It’s an inexcusable fact that we are becoming increasingly dependant on air conditioning in our everyday lives. We now expect, if not demand that air conditioning should be everywhere that we are. This has triggered a sizable increase in the amount of portable air conditioners available on the market.
Talking us through exactly what makes a good portable air conditioner is John Sweeny from Active Air Rentals .
Q: John, there are many portable air conditioners on the market, some are small and quiet others are rattlers that produce plenty of cold air but also require a small power plant to run them. What do you look for in portable air conditioning?
A: The key factors to consider for portable air conditioning are efficiency and reliability. When we talk about efficiency we are talking about the amount of cold air that is produced vs. the amount of power required to produce it. Many offices have limited power available and most of which is often used by IT equipment. Running multiple portable air conditioners can risk tripping out the power. The other factor to consider is reliability. Portable air conditioners are largely used when the building’s main air conditioning has broken down. With this being the case, the last thing you want is the back up air conditioner to fail. A good all round portable unit is the AC 048. This unit produces 4.8 kW of cooling capacity whilst running at 8 AMPS single phase. (See picture).
Q: They look quite robust, how are the noise levels? A: There is a lot going on inside portable air conditioners so they do create noise. However, all Active Air Rentals air conditioners have been fitted with additional thermal and acoustic insulation to aid in silencing.
Q: Are there any other factors that consumers should be wary of before they rent or buy a portable air conditioner?
A: You must beware that all portable air conditioners create hot air as well as cold air and the hot air will need to be exhausted somewhere. Be sure that you are able to vent the air somewhere away from the area you are trying to cool before you rent or buy your unit.
