A lot of people question the effectiveness of portable air conditioners. But I’ve found that a portable air conditioner suits my needs perfectly. Really, how effective a portable air conditioner depends on the size of the space you’re trying to cool down.
Are portable air conditioners effective?
Yes, portable air conditioners are effective providing you pick a model that’s powerful enough for your intended room. Portable air conditioners are designed to cool one room. If you try to use a portable air conditioner to cool a room larger than specified, you may be disappointed.
Portable air conditioners have a cooling capacity that’s measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units). BTUs are a measure of energy used to determine the cooling or heating energy needed to change the temperature of a space. One BTU is enough to power to change the temperature of a pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Some people have the impression that portable air conditioners are ineffective. This is not true! A portable air conditioner will be just as effective as a similarly-rated split AC or window AC unit. 10,000 BTUs of cooling power is 10,000 BTUs of cooling power regardless of an air conditioner’s design.
The most powerful portable air conditioners have 14,000 BTUs of cooling power. That’s the same as many split AC or in-wall AC units.
However, more typical portable AC units have 7,000 – 10,000 BTUs of power and are better suited to cooling a single room. That means that a typical portable air conditioner is less powerful than a typical in-wall AC unit.
But, you’ll always pay a premium for a more powerful air conditioner regardless of whether its in-wall or portable.
If you need 10,000 BTUs of cooling power, there’s no reason why a portable air conditioner would be less effective than a similarly-rated in-wall or split AC unit.
How many BTUs portable air conditioner should I buy?
How many BTUs portable air conditioner you should buy will depend on the size of the room or property you want to cool. As a rough guide, here is how many BTUs you need for rooms of differing sizes:
- 100 to 150 square feet – 5,000 BTUs
- 150 to 250 square feet – 6,000 BTUs
- 250 to 300 square feet – 7,000 BTUs
- 300 to 350 square feet – 5,000 8,000 BTUs
- 350 to 400 square feet – 5,000 9,000 BTUs
- 400 to 450 square feet – 5,000 10,000 BTUs
- 450 to 550 square feet – 5,000 12,000 BTUs
- 550 to 700 square feet – 5,000 14,000 BTUs
Some other factors that might influence how powerful a portable air conditioner you should choose are the typical local temperatures, your apartment’s insulation, and your budget.
Excessive outdoor temperatures mean you might want to go up a size in BTUs to make sure your portable air conditioner is up to the task. But a well-insulated apartment might mean you need less power to keep your apartment at a comfortable temperature.
More powerful alternatives to portable air conditioners
More powerful alternatives to portable air conditioners include window ACs, in-wall ACs, and split ACs. Critically, all of these types of air conditioners will be less powerful than a portable air conditioner with a higher rating. However, it is easier to find powerful split ACs than powerful portable ACs.
Mark is a journalist who has written about home products for two years. He holds a masters degree with distinction from the London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh.