(Part 2) Best portable air conditioners according to redditors

My suggestion is to buy a portable AC. They're not super expensive ($300 for a unit that can cool 400 ft^2 ), you can set it up in 3 minutes, and it'll save your sanity if your AC goes out.

We bought ours in July 2015. We had a newborn who had just gotten out of the NICU when the house flooded. It knocked out the AC and bathrooms for 2 weeks. It was awful but the portable AC made it livable.

We used it again last month when our AC went out multiple times. (The old owner did some very against-the-book things and wrecked multiple components).

Option C: Treat yourself to an air conditioner. I bought myself this model last summer and it's been one of the best investments of my life.

you can try returning that AC unit and getting a standing version: http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-LP0814WNR-115-volt-Conditioner/dp/B00JIURCTA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425697669&sr=8-1&keywords=AC+unit+standing

It's not permanently installed (which is nice because you can take it when you move) but has a hose that goes to your window, like this: http://image.haier.com/us/products/home-comfort/portable-air-conditioners/W020130524577570305422.png

It comes with the little plastic thing that fits in your open window. It's only a problem if you have casement windows where you have to wind the little lever to open the window like a door. But if you have normal windows that slide open and shut, it's perfect. And your landlord can't be upset because it's not permanently installed.

Has anyone tried these little portable A/C fans? I was thinking of buying a couple for my bedroom, and then setting the thermostat a little higher to save money..

OVPPH Portable Air Conditioner Fan, Personal Fan Desk Fan Space Air Cooler Mini Table Fan Air Circulator Ultra-Quiet Purifier Cooling Fan with Handle and 7 Colors LED Lights for Home, Office, Dorm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S536R5B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cbXuDbG46EYYF

Hey OP if you have a little money to spend you can always get a portable A/C unit like this one. It's what I got for a bedroom that is detached from central A/C. All you need is a window so heat can get out and if you're the only person living there you can shut off the living room unit and just run the portable A/C. It's got wheels/casters on it so you can turn it in various directions and during the winter you can wheel it away to a closet or storage space.

No, no. I am talking about little 10-15k BTU units. Very portable, and all you need is power and a window. Less than $500 a shot; buy a dozen, plug them in all over the place. You won't be able to hang meat, but you can drag 20 degrees out of the ambient temperature.

https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-BPACT14HWT-Portable-Conditioner/dp/B01DLPUWJ4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506305299&sr=8-3&keywords=portable+a%2Fc+units

A portable A/C unit sound like your best option. Like the other post said, go for a dual hose unit if possible. These are more expensive but worth it. The single hose units will need to draw air from the outside albeit indirectly. I built a box around the lower coils of a single hose portable AC unit to draw air from the outside directly into the unit. The saved me from pulling air in from all over the house and running the building AC more.

As far as the unattended requirement, most portable AC units should have drain plugs. You can run a small hose from the upper and lower drains into a condensate pump. You then run a small hose from the pump out the window or to a nearby drain. The pump will gather the moisture into a small reservoir. Once the pump reservoir fills to a certain level, it will pump the water out the window or to the drain. Everything you need can be bought at most big box home improvement stores or amazon.

Condensate pump: Little Giant 554425 VCMA-20ULS Condensate Removal Pump. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SM342Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rYpVDbFDQ8239

Example AC unit:
Whynter Elite ARC-122DS 12,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable AC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AA8WOAK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_x1pVDbBCRNERY

Tip: when buying the AC unit, make sure it has an upper and lower drain that have threaded or securable attachments. The Amazon link has a picture of the rear where you can see one between the hoses and one at the bottom. Take the screw caps off and then take them to the local plumbing home improvement store. Use the caps to find the proper size plastic connectors with a nib to connect tubing to.

Also, look at insulating the hoses to avoid unnecessary heat transfer. The hoses will get hot and are plastic so they will transfer the heat. Some simple pipe wrap can make a huge difference.

Screen the hoses from outside insects and critters. Keep in mind that even a screen can create back pressure. I dont like to screen right at the hose outlet. But if using the windows built inscreen, some air can be reflected into the intake, so a little blocking material can help the in and out flows.

I've got this guy and have zero complaints. https://www.amazon.com/Whynter-ARC-122DS-Conditioner-Dehumidifier-Activated/dp/B01AA8WOAK

It bring my ~300 Sq ft master down 10 degrees in <2 hours. It evaporates most app the condensate too, I empty it once a cooling season.

