Window Air Conditioner vs. Portable Air Condition for Home

ATFPat

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Looking for opinions and experiences with both window air condition units and portable air conditioners. Looking to cool down a master bedroom since it's always hotter on our second floor vs. the first floor.

A few reasons I've been looking into the portable ones is so I don't have a big window air unit hanging out the front of the house. Also, I like the ease of uninstalling/installing it and having the option of moving it. Unfortunately, the portable AC units seem to run more money. I've read that they can leak but my worst fear is that it will not cool the room down near as good as a window unit. I know they still require a vent from the window but it only takes alittle space and can be hidden behind a screen which I like as well.

So looking for some feedback if any! :beer:
 

shanezt

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There is NO comparison. Portable units are a joke! All the air that blows out that hose creates a vacuum in the house so you are drawing air in from outside. Also the cold air in your room is being sucked out. Horribly inefficient. Look at mini split ac. Only about 700 but works better than anything else out there. Also FYI I just replaced a 14k btu portable and it drew 9amps, my new mini split draws 4.5amps and cools the room twice as fast.
 

black99lightnin

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I'm gonna have to second that. I have a portable, bought it in case of hurricanes. Tried to cool off my garage for a party once, never got cooler than mid 80's.
 

NastyNate420

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Portable AC are heat sinks very inefficient ...and costly .... window AC is the ONLY way to IMO.....A mini split is ideal but costs $$
 

RedRocketMike

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I'm going to 3rd the wall mount. And there is something tacky about having central air and a window unit hanging out of your house. Then there is the noise, and a large one is a bitch to carry up from the basement every year. Sooner or later you will dig into a wall or a door while carrying it.
 

NastyNate420

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Also FYI I just replaced a 14k btu portable and it drew 9amps, my new mini split draws 4.5amps and cools the room twice as fast.

FWIW if you ran the portable AC on 240v then it would only draw 4.5 amps as well.
I dont know the specs on your mini split but its prolly running on 240
4.5 amps 240v = 9 amps 120v either way your using the same about of power
 

GT_Jim

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I'm using a 8,000 BTU portable to help keep my "tech room" with multiple computers, monitors, etc cool and it works well enough but it's not a "primary" unit. I need it otherwise it would get entirely too hot in there on 100° days. It's a small room though and I got it for the same reason you are looking at and that's because I didn't want a window AC hanging out visible to the street in front.

I believe it cost me about $250 or so at the time and this is my 4th year having it. I do have mine on a dedicated 20 amp circuit, but since I was running a 30 amp dedicated to the computers and stuff anyway it was an easy thing to add in at the time.

All told it does the job I need it to do and so far works great, just remember to clean the filter regularly and check it over like you would any other device. I do not use mine for dehumidifying so less worries about water leaks and such but it does have a drain on the back if I wanted to use that function.
 
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04MystiCobra

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I have an 8k BTU portable and it does ok in my 425sqft condo. Not great mind you nor is it 90-100 degrees yet as it normally is during summer. I think in a room 250-300sqft it would do fine. Besides output the other downside is the window having to be open for the air intake and thereby lack of security.
 

shanezt

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FWIW if you ran the portable AC on 240v then it would only draw 4.5 amps as well.
I dont know the specs on your mini split but its prolly running on 240
4.5 amps 240v = 9 amps 120v either way your using the same about of power


No sir both are 120v
 

Snake Pliskin

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Mini split sounds interseting to me. Anyone here well informed on those ? Sounds like they heat and cool with 1 outdoor unit and 1 indoor unit per zone. THX
 

oldmodman

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Since both my house and my office are really old and don't have central air I have window units on both properties.

The bedroom windows have 8K units. The living room have 220v 24K. And the electronic equipment room with all the battery chargers have a 110v 18K

I also have two portable units that I bought used. They are both 8K and are nearly worthless. I use them as loaners for friend's that don't have AC in their kitchens when it gets hotter at the end of the summer.

So don't waste any money on portable units, just buy the biggest window unit that your electrical sockets will handle and that will fit in the window.
 

STAMPEDE3

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Any portable that is worth a damn and doesn't need outside air will have a tank to empty or pump and will be expensive as hell.
We use some at work.
That are about $3K

Mini-split is the shit.
 

ford fanatic

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Mini split sounds interseting to me. Anyone here well informed on those ? Sounds like they heat and cool with 1 outdoor unit and 1 indoor unit per zone. THX

Subscribed.

Looking to do about a 400 sqare foot addition (large living room) to the house this year, and I think a mini split would do the trick rather than upgrade the whole system.
 

YJSONLY

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Here in Florida. Mini splits are everywhere. For additions and upstairs of houses. Large bedrooms. Sun rooms. The portable are junk!
 

Thump_rrr

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Mini split sounds interseting to me. Anyone here well informed on those ? Sounds like they heat and cool with 1 outdoor unit and 1 indoor unit per zone. THX

Ductless mini-splits are the way to go.
If you want to heat and cool with one look for one which is inverter meaning that the compressor is variable speed.
They are much quieter and more efficient.
You don't need to get a major name brand but one which has a 5 year parts and labour warranty inspires confidence.
When I talk about a 5 year warranty I'm talking bumper to bumper. Compressor, electronics, refrigerant, and labor.
 

CobraBob

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Sounds like you are using one central unit to cool both floors. Did you not do two zones (two units) because of the extra cost? I have two units and with that setup there is no second floor issue with a room being too warm. I went out of my way to ensure that both units were properly sized (first floor unit also cools my office & workshop in the basement). Since apparently adding another zone/unit is out of the question, I definitely agree that a mini-split is your best option if you can afford the extra cost over a window unit. I hate window units, but sometimes they're the only option for folks.

Mitsubishi Mini-Split Systems (single and multi room)
 

SVT-BansheeMan

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My parents have a portable unit on wheels. We also had to barrow one from our A/C company when our Central air went out.

Both cooled the bed room more than good enough at night or in the day time. I really have no complains.

We actually are having issues at night with our master bedroom being too warm. We will either do a bigger ceiling fan or see about getting another a/c ceiling vent put in. And we moved into this freshly built house little over 5 months ago. good times! A window unit isnt an option since it would be visable on our back porche. That's pretty bad looking.:nonono:
 

GT Premi

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OP, we had the same problem as you at our old house. The master bedroom had a vaulted ceiling and it just collected heat. My wife had a portable unit that I tested out for a little bit. It was garbage. All it did was make noise. Tried it in the garage since the garage was always crazy hot in the summer. Didn't work worth a damn in there, either. A window unit was out of the question due to aesthetics and the HOA. (Let's face it, a window unit screams "trailer park.") So my only recourse was to crank the HVAC system at night. That did the job.

The reverse was that the master bedroom was always the coldest room in the house in the winter. The "always wrong" temperature of the master bedroom is something I definitely won't ever miss from that house. I liked everything else about it. (Except the 8', popcorn ceilings.)
 

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