Getting a portable air conditioner with the best value

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During the summer, the heat from the sun can be unbearable. It can be even worse if you live in a house without an air-cooling system. For this reason, many people opt for a central air conditioner that regulates the indoor temperature and humidity. However, such units require space, venting and even more power consumption.

Not all homes have provision for window air cooling systems. As such, it’s essential to find an alternative. Portable air conditioners are ideal replacement options for these cooling units. They keep the room cool, take up less space and require far less power to operate. In some cases, a centralised cooling system may not get the job done. You can replace it with a portable cooling option to direct air flow more effectively.

How efficient are portable air conditioning systems?

“Can a portable cooling system keep my home cool and regulated?”, you may ask. In a word, yes. These air conditioning units are designed to provide unique cooling options, regardless of the size of your home or office. As long as your air conditioner has the appropriate BTU power for the room size and is well vented, you should achieve the required temperature. Most portable ACs provide the same result as window air conditioning units. One of their functionalities includes venting warm air outside.

Do you have a residential, commercial or industrial building that requires cooling? Portable air conditioners can create the desired environment. To maintain your unit, you should drain the condenser on a regular basis. This will prolong the cooling system’s life span.

Factors to consider when shopping for a portable aircon

The keyword here is ‘portability’. You need an air conditioning unit that provides easy mobility. It has to be the right size for your room and transportation. For this reason, consider the following factors:

Energy consumption rate

All electronic appliances run on energy, including portable air conditioners. Energy takes a toll on your expenses and the environment. Consequently, many households have switched to energy-efficient cooling systems. You need a portable air conditioner that is both low-energy and robust enough to cool your room to the right temperature. Units with small capacities may be inefficient for this task, while those with extreme power demand can make you uncomfortable due to the constant production of freezing air. Understanding your device’s BTU rating will avoid this problem. Ideally, 1,800 BTUs are required for every 100 square feet to produce efficient cooling air.

Energy efficiency

As partly discussed in the section above, having an energy-saving cooling system will reduce power consumption and still cool your room effectively. These units may be slightly more expensive than the standard cooling systems. However, you don’t have to risk high running costs or outrageous utility bills. Research which cooling appliance has the best energy rating and comes with the Energy Star seal.

Bottom line

Portable air conditioners are easy to manoeuvre. You can easily lift, transfer and position them in your vehicle, home or office,. These cooling units also help to eliminate air-borne particles, creating a clean and humidified environment.

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7 tips on staying cool this summer

This summer is one of the hottest summers on record, and whilst just a few months back, we were all looking at how to keep your home warm through one of the coldest winters we’ve had for some time… the seasons seem to be getting more and more pronounced, which means the need to stay warm and cool, are becoming more pertinent to our daily lives.

Countries such as the UK aren’t very well equipped for the extreme heat we’ve been experiencing this summer, as unlike places such as Spain and the South of France where intense hot weather is predictable, and therefore, measures are in place to counteract the intensity of the sizzling sun – such as shutters on the windows and air conditioning units installed in most homes, in the UK, we simply aren’t prepared.

Here, the focus is much more on central heating as opposed to air conditioning and when the weather is as hot as it has been, and still is, we simply struggle to cope. Often, we’ll rush out to the supermarket in order to pick up a few fans before they run out, but that’s pretty much the limit, and using fans in this way can be an expensive way to stay cool.

This article therefore offers a number of suggestions to help you stay cool this summer, in a way that won’t break the bank.

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Turn up the thermostat

If you have air conditioning as part of your heating system, then you might want to consider turning up the thermostat a few notches, as most people set their air conditioning system to blast out such cold air that it can feel like they’re walking into a fridge! Not only is this an expensive way to keep cool in terms of summer energy use it’s also not very good for your health.

Make use of a timer

The majority of modern thermostats come with a timer, which means you can set it to come on just before you get home. This way you’re not wasting electricity on keeping the house cool all day, when you’re not even there to reap the benefit – and it usually only takes about 15 minutes to cool a house, so make use of your timer and save energy.

Limit the number of rooms you cool

If you’re like most people then there’s a strong possibility you only live in a few rooms within your house, or at least, spend 80% of your time in these select few rooms. It’s therefore frugal to only cool the rooms you’ll actually be in; and keep the doors closed to other rooms in order to see a huge saving in energy costs.

Insulate

Typically, insulation is known for keeping the heat in rather than the cool in, but if you’re using air conditioning then good insulation will trap the cool air within your property.

Adapt

Countries like Spain have adapted to deal with the intense heat, for instance, they’ll have a siesta in the middle of the afternoon when the sun is at its hottest. They also have shutters on their windows in order to keep the intensity of the sun’s heat deflected away from their property. You can do something similar with stylish made to measure plantation shutters, or simply keep the curtains closed – though if you keep the curtains closed, unlike with blinds, you’ll restrict the fresh air getting into your home which can make things feel quite stuffy.

Change your bedding

The majority of us tend to get most hot at night, so you’ll want to adapt your bedding to summer sheets rather than a thick winter duvet and consider turning your mattress over as many modern mattresses have a summer side and a winter side.

Ventilate

A much healthier and cheaper way to stay cool during the night, when sleeping, is to ensure a decent supply of fresh air comes into the bedroom rather than using air conditioning… as getting fresh air will be much better for your body, in particular your respiratory system in addition to joints, than having air conditioning blasting cold air into the bedroom.

The main problem with air conditioning is that it can really dry you out, in the sense that it can cause issues such as dry eyes, dry sore throats, and skin dehydration that results in dry skin conditions, or the exacerbation of existing conditions such as eczema.

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Price Points: Air conditioners

We stayed a while in the Lake District recently. It was glorious, but really, really hot – great for swimming in rivers, but pretty uncomfortable to sleep in. And, if it was uncomfortable in the Lake District, we hate to think what it was like in busy urban centres. You could open a window, of course, but sometimes the air outside is even hotter than that inside – plus, you let any outdoor noise in as well.

We bet there are a few of you out there that have been praying for some kind of air conditioning to come to the rescue. This current high pressure system seems set to last a while yet – and there are a few more months of summer too. So here are three domestic air cooling systems at various price points that might bring some relief!

Arctic Air Personal Space air cooler: £19.78, TomTop
Electriq Slimline ECO evaporative air cooler with built-in air purifier and humidifier – AC100R: £89.97, appliancesdirect
DYSON Pure Cool Tower smart air purifier: £499.99, Currys

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

DYSON Pure Cool Tower Smart Air Purifier
£499.99