It's not perfect, but I too have a horizontal slide window and I rolled the dice on it. The main issue is I don't care for the noise but a window unit would be the same so I'm not really sure that's a con.

Ohh hell ya. I've got two at my place, one that is fewer BTUs for a bedroom or two and one that cools the kitchen, living room, and the rest of the place.

Both do not need a hose and water bucket. Any drip gets caught in the AC itself and then needs to be drained periodically.

If any I recommend Royal Sovereign .

Lower BTU - http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Sovereign-ARP-9411-Portable-Conditioner/dp/B005SRVUY0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

Whole Apartment (recommend this one) - http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Sovereign-Home-Products-Conditioner/dp/B00FEC11QQ?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

I mean yeah but they have units like these that aren't obnoxiously loud and can do some work on smaller rooms.

can be a bit noisy, but only need exhaust hose to go out window and isn't permanent-
http://koldwave.com/
or https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058OIOYM/ref=s9_acsd_zwish_hd_bw_b50Ws_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=T04SEVZ8G7FTB2PNKY33&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=38a7dfee-97a1-512e-b681-f15c5f252528&pf_rd_i=1193678
Other than that, windowshakers or minisplits- depending on the lease rules

I bought this thing. It works great in my apartment which would get unbearably hot on even mild days.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037UVHZM/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'll just leave this here

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0022MNFUG/ref=s9_acsd_zgift_hd_bw_b50Ws_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_r=G82X6DE15BRZMK9XB0EE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=38a7dfee-97a1-512e-b681-f15c5f252528&pf_rd_i=1193678

Something like this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2BT9J4

Then run the exhaust either out the door or thru the wall, seal it up and you should be able to be cool and keep the sound proofing.

I don't have a set up....yet. I've been looking at a lot of stuff to turning my Ranger into an overlanding RV. Mixing different voltage batteries can be a pain in the butt when putting them in series, so you might want to reconsider a 12 volt battery. You can even build lithium setups relatively cheap and custom fit to your bed box.

As for your wiring, you should look into upgrading your wires to a thicker gauge to handle the system load you're going to be putting on it. Looking up electrical systems for car stereo systems really helps give you a grasp as to where to start. Your 12 volt cigarette plugs you're going to have to find, splice, and mount yourself. I warn you it's a pain in the ass as you most likely will burn up a few trying out the system. I learned this the hard way when helping my buddy mount his center console in his S10. You can find brackets to match the Thule roof rack to mount flexible panels but you can also find roll up panels that plug right into your cigarette lighter. Just face the windshield toward the sun and use the panel like a sun visor.

I'd advise against cutting a hole in your cap roof for a fan. It'd be a thousand times easier to mount a 12v fan inside the cap and open a window. That way you won't have to worry about a leaky roof. You have to remember that you're only trying to circulate about 90 cubic feet of air; you don't need a huge fan roof fan to do that. If you live in an arid enough region you can always get a personal swamp cooler for those hot summer nights.

Charge controllers and and monitors are pretty much whatever you can find. Most of what you see on the internet is DC/AC and not DC/DC. A lot of times you can just hook up the panel to the system through a 12v lighter plug and have no worries. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you're going to have a super small amp-hour setup like a single battery. But I've seen people just use volt meters that plug into cigarette lighters as their monitors. When they see their voltage drop below 12v, they know to crank the motor and run the alternator for a bit to charge the system.

You should think of panels as a supplemental setup rather than the primary charge source. Your alternator is going to be your main source of charging your batteries until you can plug your system up to a grid. Just be sure your current alternator is going to be able to handle the load of charging multiple batteries. It might be worth looking into getting a high output alternator if your truck doesn't already have it. It's one thing to short yourself on battery capacity, but burning up an alternator is a pretty shitty thing to happen to you.

I’ve been using Arctic MX-4 for a while now and it’s served me well. This includes swapping a pair of X5675s into my R710.

Note - it’s also a good idea to invest in a good cleaner to remove the existing thermal paste. Articlean works well.

No problem.

Yes the PC would be relatively quiet. PCs these days aren't very loud anymore. Especially when you buy quality cases. The stock fans on them are not super terrible.

How-ever, often when the fans have to spin quicker because tempatures rise up, these fans can become hearable. So for my personal PC I bought a lot of Noctua's. I mostly suggest people to keep the stock fans and if they find them to loud, buy aftermarket later. As for my suggestion, I got an aftermarket fan because the stock fan got white blades and would missmatch with the black and red theme we got going. If you want me to suggest a full setup of aftermarket fans because you just want the silence, let me know and I can do this.

