Any advice on what Portable Air Conditioning unit to buy (UK) ?

Actual_Criminal

Actual_Criminal

Actual_Criminal

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Manchester, UK
In the UK, air conditioning in domestic homes is a lot less common than it is in the USA or even the middle-Eastern countries where it gets really hot. Obviously, the UK is known for bad weather (rain and cold), but Mr. CO2 has been putting in some work heating up the planet and it is also glorious summer time in the UK, with this past weekend being the hottest one this year.

I am currently living in rented accommodation and probably will be for the next 2-3 years. I did enquire with my landlord about contributing a 50% cost of having proper AC installed, but I live in a high-rise 2 bedroom apartment duplex and the regulation for the outside AC unit (on the wall or Window etc) can be tight and a hefty price tag to apply and follow proper procedure. Including installation for a proper AC unit, I'm looking at £1,500 for the most basic unit.

My letting agent suggested I buy a portable AC unit. (Not air cooler like those rip-off Dyson Airblades...literally a glorified fan with no sub-ambient cooling! Biggest brand scam since the Apple iPhone ).

Anyway, I want it for my small bedroom that I use as an office since I'm now working from home most days a week. + it has my gaming PC (AMD 5950X + RTX 3090) in there with 34' + 24.5' monitors and the room gets VERY hot within 30mins of gaming considering the room is very small. - I even put a fan facing outwards so the hot-air gets exhausted through the open window.

It is only around 2.5m x 1.5m x 4m (H x W x L).

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So, has anyone had a portable air conditioning unit before? I have seen reviews on YouTube and a lot of peeps are critiquing them very hard.

I'm after one that should be able to cool the room whilst my max-temp PC is running, to a nice 19 / 21°c without breaking the bank and also rinsing electricity. My budget is £300-500 (but the cheaper, the better).

Any advice on models?
 
I've had one from an impulse buy in a previous hot summer. Worked fine I suppose, room it was in would get cool over a while and the smaller the enclosed space the faster it would work, doors open is obviously more space.

Needed a fat hose such as one you'd see out the back of a tumble dryer to vent warm air out of a window (needs to be somewhat airtight) and would collect water from the air while making a notable hum and probably chugging electricity.

Pretty sure you're not going to enjoy the electricity bill if you're cooling that hardware.
 
It depends on if you want to use a/c while sleeping as well, which is what I'm been doing for the last few weeks. If you have hearing loss like I do, then a portable a/c unit is fine. Either Challenge or Princess brand from Argos / Amazon / eBay for around £280 or £300 is fine for cooling a room of 20M². It sounds like a desktop fan when used on its top setting (so quite loud) but I sleep through it fine with my hearing aids out. Might need to look at ear plugs if you have normal hearing though.

If you're gaming, then the above portable a/c example is fine as the game volume (speakers or headphones) will be louder than the a/c unit, and a lot louder than the RTX fans.

Remember that a/c (of any type) is a closed system, so it works best with doors/windows closed. For the portable example, you buy a window adapter for the window that you'll be trunking the hot air out of. It's made of fabric which is attached to the window frame via adhesive and velcro with a zipper, so that you close the window on the exhaust pipe then the zipper closes up the system to the best of its ability.

Portable a/c is rated at around 750W or 800W, so about the same cost as running your gaming rig while you're gaming on it.
 
I would like to know too.

I had a look at a few air conditioners that were in the £200-500 range, but some of the reviews really put me off. From what I could gather, the best ones were £700+ in terms of noise and efficiency, which was way more than I wanted to spend.

I'm currently going to try one of the cheap £30 quid fans with an ice pack lol. Probably a complete waste of money, but I am going to explore a few cheaper options first before I spend £700+ on an air con unit.
 
I love my air conditioner and quickly realised when I got it that I will never be without one. If you think you'll benefit/appreciate one just go for it and try it.

I got an Inventor brand one from Amazon a few years back, I think it was £350ish, possibly 8000BTU, for a room about 4m x 5m and it is fantastic.

The warm-air exhaust hose is just hanging out the window with the blinds and curtains shut, nothing fancy, with the cold air currently blowing at my back and legs as I sit at the computer - the back of my chair is thin mesh so it is freezing cold when I lean back.

Marvellous! :)

ETA: Doesn't look like the unit I have is still available, but if mine died or ran out of juice tonight I'd probably order this one, as it is very similar... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inventor-Chilly-9-000BTU-Portable-Conditioner/dp/B07JQJBJG7
 
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So my crappy little white cube ones aren't actually passing the water from the tank into the filters. I dont get how they work.

Fortunately I got them for free cos I didn't realize it was a Chinese seller on amazon, and they took months to arrive during which they had already been refunded (bought two for each bedroom).
 
