Portable Air Conditioning unit

[dvs_dave]

I’m firm with my opinion that single hose units are ste. On balance in most use cases for the UK climate you’d actually be better off with a decent ceiling fan over one of these contraptions.

If you can find a dual hose one, ie it has two hoses out the window, one for intake, one for exhaust, they are far superior to the single hose ones and are actually worth it performance wise.



Although it’s super simple to modify a single hose unit into a dual hose one by getting creative with some Tupperware, a dryer vent hose and duct tape. Well worth the effort for the significant performance boost.

[kambites]

What's the advantage in pulling air in from outside? Split units certainly don't do that! Or is the air coming in from outside simply passed over the condenser and then vented back out the window rather than passed into the room?

[Meprobamate chic]

dvs_dave said:

I’m firm with my opinion that single hose units are ste. On balance in most use cases for the UK climate you’d actually be better off with a decent ceiling fan over one of these contraptions.

If you can find a dual hose one, ie it has two hoses out the window, one for intake, one for exhaust, they are far superior to the single hose ones and are actually worth it performance wise.



Although it’s super simple to modify a single hose unit into a dual hose one by getting creative with some Tupperware, a dryer vent hose and duct tape. Well worth the effort for the significant performance boost.

You're welcome to your opinion, stick with your ceiling fan then... meanwhile those of us who don't live in ancient Egypt can go for air conditioning instead.

[pghstochaj]

I’ve had a couple of portable units and have split units in three bedrooms. Obviously the split units are much better. However, the portable units were effective in cooling a room. They were noisy and probably inefficient, but they definitely cooled the room. For the ten days or so a year you need them, it’s a perfectly acceptable solution. This is particularly true as it’s quite rare to have temperatures above 20degC overnight, and therefore once the room is cool, the need for the unit overnight is diminished.

The split units are better for more regular use, for example if you have a badly ventilated room and can’t lower the temperature a few degrees in the evening.

[dvs_dave]

Meprobamate chic said:

You're welcome to your opinion, stick with your ceiling fan then... meanwhile those of us who don't live in ancient Egypt can go for air conditioning instead.

My house has central air conditioning, sooo nuff said.

You should try my tip on converting your portable jobbie to dual hose. It’ll work much better, as I’m sure you realise, Mr HVAC design engineer.

[Meprobamate chic]

dvs_dave said:

My house has central air conditioning, sooo nuff said.

You should try my tip on converting your portable jobbie to dual hose. It’ll work much better, as I’m sure you realise, Mr HVAC design engineer.

I have splits everywhere I need air con, as I mentioned. When in Chicago do you just use a ceiling fan, yeah?

[dvs_dave]

kambites said:

What's the advantage in pulling air in from outside? Split units certainly don't do that! Or is the air coming in from outside simply passed over the condenser and then vented back out the window rather than passed into the room?

It isolates the condenser cooling air circuit from the air in the room that’s being cooled. Therefore the unit isn’t pulling air it’s already worked to cool from the room and chucking it out of the window.

It effectively makes it into a pseudo split unit as the condenser cooling air is now being drawn in from outside, and then exhausting it back outside, without any already cooled air from inside the room being consumed.

[dvs_dave]

Meprobamate chic said:

I have splits everywhere I need air con, as I mentioned. When in Chicago do you just use a ceiling fan, yeah?

When I can, yes. Although given that the climate ranges from -25C to +40C, HVAC requirements are rather more complex.

[Sheepshanks]

pghstochaj said:

For the ten days or so a year you need them, it’s a perfectly acceptable solution.

I'm sure we only needed ours a couple of times last year. The decent weather ended at the end of the first lock down.

[Meprobamate chic]

dvs_dave said:

When I can, yes. Although given that the climate ranges from -25C to +40C, HVAC requirements are rather more complex.

Why use a fan, when there are much better solutions available?

[dvs_dave]

Meprobamate chic said:

dvs_dave said:

When I can, yes. Although given that the climate ranges from -25C to +40C, HVAC requirements are rather more complex.

Why use a fan, when there are much better solutions available?

Not sure what you mean? But when used properly ceiling fans provide energy and comfort benefits year round as they can reduce how much your HVAC system needs to run.

[rfn]

Thanks all for your comments/replies! very insightful!

Considering one of these two at the moment:
https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/swan/argo-swa...
https://www.aircondirect.co.uk/p/1469259/electriq-...