Leaks in watercooling is always the scary part for people when they have no experience with it. For all in one watercoolers. This happens far less frequently. I actually don't have numbers of it, but my guess would be that around 0,001% of the sold units would have leakage.

For custom watercooling setups. They always do a leak test for a long amount of time. Note that this person got very bad tubing runs.

Now for my suggest cooler, this is actually pretty close to a custom watercooling setup. It got a fill port and you can remove the tubing and even add a block for your GPU to cool that with water as well. So if you really are afraid of leaks, I would just suggest to install the cooler. Place some kitchen paper on all the parts where it can leak (so the connections) and let it run for about 6+ hours with regular checking. How-ever the most important part is the first minute.

Installing an AIO is actually a lot simpler compared to most air coolers. So for a first time builder, it's a great option. I did not know that you were a firs time builder, so I will give you a few helpful guides.

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As for peripherals. Great! I would need to know the budget, we got about £150 left from the PC budget. As for the rest, I would need to know a few things.

Peripherals are all very hard to suggest, if we don't have enough information. There are a lot of things we need to know before we can suggest the right setup. I assume we have enough budget for a mechanical keyboard. But if not, then the other parts are still important.

• Mouse: How do you grip the mouse? How many buttons do you want? How big is your hand? Are you left or right handed?
  
• Keyboard: I recommend to go read about Mechanical Keyboards switch types first. Then after you know wich switch would be for you, you can give me that information. Then my other questions would be, do you want a TenKeyLess? Basicly a smaller keyboard. If you don't want a TKL, do you want any "macro keys"?
  
• Headphones/Speakers: What music do you listen? Where will you sit when using the headphones, will it be in a loud room? Will you be on your own? Do you need a microphone?
  
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  Some video's that will help you with the build!
  
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• How to build a PC: Here. Completely ignore the parts that he chose. I actually was very surprised at that date when he came with those products, as I don't think it's optimized well and the GPU could've been a lot better. Anyway, ignore it! Building a PC is basicly the same, the wires did not change and the process is not changed either. You can skip the stock intel CPU cooler part and instantly install the aftermarket CPU cooler. This is just easier for you so you don't have to clean the thermal paste later. Wich would cost you another £/$/€10 or so. How-ever be careful with the watercooler. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then buy this & this to be able to clean the thermal paste and install the stock cooler for basic testing.
  
• How to overclock my CPU: Basicly pretty much this. Very solid and simple to follow guide. This is done with an Asus board so it will be slightly different with our motherboard. Slightly different names and they are often on other places, etc.
  
• How to overclock your GPU: Hey guys, this is Austin! It really is very easy these days. I highly suggest to run 10-15 minutes stress tests in between changing to a higher frequency. After you hit crashes and/or artifacts. I sugges to go down 2 steps or at least 10mhz on the core clock and 25/50 on the memory. Then do a full +6 hour stress test at least.
  
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  Hope this helps, if you still have questions, let me know and i'll do my best to answer this.

Me too! Bought it last month when we hit 88 in April. It cools my bedroom from 85 to 68 in about 20 minutes. Worth every penny, ($380 on Amazon). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5U8P4E/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_nAtoxbCD34G1P

Edit: mine is the 10,000 btu model, which is smaller than OP's but it is plenty for one room.

here you go

This model I believe was discontinued this year and I’ve frequently seen it for almost half this price. Still going strong after almost 3 years, keeps my master bedroom cool without cooling the whole house.

> So you could have a solid state air-conditioner. But it would use more electricity than a conventional one, so they're only used in very specific circumstances.

wait, seriously? why don't they sell these as small personal air conditioners?

Currently this is all that is available I think, but they don't work well in humid areas.


A solid-state AC would be amazing for situations where you need cooling for a brief moment but it is too muggy for a fan. Even if it's at a premium.

Get this AC. It's the one that I'm using (live near Palo Alto, 104-106 degrees) my living room is a cool 65 degrees.

BLACK+DECKER BPACT14HWT 14,000 BTU Cooling, 11,000 BTU Heating Portable Air Conditioner with Remote Control https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DLPUWJ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TD4QzbG3F09K7

You can get the floor mounted models too.

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Portable-Conditioner-Displaydp/B072B8SGKY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541963442&sr=8-2&keywords=portable+heat+pump+heater

Those are more adaptable.

