There is no denying that many parts of the world are experiencing heat waves and humidity levels never seen before. The situation may get worse; well, at least according to the recent reports which suggest that we may experience global warming, which causes more extreme heat and high humidity. Portable air conditioners are very helpful in controlling room temperatures, especially when you have a smaller home or live in an apartment.
Given this, I have compiled a list of 4 portable air conditioners which would work perfectly to keep the temperatures and humidity levels in check; especially if you stay on campus in an older dormitory room.
The Friedrich P12B ZoneAire Series
I have personally used this portable air conditioner, and it is without doubt one of the best A/C units to use in a dorm room. There are several things I liked when using the P12B ZoneAire.
Firstly, it has a rating of 11,600 BTU and can be used to cool rooms that are as large as 400 square feet; my campus room measures approximately 228 square feet, and this A/C cools it quite easily keeping it at a cool 70F even when the temperatures outside are above 90F.
The second thing I liked about this A/C is the fact that the P12B is multi-functional; it features a cooler, dehumidifier which can remove up to 144 pints of water from the air on a daily basis and a fan only function.
However, probably the best thing about this portable A/C is that it saves me time and energy since I do not have to empty the bucket on a regular basis. This is because the A/C has a self-evaporative condensate system that ensures that any condensate produced is recycled and used to cool the coils even further.
Aside from that, the P12B also features an LCD remote control feature, a 24-hour timer and an auto-restart feature that comes in handy in case of a blackout while you are sleeping.
EdgarStar 14,000 BTU
When I first saw this portable air conditioner, I was impressed that it had a heater and a cooler. If you are a college student like I am, this is quite important as it means you can use it in both the cold and hot seasons.
Also, considering this A/C features both cooling and heating functions, it is quite affordable and well in the range of students and others seeking to save some money.
The EdgarStar 14,000 BTU can be used to set temperatures to anywhere between 62F and 88F. I was also impressed by how easy it was for me to use the window kit that accompanied this portable A/C; in fact, it took me less than 10 minutes to set it up.
Another impressive feature is the 24-hour timer which would allow me to set it to either power up automatically or even turn off automatically.
However, that’s not the only way it saves energy/power. According to the manual, this A/C has an energy efficiency rating of 11.2 meaning it uses up less energy than most other similar portable air conditioners.
EdgarStar 8,000 BTU
Although I haven’t personally used the EdgarStar 8,000 BTU, one of my best friends when I was a freshman used it in his room which was quite small (less than 200 sq. ft.). However, I do recall that the EdgarStar 8000 BTU was small and quite lightweight (it is only 3 ft tall and less than 60 pounds).
In addition to that, it also features casters wheels at the bottom making it even more portable. I also recall that this unit has a dehumidify function which has a rather small capacity of about 50 pints per day which is still decent for a small dormitory room.
Just like the EdgarStar 14,000 BTU, it is easy to use and install and it also features energy-saving capabilities such as an automatic 24-hour timer and high energy efficiency ratings which allow it to run continuously for less than a dollar a day.
In my view, the best thing about the EdgarStar 8,000 BTU is the fact that it has a direct drain option which means that there is no need to empty any water accumulation in the unit. The only problem with this portable unit is the noise which can get very annoying especially if the fans are set on high speed.
Haier HPN12XCM 12,000 BTU
First and foremost, this portable A/C unit is aesthetically pleasing.
Secondly, the unit is quite effective when it comes to cooling rooms that are 450 sq. ft. or smaller making it quite ideal for a dormitory/university room.
Thirdly, it has a window kit that is not only easy to install but is also quite versatile and can be used for both double hung windows as well as sliding windows.
I must mention that one of the things that take this portable air conditioner a notch higher than the rest is its use of auto evaporation technology which ultimately means that there is no bucket and therefore no need to be concerned about emptying accumulated water.
Aside from that, it features a cooling function, dehumidifying function, and a fan. Both the fan and the cooling functions can be adjusted to 3 different speeds. It also features a 4-way air discharge system which I find quite useful as it means that I can direct the cool air to multiple parts of the room at the same time.