So you are planning to install an air conditioner in your home but are torn between a window type and a portable air con. With the summer months just around the corner, these two types of air conditioning systems are among your cheapest options for a cooling system. But which of them should you install in your home?
Finding the best air conditioner for your home comes down to how big your house is and how much you are willing to pay upfront for your unit. In this article, you will discover what window and portable aircons have to offer so you can decide which one is best for you.
Window vs Portable AC
In many ways, portable air conditioners and window air conditioners function similarly. However, your situation will determine which of them will work better for you. To help you decide, here are some of the things you need to consider when buying an air conditioner:
- Where do you plan to install your air con?
- Do you have a window or any place for a vent?
- How big is the size of the room you want cooled?
- Do you want to cool your entire room or just a single room?
Unlike bigger air conditioning systems such as ducted AC, window and portable air conditioners are used to cool single and smaller rooms. If you are looking to install a centralized air conditioning system for your home, these two types of air conditioners cannot do that.
The good news, however, is that since they are smaller and are ideal for cooling only small rooms, they are more cost-efficient than bigger HVAC systems such as ducted air conditioners. If only certain rooms in your home have less comfortable temperatures, you can install either a window type or a portable air con—not an air conditioning system as big and as complex as a ducted AC. Both make great choices for cooling small spaces and are cost-efficient too.
Why install a portable air conditioner?
As its name suggests, a portable air conditioner is the easiest of all to install. The best thing about this air conditioner is that since it is portable, you can easily transfer it from one room to another and choose where you want to place it. This unit is very mobile that you can change its position and location depending on where you are.
While some portable air conditioners come with an exhaust installed through a window, most portable air conditioners today can be easily attached to an existing exhaust system, keeping your windows free. In fact, this is why some homeowners choose portable ACs over window type ACs. Since most portable air cons today feature a ventless design, there is no need to exhaust them out a window. This proves to be a major advantage, especially if you are living in an area where local governments prohibit the use of window air cons that hang out of homes and are considered an eyesore.
Why install a window type air conditioner?
If you do not like how much space a portable air conditioner may take up in your house, then a window type air conditioner is the way to go. For homeowners who are looking for an affordable air con that can offer almost all the benefits of a portable air con but does not take up much space, this type of air conditioner is the answer. Because a window type air con is usually installed in a way that its exhaust vents outward, you do not need to worry about the exhaust. When you need to cool a room in your home, simply turn it on and let it do its job.
And not only that—according to experts like the air conditioning technicians in Brisbane, window type air conditioners are also more energy efficient than portable air cons. Although the upfront cost of a portable aircon is significantly less than that of a window type aircon, the latter proves to be more economical in the long run since it consumes less electricity. The key here is to pay attention to the BTU rating when choosing a window unit. Remember that the higher the rating is, the greater its cooling capacity.
Conclusion
Portable and window type air conditioners make excellent choices for air conditioning but choosing between them is not easy. Since they both come with benefits, it is important to consider your needs before you make a choice. Your budget, the size of the room you want cooled, and the features you want to see in your unit are just some of the factors you need to consider before you decide which of them is better for you.
