Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Home Maintenance

Are portable air conditioners worth the hassle? What you need to know

Veronica Sparks
By

It’s great to have the comfort and relief of air conditioning in your home during the hot summer months — there’s nothing like stepping from the steamy outdoors into that first blast of fresh and cool air. But what do you do when that one room of your home – a bedroom, common area or even your home office – is still toasty no matter how low the number on the thermostat is?

A handy portable AC unit could be a great cooling option for your home and even help purify and dehumidify the air for you. Depending on how much space you need to cool down, it may also help to lower your energy bill during those expensive summer months. We’ll help you understand the differences and benefits of each air conditioning method, and help you to determine if a portable air conditioner is worth the hassle for you.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What’s the difference?

These sound like they may be the same thing, but there is actually a big difference between a window AC unit and a portable AC. A window AC unit is the traditional unit that you see sticking out of windows during the summer. They can be installed at the beginning of the summer and uninstalled toward the beginning of fall.

Recommended Videos

A portable AC, however, is a compact, standalone unit that sits in your home. It looks a bit like a space heater, only it pushes out cool air instead of heat. Most of these units are on wheels and can easily be moved from room to room, provided you have an extension cord or wall outlet handy.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Which one is right for you?

Two different units, two different sets of pros and cons. How can you decide which portable cooling method is right for the room in your home that never seems to cool down?

Related

Window air conditioners

If you don’t have central air, the traditional method of installing a window unit may be the right choice. Many models can effectively cool down a large space in just an hour or so, making them a great addition to apartments. While they’re not as effective at cooling the whole home as a central air system is, these units cost much less to run than a central air system does. They don’t take up any floor space either since they are installed in the window, unlike portable air conditioners.

One drawback to window AC units is that they tend to leave window gaps, whether large or small. Even if you plug the gaps, you still run the risk of insects getting in your home, and an increase in noise if you live on a busy street. Window units are also fairly labor-intensive to install and uninstall, meaning you probably won’t want to move it from room to room — not ideal if you have more than one hard-to-cool room in your house.

Portable air conditioners

Portable air conditioners are sometimes designed to be set up next to a window so a small exhaust tube can be vented out the window. However, this exhaust tube setup is much simpler than that of a window unit, so the portable air conditioner can be moved around from room to room very easily. The exhaust pipe doesn’t leave pieces hanging out your window, so it looks very unassuming. Additionally, many condominiums and home owners’ associations outlaw window unit use – both due to the possible dangers of falling units and aesthetic concerns – so a portable unit can serve as an alternative.

The one drawback to these portable units is that, while they’re largely versatile and can be moved from room to room, it could be a chore to vent that pipe out a window every time the unit is relocated. However, since these units are typically extremely cost-effective, getting one for each difficult-to-cool room may not be a problem.

At the end of the day, while a window AC unit is the more popular choice, portable air conditioners are a great option for cooling a small space and can be used in conjunction with your central air system to reduce energy costs overall. Whether you live in a small apartment or just need a cooling solution for your office, portable AC units will change the game this summer by ensuring even the warmest room of your home stays cool.

Editors' Recommendations

Veronica Sparks
Veronica Sparks
Contributor
Veronica Sparks is a writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who loves writing about gardening, home décor, and DIY life. She’s…
Can water in an electrical outlet start a fire? What you need to know
Here's why you should take caution if you find water in or around your electrical outlets
White wall with white strip of electrical outlets

In our society, we depend greatly on electricity to live our normal lives. From large appliances to small devices, there are a lot of electrical currents around us at all times. While we’re surrounded by electricity, we are also surrounded by moisture in the form of indoor plumbing, rain, and even our meals and beverages.

We know that water and electricity don’t mix safely and that their combination can cause dangerous shocks to our bodies, but could there be other dangers, as well? Can water in an electrical outlet start a fire in your home?

Read more
Convection vs. radiant heaters: What’s the difference?
How to choose between a convection and radiant heater
Folded and organized blankets

On those chilly fall days and frigid winter nights, it's important to keep your home comfortably warm. Thankfully, that's easy with convection and radiant heaters. These two types of portable or wall-mounted heaters work equally well, depending on what you want out of a heater. Here are the key differences between the two, including cost and energy efficiency.

Convection heater vs. radiant heater: Main differences
A convection heater warms up the air inside a room. It does this by sucking in air from the area, heating it up inside the appliance, and blowing it back out. These are great if you want a constant temperature throughout a very chilly room. It’s recommended for closed rooms without existing central heating systems.

Read more
Can you paint in high humidity? What you need to know
Painting in humid weather: How to make sure your paint job is still gorgeous
Red roller brush black paint on white wall

Are you planning a painting project but worried about the moisture in the air and how it will impact your paint job? If you're concerned about humidity levels while you paint, you've come to the right place. Since paint needs to dry properly to have a beautiful and smooth-looking result, humidity is certainly an issue. So, is painting in humid weather possible? While the answer to that question is yes, we'll discuss some of the concerns and tips for dealing with humidity and painting indoors or outdoors.

How does humidity affect your paint job?
Moisture in the air means there's moisture on the surface you're about to paint. A damp surface is not ideal for painting, and you may find that your overall result doesn't look as great as you'd hoped. Let's dig into the specifics of how high humidity negatively impacts your paint job.
Moisture could lead to mold growth
When you're dealing with high humidity, surfaces tend to dry slowly. When you're painting indoors, for example, you always want to wash your walls before slapping down a coat of paint, so high humidity could slow down the drying process. If your walls are damp when you start to paint, this could lead to mold growing between the wall and the paint. The mold will eventually grow through the new layer of paint, and you will need to clean the area and paint again.
Paint will struggle to dry
For most paint types to dry, the water in the paint needs to evaporate faster than the solvents. In high humidity, the water struggles to evaporate, making for a gunky, gel-like layer of paint. Eventually, when the humidity level falls, you'll find that this type of consistency will dry with a wavy texture since it has not been set properly. You likely won't be satisfied with the result.
Wood surfaces could swell
As you may know, moisture on wood causes it to swell. If you're painting wood when there's a lot of moisture in the air, the wood could start to swell a bit after you've put on a coat of paint. This swelling could cause cracks or chips in your coat of paint, which will eventually lead to the surface needing to be repainted.
Paint may not adhere to metal surfaces
Painting metal objects can already be difficult since paint doesn't adhere to them as easily as it does to wood or other materials. Humidity can worsen this effect, so if you're trying to paint something metal, it might be best to leave that for a drier day.

Read more