Portable Air Conditioner Blog

2010-02-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today, I was looking through some products and discovered a really cool water dispenser/ice maker combo: the NewAir AI-400SB.

This creative unit is a water dispenser first - it comes with hot water, cold water, and room temperature water. The hot water dispenser even has a child safety guard to prevent accidental scalding of any kind! The AI-400SB is also an ice maker. It is actually capable of providing up to 28 pounds of ice per day. And, even better, this unit is able to produce ice in only seven minutes, making it much more functional and capable than other compact icemakers - which don't have an additional water dispenser attached, by the way.

Too bad I didn't know about this cool water dispenser/ice maker until today! Can you imagine how perfect it would have been for a Superbowl party? Guests could make their own drinks at the temperature they want - and ice would be available too!

Price Reduction!

2010-02-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I always use coupons or coupon codes when I shop - it's a habit of mine. That is why I'm excited to tell you that Air Conditioner Home is having a price reduction on a few items! What's best about this limited-time offer is that there is no coupon necessary; the price has already been reduced! One of the many products, the NewAir AW-180E 18 bottle wine cooler is a great product that all wine lovers will enjoy. This wine cooler comes with a cool touch screen as well as an internal LED light for maximum visibility. Instead of its regular list price at $189.99, it is now $44 less - an impressive $145.99! Hurry and take advantage of this offer while you can - it's not going to last forever!

2010-02-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else watch the Grammys last night? I can't believe some people actually watched the whole show! I don't know how they managed to stretch it all into 3.5 hours, even with commercial breaks. I really, really enjoyed the performances from Lady Gaga / Elton John, Beyonce, and Green Day, though.

However, I became pretty bored in the middle of it, so I turned the TV off, turned my space heater on, and opened my book of Sudoku. Now, that was a good way to spend my night! I have only recently become enamored with that game of numbers - who knew it could be so addicting? I spent a few hours just playing with numbers while bundling up next to the heater.

Another Post about the Weather

2010-01-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

Just two days after I posted about how cold it is here in California, Mother Nature decided to do a 180 on me! Today, it's actually really, really warm. I had to take off my winter coat and turn on the Air King 9230 next to my desk! Who knew that I'd be using an electric fan in the middle of winter? The weather is really bizarre and so hard to understand sometimes. I think it might be global warming doing its work here.

Anyway, as I'm sure everyone knows, the iPad is coming out! I actually think it's quite a clever name, though it really does sound like it could be for feminine products. I've actually never heard of the iPad until I saw that it was a trending topic on Twitter. As "cool" as it may be, I don't really think it's that necessary, really. But, you know, whatever floats your boat!

Brrrr.

2010-01-25T16:03:00.000-08:00

I'm definitely not used to this weather in California. It's really extreme for me because normally I'm used to the 80-degree summers - even the 100-degree summers! Right now, it feels like Mother Nature is keeping her portable air conditioner on full blast and there's nothing I can do to stop her.

What's funny, though, is that I'm so terrified of the cold, yet I want to move to New York City. I'm pretty sure that place is much, much colder than California could ever be - especially in the winter. I can't even imagine what it would be like to live with snow and rain falling down all the time! When/if I move to NYC, I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing at least 5 coats and 3 pairs of pants every day, along with gloves, socks, boots, and scarves. I can barely imagine. Well, at least when I'm over there I'll be able to take my space heater with me!

Terrible Weather

2010-01-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

Wow, the rain is incredibly strong today! I don't know if anyone heard, but yesterday there was a tornado warning in the LA/OC area. It was ultimately cancelled, but still, what a scary experience! My friend even told me that it started hailing last night as well. I've never seen such terrible weather in California before - but then again, I haven't been here longer than 18 years, so I wouldn't know. But I bet it's all due to global warming.

I think that I'm going to start switching my appliances to Energy Star models - just like the Alen MDF3-50 dehumidifier. Even though it doesn't make much of a difference if I'm the only one who is changing my appliances to Energy-Star rated products, I'm proud to know that I'm contributing in some way!

Hopefully the weather doesn't get any worse than this! I don't think I have any coats warm enough to handle this type of weather!

Oh, Winter

2010-01-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

I came down with a nasty case of the cold yesterday. This weather is really, really getting to me. It's so dry - especially at night. My skin, nose, and mouth were especially dry so I turned on my Essick Air ED11910 whole house evaporative humidifier while I slept and today, I feel SO much better, even though I'm still kind of sick.

I'm glad that I have to learn all about these appliances and how/why they work. Otherwise, I'd just wait to get better naturally. And for me, that can take anywhere from 1 week to 3 months! Hopefully, if I sleep with the humidifier on every night, even after I'm not sick anymore, I'll be fine and dandy until the summer comes!

Oh, did anyone watch the Golden Globes last night? I haven't watched Avatar yet, but I hear it's quite fascinating and that it deserved those high-honor awards it received. I didn't agree with giving Glee the Golden Globe, though, for best TV comedy. I think that 30 Rock is much, much better. What did you think of the GG winners?

Shower Heads

2010-01-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

It's been about two months since I last posted about water purifying shower heads - a post in which I talked about how these shower heads are great for your skin and your hair because they remove chemicals and chlorine from your water. Well, I'm here to provide you with some personal feedback about these shower heads.

One word: AMAZING. I can't even begin to describe how great it feels to take a clean, chemical-free shower. I dye my hair a lot (which is unfortunate for my hair), so I can't afford to have chemicals in my hair. This shower head that I have (the one pictured, the Sprite FXD-SNP6) is perfect for my hair. When I come out of the shower, my hair feels clean and lustrous. Without this shower head, my hair would be brittle and crispy. Also, my skin has become a lot clearer and softer. I really don't know what I'll do when I have to go on vacation, because I know I'm going to want to bring this shower head with me wherever I go!

Using Humidistats to Prevent Mold Growth

2010-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I think I talked about mold and how to get rid of it with an air purifier. But how do you know if your home has the conditions for mold growth? Usually, most people don't know until mold covers most of their furniture. Mold can actually grow in any temperature, but once the humidity hits about 50 to 60%, you are at risk. Sometimes, you can smell it - sometimes you can't. So, in my opinion, a humidistat is the answer. These devices are kind of like thermostats, but they actually just check and tell you the temperature as well as the humidity levels. When your home gets to the temperature or humidity level that mold is likely to be growing in, the humidistat warns you. In fact, some actually tell you where the mold is likely growing.

This is very helpful because you want to make sure that you get to the mold before it gets to you! Using a humidistat significantly decreases the chance of you finding your home covered in mold just because you didn't realize what was going on.

Using a Ceiling Fan in the Winter

2010-01-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

I learned a really neat trick last night, and I want to share it with you! My aunt came over to my house late at night to chat with my parents. She came into my room and asked me why my ceiling fan wasn't on. I looked at her like she was crazy, but apparently she knew what she was talking about. After Googling, I remembered that ceiling fans are actually good to use year round (if you recall, I actually wrote about this before...I don't know why it didn't stick with me). There's actually a switch that allows you to change the direction in which the blades turn, forcing the hot air back down instead of pushing it up. This is a really great feature because otherwise ceiling fans would just be there to collect dust for a good half of the year! As it turns out, this feature can also save you up to 10% in heating costs.

Oh, but be careful if you have any flying pets, such as birds! I just read something on the internet the other day with stories about pet owners that forget to turn off their ceiling fans when they let their birds fly free. Can't be a pretty sight! :( Poor birds.

Freezers Are Great for College Students!

2010-01-04T16:36:00.000-08:00

Ever since starting college, I've been pretty dependent on frozen foods. I live in an apartment near the school, so everything I own has to be pretty small, including my refrigerator. And a small refrigerator equals one thing: a tiny freezer. As a result, I always ran out of room and could never find anywhere to place my pre-cooked meals. So, I looked around and found this awesome freezer / ice chest: the Vinotemp VT-ICECHEST. This ice chest isn't just for ice - it can pretty much hold anything that needs to be frozen. And it has a 7.2 cubic ft capacity, so I can put as many frozen meals into the freezer as I want!

