Portable Air Conditioners

During the summer season an air conditioner becomes your faithful ally on hot days. To have maximal flexibility which room in your home should be it bit cooler, a portable air conditioner will be the right choice when it comes to buying the right cooler for your needs.

Have a look at our selection of high-quality and functional portable air conditioners, designed to offer a pleasant look and a massive flow of fresh air, even with their reduced size and price. When buying a air conditioner that is portable, you should pay attention to some important features. Following you can get more information on how to choose the best portable air conditioner for your needs.

The cooling system of a portable air con works due to using a refrigerant gas undergoing changes between gaseous and liquid state, after being compressed inside the air conditioner itself and then expanded in the evaporator. Here, the air cools down until it reaches the desired temperature. At this point, it is conveyed into the room through a ventilation system, while the hot air, which is part of this thermo-dynamic cycle, is expelled outside the room through a special flexible pipe.

The drop in room temperature is achieved mainly by the ratio between the size of the room and the power of the appliance, measured in BTUs (short for British Thermal Units per hour). For adequate cooling in a room with a ceiling of up to 3 metres, you’ll need an output of 340 BTUs per square metre.

Therefore, for a 30 square metres room, choose a portable air conditioner capable of developing around 10000 BTUs. However, there are additional factors to consider: very high ceilings, southern exposure of the room, heat-generating appliances, and high average temperatures in the area add to count, meaning you would need additional BTUs.

Portable airconditioning systems consist of a single unit and can be found on the market in various models. Once you have established the power you need, you can go for a model with or without a pipe. As for the technologies used to maintain the temperature, you can find inverter models and mobile air conditioners with an on/off mechanism. Let's find out some important details about the portable air conditioners available on the market to help you make the right choice:

• Portable air conditioners without exhaust hose
  These air con units rely on evaporative cooling technology, and they are not performing a thermal cycle with refrigerant gas. This reduces energy costs and spares you the compressor noise. Also, consider that the water you put in the internal tank is cooling the hot air, meaning that you will have to load the water tank of the portable air conditioner frequently depending on its capacity.


• Among these models, you will also find 'water nebulisers' whose principle is based on the evaporation of water. As they evaporate, the micro-particles absorb the heat contained in the air, providing immediate refreshment. The same principle goes for water cooler fans, and these devices are ideal in open spaces when the heat is oppressive, and you need to cool the air somehow.


• Portable air conditioners with external hose
  To use this type of cooler, you’ll ideally create a hole in the window or wall where the hose outlet can be positioned. Alternatively, you can attach the hose to a half-closed window and place draught excluders or use ad hoc accessories to prevent the muggy air from entering through the opening.


• Portable air conditioners with inverter
  Air conditioners with inverter motor technology are more expensive but more energy efficient. Once the desired temperature has been reached, they continue to operate by reducing the power to a minimum to keep it stable. Acoustic comfort is also better as the compressor runs at a slower speed.


• Portable air conditioners with external unit
  Coolers with an external unit work in the same way as split air conditioners. The difference lies precisely in a box which contains the heat-exchanging mechanism and, the compressor, leading to a better energy efficiency index than small portable air conditioners. Some of these appliances have power ratings that are close to those of fixed split models. Placing the compressor outside will partially resolve the noise problem. On the other hand, their costs are often higher, and there are not so many models on the market due to their scarce diffusion.