Portable Air Conditioners

[Roy Bham UK]

I need a portable air conditioner, can anyone give me some advice please, it will be needed in a bedroom?

Does anyone own one? are they any good? Will I have to knock a big hole in the wall for the pipe? Is there a website/ forum where I can ask all these questions? Am I right in thinking the bigger the BTU the better? Are they noisey?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm surfing the web for answers and getting nowhere, please help. :-\

[Roy Bham UK]

[Doris_Pinks]

When we used to live in the tropics, (sigh) we used to have air con units that fitted in the windows, never need pipework  for those. Good luck in your quest Roy!

[tilts]

Just watch the electric bill, they are expensive to run.

[keef]

We've got one from Focus DIY at work, it does us fine in an office about 6m x 9m, about 12000 btu i think.

The more btu the better (ie will cope with a larger area) - dont get one that just works using water (there cack) get one with proper evaporator and pipe. You will need to stick the pipe out of a hole or through a small window (otherwise you actually going to heat up the room).

They are noisy - but just get some ear plugs, and not too good on leccy - but you probably wont need it on all the time.

Try and keep the windows and doors to the outside shut - or you'll be constantly drawing in loads of warmer air (hence try and stick the pipe out of small window...)

[Roy Bham UK]

Thanks Guys for your input ;) I didn't realise they were heavy on the juice :( and there are so many models ???

dont get one that just works using water (there cack) get one with proper evaporator and pipe.

Not sure what you mean Keef,
Do you mean like this? http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4140038.htm

or this?  http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=8090024&ts=1152309455364&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_search_pass=literal&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fspecificationsProductType%3e%7bair_conditioning%7d&fh_search=air+conditioners&fh_refview=search&ts=1152309456337

or something totally different? I really don't want to buy a pig in a poke. :o

Thanks for your time Guys. ;)

[tim]

keef - good advice - about noise & shutting up.

Although I found that the noise blocked out all extraneous noises & helped me sleep.

And the fact that so many are 'air coolers' rather than conditioners.

[rosebud]

Roy we bought a  portable air conditioner it is total cack, we paid £189 for it and it works with filling it with cold water please do not waste your money we bought it for our bedroom it had to be stood by an open door or window and really was a waste of money .  We have a ceiling fan which we put on MAX about half an hour before we go up and then leave it on all night on the slow speedLOVELY, price £39 and some are cheaper.  Cheers Rosie.

[OliveOil]

was in Wickes today and saw them there cheap!!!

my son calls it Wick - ers

[Roy Bham UK]

I can’t quite grasp this difference between ones that need “water” and ones with an “evaporator and pipe”  ::) I note that most or all of the Argos models come with a pipe, so far so good, also price means nothing as a £600 model only does 8,500BTU and a £200 model does a wopping 12,000BTU :o  both have a “Full water indicator.” Whatever that means. ::)

It looks like I’ll have to find a supplier that specialises in A/C. ???

Mary & Keef, thanks for the warning on water filled models I have taken note, ;) there is a ceiling fan in this room together with a table top fan, but I think the room/rooms are so well insulated that all they do is just circulate warm air. :-\

[jennym]

This may not be suitable for your circumstances, but what I do in summer is a bit basic but it works.
Firstly I put blinds up outside windows - just rough calico, pva'd to hem them and attached securely to frames with those bulldog type curtain clips, all round. This keeps sun out of house and reflects back some heat.
Secondly, at night, I freeze blocks of water in tupperware boxes, and around mid morning remove them, stand them in front of fan on lowest setting. As they melt during the day (and they last a fair while) I replace them.
Also find that having 2 points of ventilation in the house, at bottom and top during the night helps any collected hot air to escape and house cools down at night.

[Roy Bham UK]

That sounds interesting, someone else recommended freezing water in 2ltr plastic pop bottles and putting them in front of a fan, hmm! :-\ don't have any vents in that room only an open window, food for thought, thanks Jenny. ;)

[keef]

I can’t quite grasp this difference between ones that need “water” and ones with an “evaporator and pipe”  ::) I note that most or all of the Argos models come with a pipe, so far so good, also price means nothing as a £600 model only does 8,500BTU and a £200 model does a wopping 12,000BTU :o  both have a “Full water indicator.” Whatever that means. ::)

It looks like I’ll have to find a supplier that specialises in A/C. ???

Mary & Keef, thanks for the warning on water filled models I have taken note, ;) there is a ceiling fan in this room together with a table top fan, but I think the room/rooms are so well insulated that all they do is just circulate warm air. :-\

You can get cheapy units that you have to top up with with water all the time. They use water evaporation to cool the air. I dont think they're very efficient, and a bit of a pain as you have to top them up with water quite often...

Decent ones have a compressor, evaporator, condenser and use proper refrigerant for cooling (a bit like a fridge or freezer). The pipe is used to blow away the hot air created by the fan / condenser. This type still have a water tank - but its used to collect condensation that collects on the evaporator (ie you have to empty it from time to time). Some models have a full water indicator to tell you the water tank needs to be emptied...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-conditioning

This,

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4140014/Trail/C%24cip%3D35946.Household%2Bappliances%3EC%24cip%3D35962.Heaters%2Band%2Bcoolers.htm

is what i'd reccomend for the average bedroom...

You'll pay a lot to go to a specialist, they'll probably try and sell you a "split" system, ie the condenser and fan is outside and connected with pipework to the evaporator inside. A split system is a perminant installation, and what you'll see fitted in office's and shops etc....

[Roy Bham UK]

:o Gee whiz Keef :o thanks for that Wiki link, I know you said they were heavy on the juice but didn't know it was to that extent :o that just might break the bank :'(

I think I'm going to try Jenny's idea first, it's much easier on the purse strings ;D thanks again for the input Guys ;)