This unit even has a bin separator - so of course, I made it look kind of like those ice cream bins at the supermarket. I don't think I've ever been so excited to put anything in my apartment. Now I don't have to waste as much money eating out all the time! (You know, college costs a lot even without considering how much a student pays for food)

Happy New Year!

2009-12-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

What a great year it has been! Thank you all for making this year so memorable for Air Conditioner Home. We hope that 2010 treats you well!

As it turns out, many people use their garage as an office - an idea I would never have thought of myself, but a brilliant idea nonetheless! A lot of the time, garages don't retain heat well because they're not insulated and they're a lot larger than the rest of the rooms inside of the house. As a result, you might want to use an electric garage heater this year to stay warm and comfortable inside the garage. These heaters are great for areas up to about 500 square feet, providing enough warmth for those of you who want to fix a car, build a shelf, or even just type up a document on your laptop inside of your garage! Additionally, garage heaters are great as spot heaters, so once you point them in the right direction, they provide a great amount of heat that will keep you warm even during the cold winters! For smaller rooms, don't forget that there are also electric space heaters, which I've posted about before!

Water Dispensers

2009-12-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

Hey, all! Hope you all had a great holiday / weekend! I basically just sat at home all weekend watching TV shows like Lost and House. What did you do?

Anyway, we recently got some cool new products in, so I thought it might be beneficial for our customers to see what we have in stock! We got these really cool Clover water dispensers here in the past week. Some are the regular bottled water dispensers that everyone should be familiar with - the others are really cool bottleless water dispensers. I had actually never seen one until last week, and I thought they were really sleek and compact - perfect for my apartment. These water coolers are actually much better than bottled water dispensers because they cost less to maintain, they don't use plastic bottles (which can be damaging to your health if you constantly reuse them!), and they don't waste as much space. The only downside is that they cost a little more to install. Otherwise, these water dispensers are great!

Free Shipping on Some Items

2009-12-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

The concept of "free" is always good - almost everyone loves free stuff! I say almost because of The Lonely Island's "On the Ground" sketch on Saturday Night Live - I'm sure there are really people like that! Anyway, I love free stuff so I thought I'd let all of our readers know that we here at Air Conditioner Home offer free shipping on many, many items. All of our air purifiers ship free, as well as some NewAir products (mostly heaters). Shipping on units can usually cost anywhere from $13 to over $50, so you might want to take advantage of this offer while it lasts! That's our Christmas gift to you all - free shipping on these items. Merry Christmas!

Last Minute Christmas Shopping

2009-12-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

It's finally the beginning of Christmas week! If any of you are like me, you probably waited until the very, very last minute to buy your gifts. Obviously, that's not good because by then all the good gifts have been bought and you run out of ideas. But don't fret! Air Conditioner Home can help you with your last minute shopping. In my opinion, nothing is better than a personal space heater - it can warm your heart and your body!

Just look for the items that are marked "IN STOCK - Ships today if ordered by 12:00 p.m. PST" just like this:

If you see these products, you can purchase them by December 22, 2009 (tomorrow) at 12 PM PST (3 PM EST / 2 PM CST) to receive your purchase by December 24, 2009. Be sure you pick overnight shipping on the checkout page or else you won't get your purchase in time for Christmas!

Good luck and happy shopping!

What Is Auto-Defrost?

2009-12-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

While adding products today, I came across the term "auto-defrost" and I realized that I didn't really understand it! So, I did some (brief) research, and it turns out that this feature is very important, especially when it comes to refrigerators, freezers, and wine coolers. Sometimes, ice builds up on the sides of the cooling/freezing unit, whatever it may be. Before auto-defrost was developed, you had to removed everything inside the refrigerator or freezer, unplug the unit, and wait for the ice to melt. Now, with auto-defrost, the unit automatically warms up a little and melts any frost that may have formed on the sides. The condensation from this frost is then drained through a collecting duct at the back of the unit. It's an amazing concept - one that most people don't even think twice about. Without auto-defrost, foods inside freezers would have ice inside the packaging, adding more necessary heating / cooking time. Additionally, foods could constantly be stuck together! (Think about the Glad commercials - that's exactly what I'm talking about!)

