Computer Room Air Conditioner Reviews

Portable Air Conditioner Guidelines

The following offers basic guideline to the space capacity cooling of portable air conditioning units. It is also designed to provide assistance to help you determine your portable air conditioning and air cooling needs.

You don't want to purchase more than you need, but it is also important to not purchase less than you need or you will not be satisfied with the level of cooling the unit achieves.

First take into consideration the size of the room you want to cool. Start your selection by looking at machines with the recommended BTU's for the space you need to cool. If the unit BTU is too low the unit will have to operate for extended periods of time to cool the room, will not cool the room well and will not be as energy efficient. A unit with more BTU's than you require will operate less often, but may not dehumidify properly, which is an important component in cooling your space.

The following is a general guideline for portable air conditioning space cooling.

BTU - Sq Ft
14,000 up to 500 sq ft
13,000 350-450 sq ft
12,000 250-350 sq ft
10,000 200-250 sq ft
9,000 up to 200 sq ft

Portable air conditioning is designed to offer temporary mobile cooling for smaller spaces such as household rooms, garages, computer server rooms and offices. Selecting the proper size and type of unit will make your experience more satisfying. These units can also double as dehumidifiers, humidifiers and heaters. They are not designed to replace window units, nor can they complete with window units in their cooling ability. The beauty and proper use for a portable air conditioner is the mobility and flexibility to cool spaces as needed and their ability to increasing the comfort level.

Most units require 115V electricity and have a hose vent to remove the hot air from the room. Most units come with a hose and window kit to adapt for ventilation, however, you can also vent through a sliding glass door or modified wall or ceiling outlet. You will need to use the vent hose or the hot air cannot leave the room and the unit will not cool properly.

When a unit acts as a dehumidifier, water is pulled from the air and captured in an internal reservoir, released through a drain hose (or released out of the ventilation hose). If a drain line is desired most machines are adaptable for this function and a adapter kit can be purchased. If the unit has a reservoir, you will need to check the reservoir and empty it of water. Please refer to the manufacturer's directions for more instruction on set up, use and maintenance.