Sealing a door isn’t difficult with plastic sheeting and tape, but there aren’t any elegant off-the-shelf solutions for making that seal easy to remove and re-use multiple times per day. If you’ve got a metal door and frame, magnets taped to the plastic sheet work fairly well. Venting through a wall Portable air conditioners also use refrigerant gas to help cool your room. This can come in the form HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), a greenhouse gas that when emitted can contribute to global warming. If yours is working properly, it shouldn’t release any HFCs. However, if the unit leaks or is disposed of incorrectly, that’s when harmful greenhouse gases can be released. Then you can fit the extension pieces depending on the size of the window that you are trying to fit in. This can fit windows of heights from You do not necessarily need to vent your AC through a window but it does have to reach the outside. This could be done through a door or wall. Additionally, if you have a drop ceiling or large attic, these could also be used to vent your AC.

You can vent the heat through a building’s cold air return ducts directly to a central cooling system, but only so long as there’s enough capacity in that system to soak it up. Generally, if your central system can’t deal with the extra heat in a room just by redirecting the amount of air coming out of the vents, most HVAC professionals caution that you will only make the situation worse by adding a portable to the mix. Then fit the main part of the new window kit onto the end of the exhaust pipe. Which when done should look like this. If you’ve got the ability to install a dryer vent with a saw and drill, then you can use the same steps to vent your portable air conditioner through a wall. Just note that most portable air conditioners use 6-inch vent hoses, and dryer vent fittings are usually 4-inch.But no air conditioner is completely silent, even on sleep mode. In fact, you're better off pre-cooling your room before you go to bed, rather than attempting to sleep with one running. Timer

They come in various shapes and sizes, but are often described in terms of their BTU (British thermal unit) output. Our data shows that they use as much energy in an hour as a typical fridge freezer uses in one day. The ChillFlex Air conditioners need to be vented outside. When used in the cooling mode they will push warm air out of the exhaust, and in the heating mode it will be pushing out cold air. Need to be permanently mounted on an outside wall by a certified professional, so involves structural work to your home.We've tested portable air conditioners from a range of popular brands, including AEG, Argos own-brand Challenge, DeLonghi and ElectriQ. At PRA Air Conditioning, we offer expert installation services for both domestic household and commercial air conditioning systems for a variety of scenarios. Get in touch with our team to find out more information about the services we provide. FAQ Alter the fan speed according to the conditions. A maximum fan speed will cool your room rapidly and is perfect for when you first use a hot room. Thereafter, you can switch your fan to Auto so that it maintains an ideal temperature. If you want to sleep or work quietly, choose the Minimum setting. Find out which retailers are rated highly by Which? members with our guide on the best and worst shops. Can you hire or rent an air conditioner? They are generally heavy, unwieldy appliances. If you have reduced strength and/or live alone, you might need to get someone to help you set it up.

The next thing you need to bear in mind is making sure that the hose remains as straight as possible as bends can trap heat, causing your air conditioning unit to lose efficiency. Most hoses can be shorted to prevent the need to be bent to fit the desired location. Choose a good temperature. Adults who are sitting still working or reading function best in rooms of about 22 degrees. If you’re walking about or exercising, then cooler rooms will be more comfortable. Resist the temptation to set the thermostat far below the outside temperature - instead aim for optimal comfort, not freezing rooms. You could also look at the claimed energy class. Air conditioner manufacturers are obliged to self-certify their energy class, from A to G. However, we conduct our own expert tests according to the European Standard BS EN 14511:2013. Often, we find the claimed and actual energy class to be different. Can you buy an eco air conditioner? Then this needs to be installed and sealed. Using clamps, secure it in the frame and close the edges with silicone caulk. Now you’ve created a closed environment, you can attach your hose and use your portable AC. Ventilation Through A Wall All of the air conditioners in the table below have been put through our rigorous tests, so you can be sure they’re effective at cooling, easy to use and energy efficient.

Air treatment

If you find that your AC hose is getting hot, make sure you’re providing the shortest, straightest path for air to travel. See the photo above for an example of a hose with too many bends in it. Even if you have to extend the hose longer to make it straighter, bends trap more heat than length does. All of the models we've tested are heavy (up to 30kg) and awkward to lift out of the box. If you live alone, we suggest you get someone to help you set it up, particularly if you're pregnant or elderly.

If you're concerned about how much energy an air conditioner will use, look for a model with a good energy efficiency ratio (EER). This is the ratio between an air conditioner's BTU and its power input (in watts). Generally, the higher the EER rating, the more efficient it is.

Having a range of fan speeds is useful, as it affects the rate at which your room cools down (and the noise the air conditioner makes). Most models have three fan speeds and some also have a fan-only mode, which has no cooling effect and simply circulates the air within the room. This is the most popular way to use a portable air conditioner. You simply attach the hose and use a window kit to vent the warm air. When the weather cools or you want to move the air conditioner to another room, you simply remove the window kit and wheel the air conditioner away. Then fit in the window and attach to the appliance and you are ready to go. It should look like the below when fully fitted. The two most common problems with portable air conditioner vents are kinked hoses and leaking window seals.