Smoggy XJR said:

RFN

Are you anywhere near LU7?

In Reading (well, near it).

[anonymous-user]

rfn said:

Thanks all for your comments/replies! very insightful!

Considering one of these two at the moment:
https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/swan/argo-swa...
https://www.aircondirect.co.uk/p/1469259/electriq-...

Smoggy XJR said:

RFN

Are you anywhere near LU7?

In Reading (well, near it).

I had that AO one for less than 3 hours last year. It is noisy AF. We’re talking full on NVH. Returned. Now considering a wall mounted unit.

[chemistry]

Just to say that I have a Delonghi PAC AN112 (11,000 BTU). It's fairly noisy at full pelt, undoubtedly very inefficient and for 360 days of the year it lives unused in a cupboard.

So far this week though it's been worth it's (not inconsiderable) weight in gold, making my home office and bedroom tolerable in the heat. For me, that's the value of a portable unit; realistically I don't need A/C for most of the year but on the few days each season that justify A/C, it's invaluable.

I've no doubt a proper split unit is infinitely better, but to me in practice the difference between no-AC and a portable AC unit is much greater than the difference between a portable AC unit and a decent built-in split AC unit.

[Mr Whippy]

Interesting on the splits of single pipe ones.

I’ve got a Penguino which as worked fine but would be good to tweak it for fun!

https://www.delonghi.com/en-int/products/comfort/a...

Is it the bottom intake I want to feed with outside air, and the top is sucking in air to cool?

[PAT64]

dvs_dave said:

I’m firm with my opinion that single hose units are ste. On balance in most use cases for the UK climate you’d actually be better off with a decent ceiling fan over one of these contraptions.

If you can find a dual hose one, ie it has two hoses out the window, one for intake, one for exhaust, they are far superior to the single hose ones and are actually worth it performance wise.



Although it’s super simple to modify a single hose unit into a dual hose one by getting creative with some Tupperware, a dryer vent hose and duct tape. Well worth the effort for the significant performance boost.

thanks for all the info, I have read across a few different communities online the same thing you are referring to that single hose AC conditioners are not always effective or able to cool down small or large rooms even.

I have been unable to find any dual hose units in UK, guessing since they don't sell them but saw a post suggesting to get one from US and deliver it to UK and get the appropriate kit and power is an option.

I think though a split ac mulit room is the ultimate goal for me but cost is always an issue, although I like this one:

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/argo-4ms9k9k9...

But am guessing it would cost 1K+ to have that thing installed !

[Trophy Husband]

I spent North of 400 quid on one for my office last summer.
Fecking thing would wake the dead.
It did cool the office down but at the expense of any conversation.
I've solved it by being naked in the office.
Trish, my office manager, is not so sure.

[Mr Whippy]

Hmmm yeah single pipe.

Sucking in already cool air for before hearing and blasting outside = waste.

Which results in negative pressure in room, and drawing in warm air from other rooms/outside = waste.

I bet the difference is quite marked with this approach...

[Sheepshanks]

Mr Whippy said:

Hmmm yeah single pipe.

Sucking in already cool air for before hearing and blasting outside = waste.

Which results in negative pressure in room, and drawing in warm air from other rooms/outside = waste.

I bet the difference is quite marked with this approach...

If you’re using it at night then even now the outside is ‘only’ 21C so there’s no problem sucking that air back into the bedroom.

Got our portable running for the first time this year - on its low fan setting it’s blasting a jet of freezing air at us. Wife thinks it’s brilliant - I think I may have to get up and point it away from me!

[TallMark]

We've had 2 portable units over the last few years, and have just upgraded to some proper split systems in a few key rooms.

Portable units vary but both of ours would definitely cool a big room from crazy hot to very comfortable. We used the last one in a REALLY big bedroom, far bigger than it was rated for and it would still do the job if you got it going an hour or two in advance of the kids going to bed. So for me they do the job they were intended for despite the obvious inefficiencies.

I would really pay attention to the noise rating on the unit you buy. I can't remember the brand of our first, but it was significantly noisier than the second one which I spent a lot longer researching to check the noise and ended up with a Delonghi Pinguino. It was quieter to start with but also has a quiet mode which drops it down even more and is perfect for night time where you don't need the system working as hard anyway.

I will say that the new split units are much more powerful and much quieter, as you would expect of course, but we got by with the portables for years and were a god send for those hot nights. To me they were well worth the money.