Portable Air Conditioner Vs Window Unit Efficiency

A window unit uses chemicals called refrigerants that absorb the heat from the air when it passes over a set of coils resulting in chilled indoor air.

Portable air conditioner vs window unit efficiency.

Before making any decisions it is a good idea to have a basic understanding regarding how air conditioners work. I ll talk about energy efficiency in more detail later in the article. Portable air conditioner vs window unit the basics of air conditioners. Before we get into comparing different kinds of air conditioning units let s first discuss how an air conditioner works.

A portable unit on the other hand utilizes an exhaust pipe which funnels the air out of your window. How a c units work. Window units can be heavy to lug to a window and difficult to install but they are efficient at cooling down a room. Portable air conditioners are independent movable units with exhaust hoses that are easy to install and vent out of a variety of window types.

The window unit uses 6 2 amps and 708 watts in cool. Window units like the ge profile phc08ly pictured above typically take the form of a single heavy box sometimes with an extendable panel on either side. No matter if you have a portable or window unit both take a gas convert it to a liquid and then convert it back to a gas again. Window air conditioners are generally cheaper than portable units they also tend to be more efficient.

While a window ac uses outside air to cool the coils on the outdoor part of the unit a portable ac uses conditioned air from the room it s sitting in to cool the mechanicals. Since the outer unit is located outside there will be less heat in the room to deal with. Window air conditioner efficiency window air conditioners are generally more affordable than portable units as they take less btus. Window air conditioners are generally less expensive than portable air conditioners but they are more difficult to install and only fit in standard sized windows.

For objective numbers compare frigidaire s portable ac to the company s window unit with the same capability 8 000 btus to cool 350 square feet. A window units is installed by resting it on a window sill lowering the window down to trap the a c in place and. Below you ll find some simple guidelines regarding portable ac vs window ac as well as the pros and cons of each type of device. Though this may not mean that a window air conditioner is going to be your best option.

To make sure your window ac works properly you need to clean it.