Patios and workshops are a popular and common place for people to spend their time during the day. The problem with these areas is that it is not usually connected to the heating and ventilating system of the house. So if a person lives in a place where there is a tendency for hot weather, it can become unpleasant to be around in these areas. Fortunately, there is a device called a portable air conditioner that has changed all that. This device can also be used in a room that does not have air conditioning or any place where there is an electrical outlet.

Some people may think getting a window unit will solve the problem. The problem with this is some areas of the house will not have a window, such as the basement. With a portable unit it is possible to move it to any location that is desired. This type will typically have wheels and is also lightweight, making it easy to move around and transport. They have the capability to remove warm air with the help of a hose and they also collect humidity from the air.

It should also be understood that these types of units act more as coolers, not as chillers. The reasons for this is that they are not as powerful as other types of air-conditioning devices and they are after all exposed to more warm air, especially when used outdoors. However, they are capable of making the air much more comfortable in a given area. A nice feature that comes with these devices is that they can be used in fan mode and also as dehumidifiers. This is usually done if the cooling function is not needed.

Choosing a size is easy. Portable air-conditioners are measured according to their BTU’s (British Thermal Unit). This is decided by the size of the room that needs to be cooled. A general rule of thumb that most people use is, for a room that measures 150 sq ft, one will need a unit with a power of 7,500 BTU’s. If the room size is 200 sq ft then a 9,000 BTU unit will be used. The largest will have around 12,000 BTU’s. Cost wise these units will be a little more expensive compared to a window unit. Of course, it goes without saying that a window unit will not have the flexibility of use compared to a portable unit.