There are some things to consider in
buying an air conditioning system. Here are a few things you might want to think over:
What is the size of
the room that you need to cool?
If you get a unit that doesn't have enough capacity to properly cool your room, it will
probably run all the time and not lower the temperature as much as you would like. On the
other hand, if you get a unit that is substantially too powerful, it will run for too
short a time, quickly bringing the room to the desired temperature and the compressor will
shut off. Under this scenario, the compressor may not run long enough to properly
dehumidify your room, and your room will be the desired temperature, but you may have a
higher humidity level than you'd like. Also please note that the room sizes that each
machine is rated for are approximations and high levels of sun, high ceilings, or the
presence of people, computers, machinery, and the like will increase the cooling burden in
the room. Also, most portable air conditioners have different fan settings to help
alleviate the problem of too much cooling power.
Are you going to
move the portable air conditioner from room to room?
If you are moving a portable air conditioner often, you should consider the cooling needs
of the different rooms that you will be using it in and try to get a model that bridges
your needs well.
Do you want a unit
that drips all the moisture it collects, a unit that exhausts all the moisture, or
one that combines the two approaches?
A portable air conditioner that drips all condensation will need to be emptied more often,
but it will exhaust warm, dry air. A unit that exhausts all moisture will never need to be
emptied, but the air it exhausts will be moist, and should not be vented somewhere that
this moisture would create a problem (such as a dropped ceiling). These units also tend to
be a bit more expensive. Finally, a unit that combines these approaches will not have to
be emptied of water as often as a model that drips all its moisture, but it will still
exhaust a somewhat moist air stream. |