BallistixOnZ490 said:
So my crappy little white cube ones aren't actually passing the water from the tank into the filters. I dont get how they work.

Fortunately I got them for free cos I didn't realize it was a Chinese seller on amazon, and they took months to arrive during which they had already been refunded (bought two for each bedroom).
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I've read the ice pack ones are better and also don't leak - I have ordered one so will see how it performs.
 
Secret_Window said:
I've read the ice pack ones are better and also don't leak - I have ordered one so will see how it performs.
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If you're struggling in the heat, like I am starting to do as I get older, an air-con unit will make a huge difference to your summers, and you definitely don't need to spend any more than £350 or so.
 
I wouldn't do without my Aircon. I have ceiling fans in the bedrooms and last summer got hold of 4 portable aircons, of various sizes - I use them to reduce the moisture content and temp of the bedrooms before bed, then let the ceiling fans do the work while sleeping. 2 are very old, but still work fine, the other 2 are new and are quieter and more efficient.

The only thing I would advise is to put them on a platform to raise them up, they need draining and all the drain plugs are right at the bottom - makes it easier and you have to do it daily. I just use the curtains to keep out the vented hot air, works fine.
 
Eddie said:
The warm-air exhaust hose is just hanging out the window with the blinds and curtains shut, nothing fancy, with the cold air currently blowing at my back and legs as I sit at the computer - the back of my chair is thin mesh so it is freezing cold when I lean back.
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Have you got a picture of your exhaust configuration?

Another problem I have is my windows are those awkward fold out ones. I know you can get those window fabric fasteners but seem really bothersome to apply.
 
Actual_Criminal said:
Have you got a picture of your exhaust configuration?

Another problem I have is my windows are those awkward fold out ones. I know you can get those window fabric fasteners but seem really bothersome to apply.
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It's just a 140mm duct running from the back of the unit (which is just in front of the window) with an oval end that I close the window on to hold it in place. It's something like this with a lip on the end that the window hooks over - https://munsterhrv.ie/shop/ols/products/115-x-60-mm-oval-duct-to-100mm-round

I've never tried any of the window kits, but I agree they do look bothersome. I just bring the hose in when I don't need it and rest it over the A/C.

Actual_Criminal said:
Also another weird question; do you find that bugs crawl into the exhaust pipe? Last thing I would want is flies and spiders spewing out of it!
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Can't say I've noticed any creepy crawlies coming in. The window has those vertical blinds in it, so I just unhook a slat at the bottom and feed the hose through, then I have a pair of those black-out curtains.
 
TBirdUK said:
I wouldn't do without my Aircon. I have ceiling fans in the bedrooms and last summer got hold of 4 portable aircons, of various sizes - I use them to reduce the moisture content and temp of the bedrooms before bed, then let the ceiling fans do the work while sleeping. 2 are very old, but still work fine, the other 2 are new and are quieter and more efficient.

The only thing I would advise is to put them on a platform to raise them up, they need draining and all the drain plugs are right at the bottom - makes it easier and you have to do it daily. I just use the curtains to keep out the vented hot air, works fine.
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Strange to have to empty it every day, maybe it's a different type of A/C to mine as I haven't had to empty it for a couple of years. When I did it last I wheeled it to the top of the stairs and emptied it via a jug on the next step down.

I think the one I have will give an error if it needs emptying.
 
moisture wise it varies a lot.
Our ones we have empty into 10 litre food bins/buckets that I picked up from Morrisons (they're intended to hold bulk dry stuff like cereals) and I used a hole cutter to make a hole in the lid just big enough for the hose.

There are times when it can go for a week with no water, then another day when the humidity is higher it's dripping like a tap and I might have to empty it morning and evening to prevent a spill.

We've got IIRC a electrolux 8k btu unit in one room, a Screwfix own brand 8k btu in another, and a screwfix 12k btu in the living room which just about copes (huge windows front and rear that catch the sun most of the day).
I want to go split unit at some point, at least in the living room, but I need to cost it out and see if it's really worth it, at the moment it's low priority as the current units work.
 
I have a Logik one . Cost about £230. It's pretty loud ( fan noise) but for the last few days I've been chilling in 17 degrees! You just need to stick the big pipe out of the window and that's it. Not had to empty it after weeks of use. It has wheels so is easy to move.
 
I bought a portable one from Argos a good 5yrs ago for about £300 and it's been great at cooling my bedroom, mine is always plugged in all year round as I've drilled a large washing machine size round hole into the wall for the large hose so I can keep the doors and windows closed for maximum efficiency.
 
I have a duracraft one with remote and a big hose you stick out of window. It’s loud, heavy but my god has it helped these last few days.

Im in the attic and it’s like a sauna, it can just about handle the room.
 
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