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Read MoreThere are a whole lot of air conditioning options out there, and that’s a good thing.
While a central air system is perhaps the pinnacle of humanity’s achievements in the realm of home comfort, not every home or household is in a position to get one. That’s where window and portable air conditioners come in. But these also need a way to vent—and what if you don’t have a window to do that?
There are a number of ways to vent a portable air conditioner without a window. As long as you’re able to get the heat blowing out of the space you want to cool, you’ll still get that cold breeze on a hot summer’s day. Based on your space and your DIY comfort, there’s a plan that will work for you.
Read on to learn the ins and outs of how to get your portable air conditioner working in any space!
In the modern age of technology that works like magic, it makes sense to wonder why we can’t just make appliances that cool down the air. Why do we need to vent hot air somewhere else?
The way all air conditioners work is that they draw the warm air from inside the house over their evaporator coils. These catch the heat’s energy in a refrigerant, and move it to condensation coils that release it. In central units, this release happens outside already. For a portable air conditioner, we need to push out that hot air.
This is why a portable air conditioner comes with a vent hose. Some users of portable air conditioners find the provided hose to be a bit short. While it’s possible to make a makeshift extension, this is inadvisable. You’ll make your AC work harder for a smaller payoff.
You also want to avoid putting too many kinks in the hose. Ideally, the air should have a straight shot from the AC unit to the exhaust location. Just like pinching off a garden hose or bending a (non-bendy) drinking straw, you can severely cut off the airflow, even if it still works. Your AC works best when physics aren’t working against it.
As long as you follow these simple best practices, your portable air conditioner can last a decade or more!
The easiest way to get that hot air outside with a portable air conditioner is through a window, but if you’re reading this article, you probably don’t have one handy in the room you’re trying to cool. However, some people make the mistake of thinking that you need certain kind of window. This isn’t true.
Even casement windows can be used to vent a portable air conditioner if you’re willing to put the work in.
The way you can do this is by creating a panel that will fill in the aperture of the opened window with a space cut into it the right shape and size for your vent hose. A simple pane of plexiglass can work wonders, though anything that prevents rapid heat transfer should do.
Let’s face it, sometimes you just don’t have a window you can use to vent an AC. Does that mean that you’re doomed to a summer of sweltering heat without reprieve? Of course not! There are plenty of ways you can use your portable AC even without a window.
As always, when picking the option that’s right for you, don’t be afraid to do a little extra research. Ten minutes at the computer can help you decide if it might be time to call for a little help. Cutting into your walls is never something to do without taking precautions.
You might well be wondering why venting through a dryer duct didn’t make the list of ways to vent your portable AC. After all, dryer vents are made to expel hot air from inside the house to the outside world. They seem perfect for the job. Looks, however, can be deceiving.
Even though it is entirely possible to vent your portable air conditioner through dryer ducts, this is not the best or healthiest way for your air conditioner to work.
Remember that the simplest way to keep your portable air conditioner working well is to make sure it has a short, straight path to the exhaust site. A dryer vent manages to hamper this, because most dryer vents are significantly tighter than your vent hose.
What this means is that the AC has to blow that much harder to get the air out. Not only does this mean it doesn’t cool as well, but it wears out that much fast. It’s like trying to drink your coffee through the hollow plastic stir-stick. It can be done, but you’ll be sore by the end of it.
This doesn’t mean a dryer duct is worse than nothing. In a pinch, you definitely can get away with it. But you’ll be getting a worse cool and a shorter AC lifespan than you would with other methods.
Technically, there are no air conditioners that don’t require venting. However, there is a special class of climate-modifying device known as evaporative coolers. People often refer to these as swamp coolers. These appliances don’t need any ductwork or exhaust pipes to work.
An evaporative cooler uses the evaporation of water to pull heat out of the air to cool it down. In low-humidity environments, these can have a noticeable effect. However, at the end of the day, no swamp cooler rivals any vented air conditioner in its cooling power.
There’s an air conditioner for every household and every room that needs one. Even without traditional means of venting, a portable air conditioner can fill your cooling needs if you put in a little work. Next time you’re looking to cool down a room, keep these options in mind!
Thank you for checking out this article! For other appliance tips, consider checking out our related articles below!