First, you’ll need to know a little bit about portable air conditioners and what spaces they are typically designed for. Like most air conditioners, portables have two basic components: a cooling unit of some type that draws in surrounding air, cools it and expels the hot air byproduct, and a fan or some type of propulsion unit to disperse the cool air into the desired room.
It’s also very important to know the dimensions of the room you need to cool. If it’s too much bigger than 500 square feet, you may want to consider looking into a window-based air conditioner or a mini ductless system to provide the power necessary for cooling large areas, but chances are if you’re searching for a portable unit, the space you need to use it for is likely less than 500 square feet.
For these types of spaces, a portable air conditioning unit, or PAC, is ideal. But there are still several different types and designs to consider to maximize your air conditioner’s effectiveness. Let’s look at the different types offered and what they are best suited for.
The first type is called a single hose. This portable air conditioning unit will be the least expensive of all, but will usually max out at about 12,000 BTUs, (a measurement of air conditioning power.) Because of the power limits, it is not recommended for rooms larger than 475 square feet, and typically performs noticeably better in smaller spaces. The cooling unit and fan are housed in the same casing and a hose extends in order to vent out hot air.
The second type of portable air conditioning unit is called a dual hose. These work better for rooms around 500 square feet in size, as they can be rated higher than 12,000 BTUs. At these higher powers, portable air conditioning units tend to expel hot air at a faster rate than cool air is dispersed in the room, which causes imbalances in air pressure. So dual hose units utilize the second hose to draw additional air in from the outside.
If you need your portable air conditioning unit to be quiet, and powerful as well, a split unit is great to check out. These actually separate the cooling and hot air expulsion systems into one unit that stays outdoors, while a fan that blows in cool air is the only part of the unit that stays in the room. These also work wonderfully if space is an issue, but just remember you need to have some sort of available outdoor space to house the air conditioner, such as a deck or balcony.
source : http://paragliding.tk/portable-air-conditioning-unit/
