It s safe to run your ac regardless of the severity of forest fire pollution in your area.
Do portable air conditioners work as good as window units.
I found this out the hard way.
Air conditioners are heat exchangers.
Air conditioners are usually quite noisy though you can find quiet air conditioners.
For the most part when it comes to portable ac vs window ac the window units win.
Pacs need to vent the heat they remove through a hose and out the window.
Portable air conditioner vs.
Portable units are usually used in situations that a window unit won t work.
If you can use a window unit do it.
While some of the newer and or pricier models remove the condensation through the vent exhaust many still rely on a drip pan which quickly fills up and must be manually emptied.
That s because window air conditioners are usually much quieter than portable air conditioners.
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.
They must be installed inside a standard window frame.
While your outside unit expels a lot of hot air that air isn t coming from inside your home and being replaced with outside air.
With window air conditioners you don t have those options.
A portable air conditioner is an alternative but not.
Thankfully the answer is no.
The fact that a window air conditioner uses a compressor that is situated outside the room should in theory make them quieter.
Condensation condensation is another issue associated with portable air conditioners.
Since the main body of a portable air conditioner stays inside the room with you it has some inefficiencies when compared to windows units.
Portable ac units hover around 70 db while window ac units tend to be near 50 db which is one eighth quieter.
A 12 000 btu portable ac will cool roughly as much as a 6000 btu window ac.
Portable air conditioners are intended for homes in which window configurations or building regulations prevent installation of window units.
You didn t mention that portable ac units are very inefficient at cooling compared to a window unit.
This is generally more important when considering a portable air conditioner as the ac is inside the room.
While portable air conditioners must still be vented to the outside their exhaust hoses are bendable and extend somewhere between five to seven feet meaning the unit can be moved as needed.