How To Choose the Best Portable Air Conditioner for Your Portland Oregon Home?
There are many things to love about the weather heating up, such as going to the pool or beach, barbecuing with friends, and enjoying the outdoors. The heat in the Pacific Northwest opens up so many opportunities, but after a while, you’ll want to find a place where you can cool down. For most people, that place is their home and the comfort of a well-air-conditioned room.
One of the best ways to ensure your rooms are cool enough is to have a portable air conditioner. Your Portland home will thrive with the right portable air conditioner, but you may find it hard to choose which unit will work best in your space. Entek provides air conditioning products, as well as maintenance and repair for those products should they need them, and we can lead you in the right direction.
There isn’t one simple answer when it comes to finding the best portable air conditioner for your Portland, Oregon, home. It all depends on your cooling preferences, the size of your home or apartment, and your personal preference for energy use and overall noise levels. Here are a few ideas that can help you find the perfect portable air conditioner for you.
How Do They Work?
Portable air conditioners are different than other smaller cooling units such as window units or ductless pumps. A portable air conditioner stands on the ground and is around the same size as a mini fridge. Though they aren’t placed inside of a window, they will need to be close to one because they use a vent to get rid of the moisture and warm air. The vent, when placed correctly through a window or door, allows that warm air and moisture to leave your home, while it continues to cool the area around it. If you’re in the Portland area, you can have your air conditioner installed and maintained by the professionals at Entek.
Choose the Right Number of Hoses
When choosing which type of portable air conditioner is right for you, you’ll have the choice between a single-hose or dual-hose unit. Every unit has a vent that’s used to get rid of heat, but the way they do it is different. Choosing the right one for your specific space can help to lower your energy costs, as well as create a better cooling experience.
A single-hose portable air conditioner is perfect for cooling smaller spaces and more convenient if you plan on moving the unit from room to room often. It works by pulling warm air and moisture out through the exhaust, but while doing this through one hose, it does create a negative air pressure as that moisture and heat are being pushed out. Another thing to consider is that if you put this type of air conditioner in a room that’s too big, it will have to work really hard to try to keep the room cool. If your room is small enough, and the unit is installed correctly, this could be a good option for your home.
The dual-hose option, which has two hoses, is a better choice for larger rooms. It works by using one hose as an exhaust, and the other as an intake hose. By doing so, it avoids the issue of creating negative pressure inside the room. Though this option usually costs a bit more, it doesn’t have to work as hard as the single-hose option to produce the same results.
Consider the Noise Level
Most air conditioning units produce some amount of noise. Unlike window units that put the bulk of the unit outside of your home, the entire portable air conditioner will be inside. This will cause it to be a little bit noisier than other cooling units, but you do have some control over just how noisy it will be.
Looking into the decibels of your potential unit can give you a heads up on how loud it will be. The lower the decibels a unit has, the quieter it will be. This is important to consider if you’re putting your unit in a bedroom or a child’s room, as the sound can affect your quality of sleep. Take note of the decibels before purchasing to make sure that it’s suitable for the room it’s being put in and that you’re comfortable with that noise level for the majority of the day.
Measure the Rooms You’re Putting It In
A portable air conditioner won’t be able to cool your entire home, but it will do a great job of cooling a specific space or room. Many people in Portland, Oregon, use their portable air conditioner in rooms that get a lot of use, such as bedrooms and living areas. Though any portable air conditioner can cool your room in some capacity, picking the right size can make all the difference between it cooling the entire room or just a portion of it.
BTUs (British thermal units) are the unit manufacturers use to measure the power of their portable air conditioners. Check this number on your potential unit before purchasing to ensure that you buy a unit that can effectively cool your room. The larger the room, the more BTUs you will need, but you shouldn’t just buy a unit with a large BTU. If it’s unnecessary, it could end up costing you more than you need to spend. To better help you choose the best unit, measure your room beforehand. By using a BTU guide and knowing the exact square footage of the room can help you choose a portable air conditioner with the right BTUs to cool your space.
If you plan on moving your portable air conditioner often, it’s best to make sure that the rooms you’re moving it too are similar in size. Depending on the size of the rooms, you could have around a 50- to 100-square-foot difference between them and still be able to use the same unit. By taking this step beforehand, you can make sure that you choose a unit that will be perfect for multiple rooms.