Red Hot AC Buying Guide

What is an AC?

"AC" is just a standard abbreviation for "Air Conditioner" - the thing we're all scrambling to get once summer kicks in?  These days, you can find just about any type of AC for your cooling needs.  One thing you might want to consider is a portable AC.  Portable ACs allow a lot of flexibility and convenience that most standard AC systems just can't provide.

Standard air conditioners are also known as central air conditioners.  Central air conditioners are a big bulky machine stuck into some cabinet in your home, with a larger box-like unit outside the perimeter of your home.  Central AC Units are notorious wasters of valuable space and strip away the aesthetic appeal of any home.  And if you've ever had one in your house, you know that not only are they extremely expensive to purchase, but the monthly running costs wreak havoc on your wallet - especially during hot summer months!

Thankfully, these days there are smart effective alternatives.  What most people don't know is that many companies now offer portable ACs. Portable ACs, also known as mobile room air conditioners, are ideal for spot-cooling, come in many sizes, and can be carried from room to room - depending on where you choose to spend your time.

Unlike central ACs, with electrical portable ACs you're not wasting your money cooling your entire house.  Why waste money cooling your entire home when you can't possibly be in every room at the same time?  And unlike window units, you can roll your AC with you into just about any room!  Portable, or mobile ACs, are cost-effective, environmentally-friendly, easy to use, and now offer multiple features that makes these little gizmos a must have - especially during summer months!

Cost

Portable ACs generally range from about a couple hundred dollars to a little over a thousand dollars, depending on what you're looking for.  No matter what your budget is, you can get a quality mobile AC with all the features you require.  For about the cost of a day out at an amusement park, you can get a AC unit with a 4.5 star rating that will cool your entire family for the summer.  If this is the kind of deal you're looking for, consider the Soleus PE2-07R-62DB, which offers a 50 pint dehumidifying capacity and a three speed fan.

Going Green

Yes, you can go green even with your portable AC!  Each air conditioner has an energy efficiency rating that lists how many BTU's (energy units) per hour are used for each watt of power the unit draws.  For central air conditioners, this rating is called the "SEER", or the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.  For room air conditioners, it's called the EER, or the Energy Efficiency Ration.  The higher the EER, the more efficient the air conditioning unit is; however, higher EER units are usually priced higher as well.

So you want to do your part to help the environment, but you're asking yourself, is the higher cost of worth the better EER rating?  If you look at the long term costs, the price difference evens out, and is often even cheaper, depending on how frequently you use your unit.

Sound Your AC should be felt, not heard!   Most traditional systems have a loud rackety noise that you can hear every time the unit starts up - especially as the unit gets older.  However, room air conditioners tend to be on the quiet side with some even being under 40-45 decibels. What is a decibel, you ask?  A decibel (sometimes abbreviated as dB) is a measure of sound.  When researching decibels of portable units, be aware that a difference between 40 dB and 60 dB is not just about a difference of 20 decibels, but in fact 60 dB would be nine times as loud as 40 dB! A pretty good decibel measure for room air conditioners is 40-45 decibels, which is really quiet - almost like a relaxing hum!  When researching online for quiet room AC units, type in the keyword quiet in your search and keep the dB factor in mind.

Multi-Purpose

When factoring in cost, consider all the features you want your new portable AC unit to have.  If multiple are important to you, then consider the NewAir ACP-1400H Portable Air Conditioner, labeled as a Best Buy for its cooling, heating and dehumidification features.  Nearly all portable ACs now offer multiple purposes, making them far more competitive and desirable.

Now that you're a smart savvy AC expert, make a list of the features most important to you and search a few different sites to do a cost comparison.