When summer strikes with a vengeance, a portable air conditioner can be just the thing you need to make it through the hottest days. A portable unit can cool a single room without the expense of adding ductwork for a new central air system in older homes that don’t have A/C. Portable air conditioning is also a good way to boost the cooling power of an aging system or add a shot of cold air in rooms where a window unit isn’t practical.
Portable A/C is a bit more complicated than an evaporative cooler of the same size, however. In addition to being plugged into a power source, they should also be vented for optimal efficiency. The requires a bit of forethought about the installation to make sure you get the most out of your new appliances.
But first, it’s helpful to understand exactly how air conditioning works in the first place.
How Your Portable Air Conditioner Works: A Quick Guide
Part 1: The Cooling Method
Though specific models vary, all air conditioning units — from an old window air conditioner to the bright white mini-split air conditioners that also function as heaters — work in the same basic way. They use a chemical refrigerant that can turn from a gas into a liquid and back again.
Part 2: Removing Hot Air from Your Home
This chemical flows through the air conditioning system via a series of metal coils. When the chemical is in the evaporator and comes in contact with the hot air in your house, it absorbs that heat. Your house gets cooler, but the chemical gets hotter — hot enough to transform from a liquid into a gas.
Part 3: Adding Cool Air into Your Home
The hot gas then flows through the system to the condenser, where it’s pressurized and made even hotter. From there, it moves to the condenser, which compresses the gas back into a liquid. In doing so, it forces the refrigerant to release all the heat it absorbed from your house back into the air. The cool liquid chemical is now ready to flow back to the evaporator to absorb more heat from your room.
Did you catch the part where heat is released back into the air in the condenser? In a window or wall air conditioner, this process happens outside the house. It’s why you’ll feel a blast of hot air if you walk by a bunch of condensers on a commercial building on a warm day.
What Makes a Portable Air Cooler Most Effective?
For a portable air conditioner to be effective, the warm air from the condenser needs to be removed from your room somehow. Otherwise, it’s just filling up your room and making your unit work harder. That’s why venting is the most important part of installing any portable air conditioner.
How to Vent Your Portable Air Conditioner
Most portable air conditioners come with an exhaust hose. If yours did not — or if it is cracked or missing — you’ll need to purchase one at a hardware store. This is most easily done by purchasing a window kit that comes with a vent hose and several sizes and shapes of plastic flanges to attach the hose to a window opening. If you can’t find a dedicated venting kit, you can build your own with a piece of plywood, a dryer hose, and some duct tape.
How to Install Your Portable Air Conditioner
Follow the steps in the infographic to install your portable A/C through most windows and sliding doors.
Adapting Your Portable Air Conditioner for Special Circumstances
How to Vent Through Casement Windows
Windows that swing outward with a crank handle can still be used for venting a portable A/C, but you’ll need to install a temporary Plexiglass shield. Have one cut to the size of your window opening and ask for a hole the size of the hose while you’re at it. Open the casement window for air and cover the inside of the opening with your clear shield. Retainer clips can hold it in place, and weatherstripping is a good idea to create a seal to keep out water and air leaks. Once this is in place, attach the hose and seal any gaps between it and the Plexiglass.
How to Vent Through a Fireplace
If you have a corner fireplace, hearth, or wall-mounted fireplace with a chimney or other vent to the outside, you may be able to use this existing escape hatch to vent your portable air conditioner. Run the hose as far into the chimney as possible.
How to Vent Through the Ceiling
Offices with a drop ceiling offer easy access to existing ductwork that could provide a great way to vent hot air. Similarly, you may be able to vent your unit into an unused attic space if no other options are available in your home.
How to Vent Through the Wall
For a more permanent installation in areas without very cold winters, you might consider cutting a small hole in an exterior wall. A contractor can frame a small wooden opening to hold the hose. This approach works well for spaces like windowless garages or workshops where aesthetics are less critical.
Where to Get the Best Portable Air Conditioner
Stand-alone portable air conditioners are an affordable alternative to central air conditioning, especially when you only need them for a short time each summer or want to focus on cooling a specific room. To find a portable air conditioner for your home, check out NewAir’s line of quality cooling appliances.
