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Cool your space
with a portable air conditioner
Nothing
beats an air conditioned living room or office in the middle of a heat
wave. If you don’t have access to a cooler environment, you
probably make a few extra trips to the grocery store freezer section or
the nursing home to pay your loving great aunt a well timed visit. If
you find yourself going out of your way to hunt for some relief - you
should consider a portable air conditioner. The biggest advantage to
this type of air conditioning is that it is portable. You can move it
from room to room at any time throughout the day - perhaps the living
room or kitchen during the day and hallway or bedroom during the night.
In desperation some people may take their portable AC to work during
the week.
You should consider the following when trying to figure out which air
conditioner is best suited for your needs. For approximately 1000
square feet of space you will require an air conditioning unit that has
approximately 30,000 BTU’s (British Thermal Units), generally
speaking 20-30 BTUs per square foot. BTUs measure the cooling capacity
of most air conditioners, it’s the amount of heat required to
raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water by 1 degree
Fahrenheit at its maximum density. Most portable air conditioners are
available for personal residential use at 6,000 to 14,000 BTUs.
Portable air conditioners offer powerful cooling where you need it
most. Central air conditioning units are expensive to purchase and can
double your energy bill through the summer months. All newer models
(within the last 15 years or so) come with an energy consumption and
efficiency rating so you know what to except when the energy bill
comes. The Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) also referred to as the
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) should be higher than 8. The
higher the number the more efficient the air conditioning unit. Other
special features to look for when purchasing your portable air
conditioner are removable/washable air filters, built-in dehumidifiers,
24 hour timers with remote controls and models that are quiet and light
to medium weight for easy mobility. Portable air conditioners take up
less window space than window air conditioners and are a great option
for those who cannot install and/ or afford a central AC system, or for
those who need to supplement their central AC. Consumers of portable AC
units would be hotels, restaurants, hospitals, nursing centres,
schools, offices as well as boats and RVs.
Some models to choose from include: GE, EdgeStar, Maytag, DeLonghi,
Sunpentown, Toyotomi, Danby, Fedders and Fujitronic. Be sure to discuss
your air cooling needs with a qualified sales associate to be certain
you get a model that is right for you.
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