Portable Air Conditioners (2 products)

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How do portable air conditioners work?

Portable air conditioners work in much the same way as window-mounted units. Put simply, air is drawn into the portable air conditioner, cooled by a compressor, then released into a room. Any heat that's generated during this process is exhausted out of a window via a flexible hose (around 6" in diameter) attached to the portable air conditioner. For the best efficiency and performance, most portable air conditioners come with window installation kits to form as tight of a seal around this hose as possible.

What's BTU?

Right at the top of a portable air conditioner's spec-sheet will be its BTU rating. BTU stands for British Thermal Units. One BTU equals the amount of heat required to raise a pound of water by a degree. The higher the BTU rating of a portable air conditioner, the larger the space it will be able to cool.

So you're not underwhelmed by the cooling capacity of your new portable air conditioner, make sure to buy a unit with a high enough BTU rating for the room it's going to be placed in. A 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner is good for a medium-size room, around 24 sqm. To adequately cool a larger room of around 36 sqm, you'll want to step up to a 15,000 BTU portable air conditioner. For those on a budget, you can get away with a 7,000 BTU portable air conditioner in a smaller 18 sqm room.

That said, it's not as simple as just looking at the square meter footage of a room. A conservatory will be more difficult for a portable air conditioner to cool than a room that isn't facing the sun, for example. Same goes for the height of a room's ceiling. And if your room is stuffed with electronics that generate a lot of heat - gaming-grade PCs, tower servers, and so on - then you'll have to opt for a higher BTU unit accordingly.

Are portable air conditioners worth it?

Given the form-factor of a portable air conditioner, it won't have the greatest cooling capacity. A portable air conditioner is no replacement for a central air con system that's designed to cool an entire house. But if you're just looking to cool a single room, a portable air conditioner is a fantastic alternative. Even if it's not as powerful, a portable air conditioner does have other advantages compared to a more permanent solution.

Affordability

For one, a portable air conditioner is more affordable. A complete air con system is a serious investment that'll set you back a couple of grand at least. On the other hand, you can pick up a high-quality portable air conditioner for a couple hundred pounds, if not less. You won't have to pay someone to install a portable air conditioner either, unlike a bulky window-mounted unit. Buy a portable air conditioner at Ebuyer and it'll be shipped straight to your door, for you to set up and enjoy in no time at all.

Portability

The second benefit's right in the name. A portable air conditioner may lack the capacity to cool an entire house, but it's compact enough that you can just move it to whatever room you're in. Most portable air conditioners are equipped with caster wheels, letting you transport them from room-to-room with ease. And as it's not a permanent, built-in solution, you can stow a portable air conditioner away once the summer's over and take it with you when you move house.

Portable air conditioners at Ebuyer

Need air con quick? We've got you covered. Buy portable air conditioners at Ebuyer, available with next-day delivery and flexible finance offers.