Central air just died: Please recommend your portable air conditioner

[Anonymous]

Our central air conditioning unit just died, and, for financial reasons, we would like to hold off on replacing it for a few years. We spend almost all our time in just two rooms anyway, so we figure we can get away with using portable units for awhile. For those of you who use one, can you please recommend your make and model? We are looking for a unit that is as quiet as possible and that is really easy to set up. BTW, please let me know if I'm crazy to think that we can find something that isn't super noisy. TIA!!

[Anonymous]

You could buy 2 window AC from costco for about 2-300 bucks? Or do they not have windows?

[Anonymous]

Window units work better and are cheaper. We have both and the only advantage of a portable unit is that they don't sit in a window and don't drip outside (you have to empty the pan where the water collects).

[Anonymous]

When our A/C died last year, we got a window unit for about $100 and just moved it around the house as needed (living room during the day, kids' bedroom at night). It wasn't quiet, but it wasn't that loud either.

The main problem we encountered was that the house got incredibly humid. We have 2 dehumidifiers running in the basement (this isn't a large house either), but without the central A/C, the humidity upstairs got really bad. And moving the dehumidifier upstairs made the house even warmer. Thank god our A/C got fixed within a week, because it was not pleasant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When our A/C died last year, we got a window unit for about $100 and just moved it around the house as needed (living room during the day, kids' bedroom at night). It wasn't quiet, but it wasn't that loud either.

The main problem we encountered was that the house got incredibly humid. We have 2 dehumidifiers running in the basement (this isn't a large house either), but without the central A/C, the humidity upstairs got really bad. And moving the dehumidifier upstairs made the house even warmer. Thank god our A/C got fixed within a week, because it was not pleasant.

Really??? The window units are pretty heavy and I would think moving it around like that would be difficult. I have had several. The heavier ones usually have some kind of anchored support also.

[Anonymous]

^^ Agree. Must have been quite the workout to move them around like that.

[Anonymous]

I have seen several good ones on craigs list lately, so you may want to check there first. We have a portable unit (I am blanking on the brand, unfortunately) and I like it is A LOT better than window units - much quieter, easy to move around (it has wheels), and it doesn't block half a window. Ours quickly cools about 600 sq ft - so I know good ones are out there. Good luck, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When our A/C died last year, we got a window unit for about $100 and just moved it around the house as needed (living room during the day, kids' bedroom at night). It wasn't quiet, but it wasn't that loud either.

The main problem we encountered was that the house got incredibly humid. We have 2 dehumidifiers running in the basement (this isn't a large house either), but without the central A/C, the humidity upstairs got really bad. And moving the dehumidifier upstairs made the house even warmer. Thank god our A/C got fixed within a week, because it was not pleasant.

Really??? The window units are pretty heavy and I would think moving it around like that would be difficult. I have had several. The heavier ones usually have some kind of anchored support also.

It's not a big unit, and DH was the one moving it. I'm sure it was a pain, but he didn't seem to be struggling with the weight. Maybe he's just more ripped than I realized!

[Anonymous]

I have one that's a floor model and it's on wheels. The venting tube goes a few feet and you just put it in a window and use these metal flaps to block off the rest of the open window. Works perfectly because the metal flaps adjust for window size.

Unfortunately I can't tell you the brand because it's in storage right now, but just look for those because they exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have one that's a floor model and it's on wheels. The venting tube goes a few feet and you just put it in a window and use these metal flaps to block off the rest of the open window. Works perfectly because the metal flaps adjust for window size.

Unfortunately I can't tell you the brand because it's in storage right now, but just look for those because they exist.

We had one of these that worked fine to cool our upstairs master bedroom. I got it at Sears. I don't know the brand (it's also in storage).