Do portable air conditioners really work well?
Let’s see, last year I moved to Florida in the month of March, and I soon realized that I needed a portable air conditioner. The temperatures in Florida in summer can really get up there and the weather is humid. This was quite a change for someone like me who had spent years on the west coast.
In the past, we had never used a portable air conditioner, so I didn’t really know if portable air conditioners worked well, what the benefits were and if a portable air conditioner was going to be the answer to our problems with the heat in Florida. By the way, the temperatures don’t get too crazy. On most days it’s in the high 80s here, but I think the part that I needed to get used to was the humidity. On the west coast where I’m from, we have actually had days where the temperature has been in the 100s, but the climate is mostly dry. Anyway, so I had no idea whether a portable air conditioner was going to work or not. I decided that the only way to find out was to dive in and do a ton of research and figure out whether a portable air conditioner was the answer.
I knew nothing about portable air conditioners, but that is when I decided to start this blog and post all of my research here so that I could make it easier for anyone who was trying to find updated, recent and thorough research on this topic.
One of the most asked questions for people thinking about buying a portable air conditioner is: Do portable air conditioners really work? And if they work, do portable air conditioners work well?
The answer is yes! Portable air conditioners work great, but you need to make sure you’ve done your homework before you purchase one. You want to make sure you have taken into account all of the things that will essentially help you make a better buying decision to specifically suit your needs so that you can buy a unit that works well for your space.
Be sure to read this post to the end so that you know exactly what to look for when you’re purchasing a portable air conditioner, the questions to ask, the measurements you need, the best portable air conditioners for 2021, as well as what you can expect in terms of next steps once you have successfully purchased your portable air conditioner.
It all depends on your preferences, where you want to use it, how you want to use it, and how often you want to use it. There are few more things that go into figuring out how to pick the perfect portable air conditioner for your needs. Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of all the things you need to take into account, before securing the perfect portable air conditioner for your specific needs.
I’ll share some pros and cons of using a portable air conditioner as well as a few tips on which portable air conditioners work the best, so you can decide if a portable air conditioner will work well for you and your needs.
Some questions you should ask before you buy a portable air conditioner:
1. Do you have central AC in your home?
2. Where will you primarily use the portable AC?
3. Are you comfortable moving the portable AC from one room to another?
4. Do you need the portable AC to also function as a heater in winter?
5. Will you be using the portable AC in an attic?
6. If you plan to use it in an attic, will you be able to move it?
7. How comfortable are you moving the AC up or down the stairs?
8. Do you have an extra large room?
9. Will you be able to position the AC close to where you spend most of your time in the room where you plan to use it?
10. Do you have a window you can use that is close to your desk or bed or the place where you plan the use the AC the most?
11. Will you need more than one portable AC for your home or office space for you to feel comfortable in terms of not having to move it around all the time?
Those are just some questions you should ask before you begin to to more research about whether or not a portable air conditioner will actually work well for you and whether or not you should move forward with the purchase of a portable air conditioner.
The short answer to whether portable air conditioners really work well is yes. Just keep these points in mind:
1. You should have a dedicated spot for the portable AC.
2. The room shouldn’t be extra extra large. If the room is too large, you might not be satisfied with how well the portable AC cools the room.
3. You should have a window that’s close to where you will spend the most of your time so you can position the portable air conditioner properly.
I needed a portable air conditioner in my finished attic, because it tends to get quite hot there since the heat rises and gets trapped up there. Luckily, my attic has three large windows and a smaller window where I was able to position the portable air conditioner perfectly. I purchased the Honeywell MN14CHCSBB Portable Air Conditioner which has worked really well for my attic space. I think anything bigger than the Honeywell MN14CHCSBB portable AC or anything smaller would not have worked as well, and I’m thoroughly happy with the purchase.
My attic is just around 250 square feet, so if you have a room that’s around the same square footage, the Honeywell MN14CHCSBB portable air conditioner should do the job well. In fact, I would imagine that if you were using it in a bedroom vs an attic space, it might even work better since an attic will usually get warmer due to the hot air rising.
Keep in mind, that it is important to keep the portable air conditioner free of dust, and also clean the filter from time to time. I am pretty good about doing this and I make sure that I clean my portable air conditioner on the same day I vacuum the entire attic to make sure I keep the attic clean and dust free. I would also imagine that your lungs would thank you for this but it would also extend the life of the portable air conditioner!
So, I hope this post has helped you make a decision as to whether or not a portable air conditioner would work well for the space you have in mind. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
A couple of air conditioners I would recommend are below:
Honeywell MN14CHCSBB Portable Air Conditioner Ultimate Review
Honeywell Classic MN1CFS8 Portable Air Conditioner with Dehumidifier Ultimate Review MN1CFS8, 29.400
Again, thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions! Have a nice day!