Well, portable air conditioners and evaporative coolers are two popular free-standing energy bill for each month when using single centralized ac system. It means both are so advisable to complement your existing central ac system. With their spot cooling performance, they can cool the room more efficiently, specifically and brilliant idea if you are alone in the room. Both also always come with compact design and lighter in weight and can be re-installed easier. It’s therefore not surprising if both are familiar appliances that can be found easily in small rental houses, apartments, and dormitories.
The portable performance of free standing air cooling appliances is the main superior design that makes them better than window ac models. Portable means can be moved or carried from one location to other locations or from one room to other rooms. This feature usually is also supported by casters or wheels on the bottom of the unit. And as like written before, they come with semi permanent installation. It is great design to let anyone (although people who have low basic mechanical ability) capable to install them not too difficultly! Overall, we know well that not all mobile cooling devices are produced or created equal! However, portable air conditioners and evaporative coolers are so different. Both have the different work principles and surely also different in pros and cons. Let’s explore more detail about them and finally you will realize that both are obvious not same!
Portable ac units
Generally, the work principle of them is like other commonly air conditioner appliances! Most of them still use Freon technology to cool the air. Basically, within a box frame, they consist of two main sections that are; one side has function to hold cold air and other side as medium to push out the hot air. Getting rid of the heat, they need a lithe exhaust hose. And so far, window is still popular choice as the favorite position to install the hose. And usually a window kit is helpful for the installation that usually already included one package with the unit.
Like other commonly air conditioning system, they also result water condensation (byproduct of cooling process). The most of water condensation is pushed out from the unit and partly is used to cool the machine. There are available two familiar models of the mechanism how to remove the water condensation; by using tray or bucket (this method requires user to keep the bucket is not overflowed or the unit will shut down automatically) and by using automatic evaporation technology (it is satisfied technology that can evaporate the water condensate automatically and let the unit can run continuously without needing to keep the tray is not overflowed).
Most of them are now available as dehumidifier that also make them superior to be used for humid climate and even we can find some of them that come as heating and air conditioning appliance (HVAC model). Overall, as like written before, they are great choice for the rooms where cannot accommodate to install permanent installation and so helpful for many homeowners to cut the electric bill that usually must be paid every month, because they are claimed capable to work fifty percent more efficient than central air conditioning systems.
They come in numerous choices of sizes, such as; (7,000 BTU to 10,000 BTU for 100 to 200 square feet), (8,000 BTU to 11,000 BTU for 250 to 350 square feet), (9,000 BTU to 12,000 BTU for 350 to 450 square feet), (12,000 BTU to 16,000 BTU for 350 to 450 square feet), and (18,000 BTU is ideal for larger than 450 square feet). In addition, they can work well in almost any area. It is the superior point of them and on other hand as a big drawback of swamp coolers. We can also find some of them that come with high value of SEER and Energy Star approved.
Although they are real portable device but unfortunately they still need to be vented! And factually there are also still available most of them that result unfriendly loud noise when running. It is the big factor why they become bad choice if you choose them to place and install them in the office rooms, ha4x… Therefore by considering the decibel level and choosing some of them that come with split technology are not too bad idea to choose some units of them that come with not too loud noise when working. The other big drawback of them is not too good in durability. Yes, they are more affordable in price but unfortunately they don’t have good long lifetime period as well as like central ac models.
Evaporative coolers
Well, they can be categorized as eco-friendly technology because the refrigerant technology that usually involves Freon to cool the air is not required. They can work more efficient than portable air conditioning models and require simply maintenance. Therefore, it is not surprising if there are many experts call them as a perfect cost-effective way (consume less energy up to 75 percent, WOW…). They also require easily semi permanent installation. Not only that, consumers also can purchase them at affordable prices (around hundreds of dollars).
Why they can work more efficient? Well, the evaporation process (simply) is the key point of the answer. It means, they can consume less electricity than AC because they are already designed capable to prioritize of using evaporation principle optimally to cool the air. On other hand, the outside temperature and the humidity are important variables that can determine the unit will work optimal or not! The amount of humidity in the air is closely related to the amount of cooling that can be produced of the system! It is the main reason why they can use and spend a large of water from the air to result powerful cooling.
The wrong calculation between those both variables will make them is not better than free standing ac units. It means not all geographic area is qualified and recommended to use them (one big downside of them). For further more information about this calculation and to ensure you local area is qualified to use them or not, you can contact and ask to HVAC contractor in your local area.
Related posts: 2011 Tax credit of central air conditioners and How to troubleshoot portable AC!