Portable Air Conditioning Unit

madtoady

madtoady

madtoady

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For years I have put up with baking hot bedroom in the summer so I've decided to buy an air conditioning unit, fans just don't cut it anymore.

I'm curious if any of you have experience with these units or know good places to buy.

Argos and Homebase have Challenge Air Conditioner for £187.49 which has very mediocre reviews.
 
I was just thinking the same thing (in my sauna of a room) I'll get an air conditioning unit. Then I thought surely they have to go outside right?

How is an electric device supposed to produce cool air when the ambient temperatures are well above 24C?
 
Emphacy said:
I was just thinking the same thing (in my sauna of a room) I'll get an air conditioning unit. Then I thought surely they have to go outside right?

How is an electric device supposed to produce cool air when the ambient temperatures are well above 24C?
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AC units take in hot air and produce cold air, that's the whole point of them :o
 
I have the De'Longhi NF170 Portable Air Conditioner, 8,000 Btu.

It's ok for a small room. You need a much stronger (higher Btu) to cool a lounge or bigger room successfully within a decent amount of time.

Bear in mind all portable units have exhaust radiator tubes which need to be either out of a window or you can drill a permanent whole in your wall to put them through.

This means in most cases (e.g. if you're renting) the unit has to be near the window. You can get tube extensions but that means you'll get more heat dissipated inside the house (the tube gets very hot), negating the benefit of the unit.

If I was to buy again I'd buy a 12,000 btu or higher tbh, depending on the room size.
 
Dunks said:
AC units take in hot air and produce cold air, that's the whole point of them :o
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Yes I'm well aware of that. Have you not noticed the cooling system for these devices has to be outside? Where the air is much cooler.

kgi said:
Bear in mind all portable units have exhaust radiator tubes which need to be either out of a window or you can drill a permanent whole in your wall to put them through.
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Ah, this explains it. Guess I'll not be getting one then, I have a skylite.
 
Thats only one sort of AC unit, you can get an Evaporative AC instead this doesnt expell any hot air just cool air, but doesnt cool as low.
 
kgi said:
If I was to buy again I'd buy a 12,000 btu or higher tbh, depending on the room size.
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We had a 10,000 BTU unit in a server room with three racks worth of kit :eek:
Who are you, Mr Frosty? :D

Just for consideration, have a look at ceiling fans, it was 26 degC when I walked in earlier, with the fan on it's quite pleasant.
 
robj20 said:
Thats only one sort of AC unit, you can get an Evaporative AC instead this doesnt expell any hot air just cool air, but doesnt cool as low.
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got a little* one of these in my room and it brings things down to a much more reasonable temperature after a bit. nowhere near as good as proper air con, but better than an ordinary fan by far

unfortunately its sitting at my room in my parents house whereas i am sitting in my room in my uni house :(

*when i say little i mean ~1m tall and ~30cm depth and width
 
ive got one had it for years brill investment in the summer, mine is running now keeping room and pc cool. get one that ducts air outside of the house not a condensor type or the type that have ice trays waste of space they are

bought mine in b&q few years ago and it has timer temp control 2 stage fan and 2 stage aircon high and low ofc couple that with a timer socket i can have it kick in when ever i want for as long as i want at what temp i want

brilliant investment and cheap as chips window closed in the summer nice and fresh awesome



btw just read about the skylight just duct it up through that or punch a hole in a wall with a grill easy peasy
 
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Fan next to windows blowing OUT of the window job done. Personally a warm room doesn't bother me. But for those who it does , do the above works a treat
 
Emphacy said:
I was just thinking the same thing (in my sauna of a room) I'll get an air conditioning unit. Then I thought surely they have to go outside right?

How is an electric device supposed to produce cool air when the ambient temperatures are well above 24C?
Click to expand...
I don't know the make or model as its two years ago i worked there but we had one that you put water into a tank to create super cool air.
 
Eeeeeethan said:
I don't know the make or model as its two years ago i worked there but we had one that you put water into a tank to create super cool air.
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thats a condensor or evaporative type not that good in all honesty cools the air yes but a ducted one is much better unless you get a proper built in system with the gubbins attached outside your wall
 
I love how these threads always show up the second it turns hot! ;)

The biggest thing I'd point out with portable air conditioning units is to watch out for their energy usage rating. Back when I lived with my parents, I lived in a loft conversion room and it was stifling in the summer. I started using a portable air con unit from Homebase and the electricity bill shot up quite substantially.

The other thing, as people have pointed out is that really you need to get a proper hole in the wall, as putting it out the window isn't great and difficult to actually seal the room properly. It kind of makes you wonder if you go to that hassle whether it's worth just getting proper air con installed.
 
Nexus said:
I love how these threads always show up the second it turns hot! ;)

The biggest thing I'd point out with portable air conditioning units is to watch out for their energy usage rating. Back when I lived with my parents, I lived in a loft conversion room and it was stifling in the summer. I started using a portable air con unit from Homebase and the electricity bill shot up quite substantially.

The other thing, as people have pointed out is that really you need to get a proper hole in the wall, as putting it out the window isn't great and difficult to actually seal the room properly. It kind of makes you wonder if you go to that hassle whether it's worth just getting proper air con installed.
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yer but sod the electric if it keeps house cool tbh worth the price .

mine is out the window type and i have a 6 inch wide seal strip that fits around it so no hot air gets in and it slots in

parents house has full AC proper units with external gubbins and that is the best way but if you can drill your wall and vent thru agree that is the best option for a portable unit
added
price of full ac was like over 10k tho im not sure what single units are about a grand for a decent one i guess so portable for 2- 300 quid and a pipe when its hot seems good value tbh
 
I have a portable a/c unit for my bedroom that I bought a few years ago. It cost about £200. As I live in rented accommodation, I just poke the hose out the window and use some foam to close up most of the remaining air gap. When I get my own house, I will consider getting proper a/c installed. A friend has two in his house and they cost about £1500 each.
 
It'll be gone by the end of next week and then return for another week or so in August then that'll be it, so don't waste your money.
 
minimum BTU i would get is 12000, they are great things, but are very noisy, i have two, one for the living room and one in the upstairs hall cooling the bedrooms.

personaly i would wait now, and just pay for the two part ones that have the bit outside, and the fan inside. bit costy, but long term i think it would be better
 
jon86 said:
I have a portable a/c unit for my bedroom that I bought a few years ago. It cost about £200. As I live in rented accommodation, I just poke the hose out the window and use some foam to close up most of the remaining air gap. When I get my own house, I will consider getting proper a/c installed. A friend has two in his house and they cost about £1500 each.
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yer thats same as me best solution all round untillu wanna spend a packet on your own place
 
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