Facts to Consider when Choosing between Portable and Window Air Conditioners

It is hard to imagine a world without air conditioning units nowadays. After a boiling hot day outside, nothing feels better than relaxing back in your cool-aired refuge, not having to sweat even in your humble abode. However, things are no longer that simple – nowadays, there is a choice between two major air conditioning types – the portable units and the window air conditioners. As logic seems to dictate, those portable are more convenient, but more expensive, while the window types can brag about a more affordable price range, but with potential complications in terms of installing them in not-standard-sized windows. We came up with this article, in order to help you choose between the two categories.

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Price

Let’s focus on the main concern for most people – the topic of money. As a rule of thumb, window air conditioning units are in the ballpark of $100 cheaper than the portable units of the same cooling capacity. The first thing you need to do is come to terms with how much money you want to spend and how big a cooling capacity you actually do need.

Energy efficiency

Another concern is the one of energy efficiency. In the modern world, where great deals of energy are being spent on a daily basis, an Average Joe or Jane always has to keep in mind the factor of efficiency. Well, in these terms, energy-efficient window air conditioners are somewhat easier to find than energy-efficient portable air conditioners. When it comes to the portable units, there are no federal regulations to outline the energy efficiency in the U.S., although EER ratings truly can be used to determine this efficiency.

The matter of design

Another point of great debate, when it comes to cooling units is the factor of design. Naturally, while the portable air conditioners are independent, movable units, incorporating exhaust hoses, which are easy to install and vent out, the window air conditioners are somewhat difficult to install and usually (if not exclusively) only fit in standard-sized windows.

The noise factor

Unfortunately, boiling hot concrete and hot, polluted air aren’t the only factors that plague the city life the city noise can turn out terribly discomforting. However, if you live in the suburbs, chances are that you’ll notice every static noise out there, and If you are one who can’t seem to stand the tedium and annoyance of static noises, than the window units might not be a thing for you. Although models that are quite as a fan do exist, portable air conditioners vary, from those as quiet as a fan, to other which are quite noisy. All in all, if you live in the suburbs, looking for a quite peace of mind in the cool atmosphere of freshness, you might want to opt for residential air conditioning, in terms of portable air conditioning units.

Keep the moisture in mind

One of the things one has to worry about in terms of air conditioning is the factor of moisture – we owe the cool air that we get exactly to this factor. Window air conditioning units vent water through the system internally, so you don’t really have to worry about anything but changing the filter on an annual basis. However, when it comes to portable air conditioners, water is collected in a tray or tank and suffers from having to be emptied on quite a regular basis. Again, depending on what kind of person you are, you have to think about this factor too, when choosing your air conditioning type.

We hope that we’ve shed some light on the confusing choice of choosing an air conditioning unit. All in all, both kinds excel at different factors, while suffering from downsides in other terms. Follow this guide, choose wisely and good luck!

By: Diana Smith