You can get a good window air conditioner for a small room for $100. How come the cheapest non-window-mounted air conditioner costs $500?
A standard or conventional A/C unit has greater capacity, and requires labor and materials for installation as well as the possibility of being a split unit that requires special connecting lines with refrigerant.
No, I’m talking about a simple unit that just sits on the floor, identical to a wall unit in every way except:
- A bucket that condensation drips into, instead of letting it fall on the ground.
- A hose to vent the exhaust.
If the answer is that it’s due to the greater capacity, why aren’t they made with smaller capacities?
It’s probably more a function of demand than anything else. The enclosures are slightly more mechanically complex because of the additional plumbing and to make them look prettier, but the capacities are in the same general ranges as window units. However, there is much less of a demand for portable units so they tend to cost more. Manufacturers have to charge more to recoup the tooling costs, since they are selling fewer units. And naturally, that higher cost gets passed on to the consumer.