7 tips for a good portable air conditioner

Portable air conditioners always work with an exhaust hose that leads outside. To make sure a portable air conditioner functions properly, you have to mount the drain hose with a window sealing kit. This way, you keep the hot air out and you minimize the temperature loss of the air conditioner. Check the product manual to see how you can best mount the window sealing kit. You can find this on the product page of your portable air conditioner or that of the sealing kit.

In order to use the drain hose, your portable air conditioner must always be near a window. The drain hose is usually around 150cm long. A sliding window or a top-hung window works better in combination with such a hose than a sloping roof window with a hinge in the middle. These types of windows always have an opening that allows in hot air, which affects the cooling capacity. Make sure that the air conditioner is 30 to 40cm away from the wall and that there's nothing on top of the air conditioner. Items that are on top of the air conditioner negatively affect the air circulation.

It takes a lot of energy to get a warm room back to a nice cool temperature. That's why it's more effective to maintain a relatively cool space. For example, turn on your air conditioner in the morning when the room is still cool. This way, the portable air conditioner ensures the temperature remains comfortable and requires a lot less energy. In addition, the air conditioner produces much less noise this way.

Prevent the room from heating up due to external factors, such as heat from outside. Protect the room against direct exposure to sunlight, for example. You can use blinds, curtains, or other window coverings. In addition, make sure that any windows and doors are closed. This prevents warm air from coming in from the outside.

Every air conditioner cools up to a certain surface area. When we determine this maximum surface area, we distinguish high and low heat loads. A room with a lot of sun and little insulation has higher heat loads than a dark, isolated room. If you use a portable air conditioner in a larger room than recommended, you won't be able to cool the entire room. As a result, all the air conditioner does is make a lot of noise and doesn't reach the desired temperature.

The drain hose of your portable air conditioner ensures that warm air flows out of the room. Place the hose as straight as possible to ensure it can optimally exhaust hot air. If the hose has too many kinks and bends, it can't exhaust the air out of the space as easily. As a result, the air conditioner has more trouble cooling the space.

If you use other products in the room that has to be cooled, it affects the performance of your air conditioner. Electronic devices produce their own heat, your vacuum being a good example of this. As a vacuum produces a lot of hot air, it may be wise not to use it on a hot day. This way, you optimize the cooling capacity of the air conditioner.