Energy Efficiency in the Winter

2009-12-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

With winter usually comes a large electricity bill and, more than likely, an even larger gas bill (this I know from experience!). Here are some tips that can help you become more energy efficient:

Try to use EPA-approved Energy Star products. Energy Star rated units can help you save hundreds per year, and they help reduce gas emissions!

Seal up your home! By closing up holes, cracks, and openings, you can refrain from using more heat than you need. However, by sealing up your home, you are preventing air circulation. As a result, you might need an air purifier to keep the air flowing.

Be wise about heating and use a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats let you customize when the heater turns on/off and how high you want the temperature to go! Best of all, there are many that are Energy Star approved and can save you even more money!

Rachael McAdams made a great point when she told Conan O'Brien that she turns off all appliances and even unplugs them when they are not in use. It may be wise to follow her example because this not only helps reduce your energy bill (because I really don't think you need your computer on 24/7!), but it also helps the environment. Many people don't know that many appliances use energy even when they are switched off but not unplugged!

Save Time and Frustration with Air Conditioner Home!

2009-12-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

Right after you purchase something, you usually read the instructions to see what you need to do. But sometimes this process gets confusing. Oftentimes, I find it useful to watch a video when putting something together or trying to figure out how something works. Seeing the process visually helps me save time and, not to mention, effort. As a result, Air-Conditioner-Home.com has put together a "How-to" video page that will save you time and frustration. We have videos that review products, such as dehumidifiers and air conditioners. We also have instructional videos that can help you learn exactly what you need to do to vent a portable air conditioner successfully. These videos can also be very helpful when you're shopping for the perfect home appliance (or maybe even the perfect Christmas gift!). Click here to take a look at Air Conditioner Home's helpful videos!

Mold Growth During the Winter

2009-12-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

I always thought that mold only grew in houses during the summertime due to high humidity, but it turns out I was wrong! Mold does indeed also grow during the wintertime. During the warmer months, mold usually grows on floors or flat surfaces that are too wet or humid. However, during the colder months, mold is usually found as a result of leaky roofs, plumbing leaks, damp floors, and excessive flooding. Here are some tips to help prevent mold, or to tackle a mold problem you might have right now:

- When you find water damage in your home, whether it is a leaky roof or a plumbing problem, make sure you keep the area dry right after you clean it. It's crucial to keep the area dry; otherwise, you will be facing some serious mold growth.

- If you already find mold, wear a mask, some rubber gloves, and eye goggles before start cleaning. After you're done, make sure you clean your clothing with soap or detergent in hot water. Throw away all sponges or washcloths that you may have used. Then, make sure to dry the area completely with a fan or a dehumidifier. Drying moldy areas can take anywhere from days to weeks, so be patient.

- Use an air purifier that has a HEPA filter or a UV light to prevent mold from reproducing and to keep your air feeling and smelling fresh at all times.

Featuring: Crane Humidifiers

2009-12-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

Recently, while looking at different humidifier styles, I came across the brand Crane. This fabulous brand features so many unique styles of humidifiers - and they all function great, too! Humidifers are great for adding additional moisture to your air during the dry, colder months, especially during winter. Dry air can be very bad for your health and your home - common side effects are chapped lips/skin and, in your house, peeling paint and cracked floors. For more information about humidifiers and how to pick the perfect type, refer to this previous post.

As stated before, Crane's humidifiers offer great designs as well as great features. They can help relieve symptoms from coughing, the cold, and the flu. Crane humidifiers make it easier to breathe for a good night's sleep by adding moisture into dry air. With this extra moisture, it can also help prevent dry skin and dry throats - this feature is perfect for people who constantly need to use their voices for speaking or singing. In fact, when humidity is too low or too high, it can be terrible for your natural voice and you might have sore throats more easily. Crane's humidifiers also offer whisper quiet operation, and many can last up to 11 hours on just one gallon of water! Because these units from Crane consume very little power, they are extremely energy efficient and will save you a lot of money every year!

