portable air conditioners, fixed air conditioning, coolers, fans, dehumidifiers, blowers, portable heaters,propane heaters, diesel heaters, electric heaters, purifiers etc. Below we provide information on things to consider when buying this equipment by providing seasonal articles
Choosing a Portable Air Conditioner
Now is the time to consider what cooling you will need and how it can be
economically obtained. The following is a brief guide supplied by Koolbreeze,
the air conditioning equipment supplier, about what to consider in choosing
suitable economic portable cooling.
What are the things to look for on a portable air conditioner?
What features do you need?
Do cheap portable air conditioners provide the best value?
This article tries to provide a consumers guide to portable air conditioners. It
sets out some ofthe advantages of portable air conditioners and alternatives
you might consider. It then sets out to cover the areas for which they are
suitable, factors to take into account about the area in which you wish to use
one and the way portable air conditioners get rid of the hot air. It also
considers what is essential and what is a nice extra to have on the portable air
conditioner you choose.
The main advantage of a portable air conditioner in providing a comfortable
environment is that it can be used almost immediately. Most can be wheeled
ito position, plugged in and used within minutes, directing the hot air out of a
nearby window or door. They are also relatively cheap as there is no fitting
charge necessary and no worry about getting a landlord's or local council's
permission to install it. Their portability also means you cool exactly where
needed.
Alternatives to portable air conditioners include fitted air conditioning, coolers
(also called evaporators) and fans. Fitted air conditioners can be more
efficient to use and quieter than portable air conditioners. However, the fitting
cost can be high if a professional air conditioning engineer is required. With
good quality portable air conditioners getting quieter in recent years, the gap
has narrowed and many people choose to "fit" their portable unit permanently
in one place simply by drilling one hole through the wall to let hot air escape.
Fans are the cheapest alternative to air conditioning. However, they really
only move the air arround but do not cool it and they only effect the immediate
area arround the fan.
Coolers (or evaporators) are an alternative to portable air conditioners but
they are not as effective. They work by soaking a large pad in cool water and
then cooling air by blowing it through the pad and ito the room. Micro-droplets
of the water are also sprayed into the room adding to the cooling effect.
Coolers work best if the windows are open. They do not work so
well on very humid days when the air already has a lot of water in it. They also
need to be regularly filled with water. However, they may be the best method
available if there is nowhere (such as a window) through which to exhaust hot
air.
So what areas are suitable for a portable air conditioner? Well, almost any
indoor area that is not excessively damp (like a laundry room). The one key
factor is that it has to be possible to expel the hot air from the area. Each
portable air conditioner has either an exhaust hose or an umbilical pipe with a
condensor on the end. The hot air from the room travels through the
exhaust hose or through the umbilical pipe and condensor to the outside. This
may be out of a window, out of the door, through a hole in an outside wall or
up into a false ceiling. (It should be noted that letting the hot air go up through
the exhaust into the false ceiling works on the principle that hot air rises.
Thus, once it is in the ceiling, it wont come down again unless it has cooled.)
Air Conditioners do work best when an area can be enclosed. The windows
and doors should be shut as much as possible. However, many portable air
conditioners are now used at outdoor events to cool tents and marquees so
the areas for which they are suitable are very varied.
It is very important to take into account the size of an area, what encloses it
and what will be happening in it before choosing any air conditioner. A lot of
people simply do not think rationally before they purchase one.
How many people would buy a 2Kw fire and expect it to heat a ballroom in the
depths of winter? Not many! But lots buy a tiny 8000btu (2.3Kw) portable air
conditioner and expect it to cool a large conservatory in the height of summer.
So what do you need to take into account when deciding the power of the
portable air conditioner you need? Clearly, the size of the room and the height
of the ceiling need to be calculated. Also, of what are the walls and ceiling
made? A flat felt roof will let in more heat from the sun than a tiled roof. Glass
can let in three to four more times heat than brick. Additionally you need to
consider the number of people in the space. Each will produce circa 400btu of
heat. Similarly, you need to consider anything else in the room producing
heat. Computers, coffee machines, faxes etc all add to the heat load.
I am not going to produce a calculator here. There are several on the internet.
Try several and see what results you get. Then choose a unit that has that
amount of power plus a bit in hand. You do not want the machine you buy to
be working constantly, straining to its maximum caopacity to meet your needs.
In the view of the author, the smallest size worth bothering with for any
application is 11000btu (3.2Kw).
Having arrived at the power you need to cool the area, ask what else you
need. If you are working in an office and need to be able to answer the phone
it is important you get one thatis quiet. Anything over 55 decibels it gets hard
to hear a caller on a poor line. If you want it for your bedroom, ensure it is
quiet but also ensure it has a timer so you can set it to cool your room before
you go to bed. Bear in mind that some portable air conditioners have features
built into them that make them much more useful. For instance, some can
now heat as well as cool so for very little extra you can get a machine that can
be used throughout the year. The Koolbreeze Kompact range includes such machines. It can
be used to cool a room in the day but then heat it during the chilly evening.
Portable air conditioners with "heat pump" technology feature the ability to
cool and heat very economically. They can produce 3 times the cooling power
or heating power compared to the electric they use. This is because they draw
latent energy out of the surrounding air and use it to produce heat or cooling.
Units with this capability are not the cheapest to buy but they are far cheaper
to run.
A lot of portable air conditioners also have the ability to operate as
dehumidifiers. They can remove dampness from the room and many are as
effective as professional dehumidifiers. You can therefore economise by
buying just the one unit. Portable Air conditioners have come a long way in
the last few years. Quality and features have increased whilst prices have
dropped. The best now provide high quality air conditioning at a very
accessable price.
