week, I can see some dirt coming out.
I don’t think they have a water pump inside, which is very prone to failure. The worst is you spring a leak, which you can drain with a hose. For self-evaporating models if there’s too much water they leak, if there’s too little water the pump spoils.
We’ve been using a portable AC since our last window unit died.
Among the advantages are that we no longer have to lift a firkin’ heavy appliance into and out of the window for installation, repair, etc. In winter we can perform maintenance and pack it safely away instead of leaving it’s hind end out in the weather. We no longer have to remove bird nests in the spring. It’s got all sorts of modern controls you can program or you can just use the on/off switch.
Downsides: It goes wee-wee whenever it’s in operation, accumulating water in a tank which needs to be periodically emptied. It also seems to need more filter maintenance than prior AC’s, although maybe we just do this more often because it’s easier to get to everything.
It works well, we’re happy with it, and yes the heat is vented to the outside via hose a lot like a dryer hose.
Just be warned: unless the technology on those have gotten WAY better in the 8 years since I bought similar units, they don’t cool nearly as well as the window-mounted units. We have casement windows so can’t use the window ones and, like you, don’t want to spend the crazy amount of money installing AC in a house not built for it. So we bought 2 units similar to the one you linked, and though they make a couple rooms bearable when it gets hot in the summer, they don’t actually cool it like the window units do.
For example, if it’s 95 degrees outside, one freestanding unit will bring one moderately-sized room down to maybe 75 or 78 degrees. Better than 95, but still not actually “cool”.
We got a portable AC unit at Costco and it works pretty well. I think our needs/expectations are lower than Athena though. To us, bringing the temp down from 95 to 78 is a huge win.
I think it all depends on the size of the room you want to cool.
We have not had to empty and tanks or had any leaks. Maybe we are just lucky (or negligent).
There’s a window in the dining room that is perfect for it - and the new models appear to fit any standard window size so that shouldn’t be a problem. There a plug right there, so no need for an extension cord or need to run the hose through a room. We could easily wheel it into the kitchen if it’s needed there. Our place is all one story so moving it around isn’t a big issue once it’s in place.
We’ll probably keep a small window unit in our bedroom - it does the job and moving it up from the basement isn’t a big problem.
My biggest concern is emptying the water, watching for leaks, and whether they can keep the space cool enough. I’m not typically home mid-day but my wife is a teacher so she’s home a big chunk of the summer and bears the brunt of it. We’re in Boston so it’s not blistering hot for extended periods of time but it gets hot enough.
I had a seasonal job at a Home Depot when we hit a hot spell. Not many in Maine have air conditioning so there was quite a run on the things. Every “lifer” there, and any other employee in the know would tell me "Don’t bother with the portables. They make too much heat themselves. Window AC = way to go.
Unless, of course, you don’t have the right kind of windows for them.
And it’s the same thing here; most people don’t have AC, because you just don’t need it that often. I’ve gone entire summers never turning it on. But it’s worth having something around for those odd days where it does get above 80. Given that it’s scheduled to snow here on Thursday, I’m wondering if we’ll even get ours out of the closet this year.
That’s nice - could you send someone over from your place of employment to lift the damn thing into the window for us? Because the disabled spouse sure as hell can’t do it and neither can I.
Actually, my wife is driving this issue since she hates the window units. I’m just not sure the portable ones have enough advantages to outweigh the disadvantages.
I think it’s one of those things where it’s right for some people and not others.
The big thing for us is that it cuts down the humidity, which can be worse than heat (up to a point). Ours works well enough for our needs, that’s all I can say for sure.
Have you looked into through-wall air conditioners? Ones similar to window units, but which are installed in the wall, rather than taking up a window, are around $500. Ones with two pieces, where only the refrigerant goes through the wall, are more like $1000 to $2000. Both would need installation, which I don’t know what that would cost.
If I could make a suggestion. Add a drain to the bottom of that so the water drips out. If you don’t, all the water that condenses out of your air is just going to evaporate and end up right back in your room. Having a cold and humid room is almost worse than having a hot and humid room. You’ll end up turning on your regular AC (down really low) to deal with the clamminess, if it manages to get that bad. Many people don’t realize that cooling off your house is only half of what your AC does. It’s also a dehumidifier. That’s why you have to be careful if you’re one of those people that saves money by not using it all summer. I am, but if you leave it off on really humid days (too often) you can end up with mold/mildew in your house. The AC helps keep that at bay.
Also, to increase the effectiveness of something that small, close off the room your in. Use it in a closed off bedroom at night or if you can close or block the doorways to your living room that’ll help.
Also, I like that he was freezing gallon jugs of water. That’s better than filling it with loose ice for the reason I mentioned at the beginning.