Crane has recently come out with models that are great for adults and children alike. The most unique ones I've seen are in fact humidifiers shaped like Hello Kitty, Spongebob, and Thomas the Tank Engine. They also feature a penguin-shaped humidifier, a duck-shaped humidifier, a pig-shaped humidifier, and even a dragon-shaped humidifier! Crane also features many traditional style humidifiers for those who don't need the extra designs.

In addition to humidifiers, Crane also offers a couple of electric fans that are just as powerful and economical!

The Best Way to Take a Clean Shower

2009-11-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Chlorine and additional chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide (well water) often appear in your water and provide a significant amount of damage to your skin, your hair, and not to mention your health! The best way to make sure your water is 100% pure is to use a shower head that also features purification filters. This way, all impurities will be removed completely from your water and you will seen a dramatic improvement in your hair and skin.

Sprite Industries is quite popular when it comes to shower heads and filters; in fact, many of their shower head models are top-sellers! The SR-WHM uses a three-way massaging head to provide a comfortable therapeutic spray that is great to use after a long day. It also features an ultra-sonically welded design for longterm use! The FXD-CM-P6 offers a 20-inch double extension arm that is perfect for those of you who are taller and need higher shower heads. This shower head/filter unit also comes with a six-inch pan head that can easily cleanse your entire body at once! These shower heads from Sprite Industries are guaranteed to improve your skin and hair with their high capacity filters and super strong housing material, making them great for years of purified showering.

April Shower shower heads are also great for keeping your water feeling and smelling pure. The APSL-WC balances the pH of the water and removes chlorine, rust, and even odors from your water to improve your health and showering enjoyment! It can withstand the effects of hard water and provide you with years of efficient water purification. The APDXB also features different spray settings for maximum customization. Its brass finish is extremely durable, so it doesn't spot, tarnish, or crack!

These shower heads don't take very long to install: simply screw it into place with your bare hands! The filters last a good six months, so you don't have to constantly worry about spending additional money very often. All in all, these water purifying shower heads are a great way to improve the way you look and the way you feel at an inexpensive cost.

End-of-Season Storage

2009-10-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

As temperatures drop, more and more people are starting to switch their portable air conditioners for space heaters. One important thing to remember is that you should always store your air conditioner in a safe place to extend the life of the unit - you want to be sure that you'll still be able to use it during the spring and summer months! Here are the steps to storing your portable air conditioner the right way:

Turn off and unplug your portable air conditioner. This step is imperative in order to maintain maximum cooling efficiency for the next warm season.

Drain all condensate water from the water container, then turn on the fan-only mode for a few hours to dry out the interior. Water drainage is important because missing this step may cause your portable air conditioner to stop working.

Clean the air filter: slide the filter out, soak it in warm water with a mild detergent, rinse it out, and leave it to dry. Once the filter is dry, place it back inside the portable unit.

Wrap the cord around the cord hooks to ensure that there won't be any electrical problems when you plug in the unit once the warmer seasons come back.

Place the unit back into the original carton and store it in a dry location.

If your portable air conditioner also features a heater (see previous entry), you can still use the unit, but make sure it is maintained regularly just like any other unit.

Air Conditioner 2-in-1!

2009-10-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

When looking for heaters and air conditioners, most people only think to look for the heating or cooling capacity that is appropriate for their home. Instead, these people should be looking for units that provide multiple functions so that the units can be used year-round, such as portable air conditioners that also come with heaters and air purifiers! These units cost only a fraction of the price that you would pay to buy each part separately, so they are money-savers just as much as they are efficient.

The NewAir ACP-1000H is a portable air conditioner that also features a heating function! This unit cleverly maximizes your comfort by directing warm or cool air to specific areas using spot cooling or heating. With 10,000 BTUs of output, you can easily cool or warm areas up to 200 square feet with this silent portable AC. Additionally, this portable cooling unit features air circulation and dehumidification to keep your air with just the right amount of moisture.

The LX-120 portable air conditioner from Soleus is one of the best multi-functional units in the market. Not only does this air conditioner feature a heater, it also offers a dehumidifier and a fan! With evaporative technology, this portable unit is able to reduce condensation while increasing efficiency! Costing less than $400, the LX-120 offers a large 12,000 BTUs of cooling and heating capacity, so you don't have to worry about keeping your bedroom or living room at the right temperature.

Unlike the ACP-1000H and the LX-120, the Soleus KY-34 portable air conditioner also offers an air purifier! Therefore, it can now clean, warm, cool, and moisten the air you breathe! With oscillating louvers and 12,200 BTUs of cooling and heating capacity, air flow and air distribution are easily taken care of.

When you use a portable air conditioner with multi-functionality, it is easy to save time, space, and money! Buy a multi-functional portable air conditioner today and see just how much you can save!

It's Heating Season!

2009-10-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Most people rely on central heating units during the cold winter months because these systems usually cover most areas of the house and keep entire houses nice and warm. However, sometimes it may seem like certain parts of the house still remain cold even when the heater is on its highest setting. Times like those call for additional heaters, such as space heaters and other electric heaters. Electric heaters are the best units for heating individual rooms because they can use less energy and can help you cut down on utility costs every month!

For small or medium-sized rooms, try using a space heater. Space heaters usually distribute heat throughout rooms evenly by using ceramic heating elements. Units like Vornado's DVTH and VH2 are extremely efficient when it comes to heating rooms. These heaters use patented Vornado technology that circulates warm air throughout the room for a constant comfortable indoor setting. Oil-filled heaters like the NewAir AH-450 space heater heat up oil to keep you warm, making them the safest and most efficient heaters.

Central heating systems usually don't reach garages because garages aren't insulated enough to retain the heat. Because of this situation, you should use a garage heater to keep your work area warm and toasty. A popular unit that provides a maximum amount of heat is the Dayton G73, which offers 17,000 BTUs of heating - this covers up to 500 square feet! Many garage heaters are usually placed on the floor near the work area to function as spot heaters and to heat up all objects near the unit. Garage heaters can also be mounted on walls or ceilings, like the QMark MUH35.

Buy an electric heater today before the weather gets too cold, and definitely before the heater-buying craze begins (Remember what happened during July of this year? People were lined up outside home depot for hours trying to get their hands on an air conditioner. Don't let that happen to you when you need a heater!).

Get Rid of Dry Air with a Humidifier

2009-09-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

This transition to fall includes not only cold weather, but also dry air. Dry air is the result of low humidity levels, which can be damaging to your health as well as your home! Common side effects of dry air are chapped lips, dry skin, respiratory problems, and scratchy nose and throat problems. Your home won't be any better off than you are; in fact, your home may have worse problems to deal with. Low humidity causes dry walls, cracked floors, damaged furnishings and defective electronics because the dry air sucks out the moisture from any surface that it comes in contact with! The best solution to this situation is to purchase a humidifier. Humidifiers add moisture into the air without causing excess harm to you or your home.

Your first step should be to use a hygrometer or humidistat to determine and maintain the relative humidity level in your home. The ideal level during the summer is about 30-50%, and the ideal level during the winter is about 30-40%.

Your second step is to determine whether you prefer a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist humidifier. A warm mist humidifier like the Germ Guardian H2000 is fantastic for relieving congestion. A cool mist humidifier, on the other hand, is not as strong. However, they are both energy- and money-savers. The NewAir AU-400 humidifier is an example of a cool mist humidifier that conveniently shuts off and alerts you when the water runs out.

Next, you need to determine what kind of room you need the humidifier for. If the unit covers more area than your room, humidity levels can go too high, causing condensation to appear on mirrors and windows and bacteria to grow on your furniture. You can also take some of these units with you wherever you go to relieve your congestion symptoms in hotel rooms! The NewAir AU-100 weighs only 7 pounds and can easily fit in your suitcase!

Finally, keep doors and windows closed if they are not in use. Seal as many windows as possible to keep the humidifier working efficiently. Improve the efficiency of your humidifier by keeping it out of confined spaces!

Use a humidifier today and see just how much it can improve your home and your health!