Do a search for ductless or portable AC. There’s a bunch of units you can get in the $300-500 range. Target or Amazon... You could move it around the apartment with you from room to room and no need to open any windows or doors.
Might work for you ;)

Edit: link added
Honeywell MO08CESWK Compact Portable Air Conditioner with Dehumidifier and Fan for Rooms Up To 350 Sq. Ft. With Remote Control (Black/White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078W54RDC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kDlqDb2721HHM

There’s also an adapter for side open windows!
HOOMEE 300 cm Universal Window Seal for Portable Air Conditioner and Tumble Dryer - Works with Every Mobile Air-Conditioning Unit, Easy to Install - Air Exchange Guards with Zip and Adhesive Fastener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C986TBQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lFlqDbQTVM2GD

There's two more ways you haven't considered. A roof unit, such as those found in RV's. And an internally contained unit, such as this, which is still a compressor based AC that only needs an exhaust hole to function.

Maybe a swamp cooler if you're in a dry climate

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Conditioner-Peodelk-Evaporative-Humidifier/dp/B07RNLFM8P

So there are quite a few personal fans you can get, but I've found it really just pushes hot air, and doesn't cool me off much.

Then you have those fans with spray attachments, but these also don't really do the job too much when you're not in some shade.

You also have a plethora of evaporative coolers, but then you have to worry about plugging them into either a portable battery pack that probably won't last all Forest, or keeping it plugged into your car.

If you consider yourself rather handy there are a ton of YouTube videos in which people demonstrate how to make portable ac units. I wanted to give this a try this year with small solar panels to power it, but sadly I missed out on Forest this year :(

Edit: suggestions, grammar.

Sorry, it's This AC unit.

It was just a cheap one on Amazon for about $20. No bells and whistles, but great for just viewing one smallish area:

Wireless IP Camera, Home Surveillance Security Camera System with Motion Email Alert & Motion Detection for Home/Office/Baby/Nanny/Pet Monitor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VJHGB76/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_c4OPDb92DAG34

Our barracks in Germany didn't have AC and we couldn't use the window units. I had one of these. Not this exact one, but a cheaper one. It was a lifesaver during the summer. Especially trying to sleep during the day after working all night.

if you're using it in your home, that has heat in winter--like most homes--either will work fine. it's just a matter of which is more energy efficient and you can check the energy ratings on each particular model.

they tend to give off a fair amount of heat though, so for summer use if it's hot then you might consider an in-room AC with dehumidifier built in, which has a vent to exhaust the warm air and will also cool the room, like this;

https://www.amazon.com/115V-Portable-Conditioner-Remote-Control/dp/B0115XWCHO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498945312&sr=8-2&keywords=lg+in+room+ac+dehumidifier

you can also get an indoor temp/humidity instrument and only turn it on when needed (some devices will cycle on/off by themselves, but I like to see the numbers!) because INDOOR RH is what you are concerned with, not outdoor.

https://www.amazon.com/Extech-RHM15-Mini-Temp-Indicator/dp/B00OZ8WKQA/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498945381&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=extech+indoor+temp+rh

I have sliding pane windows in the bedroom and I'm worried one of these won't really fit. Anyone else have the same setup and happy with one like this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIURCTA/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_b50Ws_g201_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=W05TQDWBJPW50NW2DK9C&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=0c0a1de7-03bd-5730-b908-4073e423e2fc&pf_rd_i=1193678

I've read those windows can just let the heat the A/C expels right back in, but I gotta figure out something, the room is too hot.

Also, anybody had success with one of these? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IINNL9I/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_b50Ws_g201_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=W05TQDWBJPW50NW2DK9C&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=0c0a1de7-03bd-5730-b908-4073e423e2fc&pf_rd_i=1193678

Amazon has this 12,000 BTU A/C for only $312.99. If you keep the doors closed this thing will keep the room very cold, depending on square footage.

Some suggestions that you can get it in chemists in Ireland. Might be worth a try.

You could also try Arctic Silver ArctiClean also, you cat this kit from loads of different places, have a search online.

https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Sovereign-Products-Conditioner-Operation/dp/B00FEC11QQ/ref=pd_day0_201_16?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00FEC11QQ&pd_rd_r=Q0DT53ZHJHS6KXFFPJWC&pd_rd_w=rszyV&pd_rd_wg=W9Ox5&psc=1&refRID=Q0DT53ZHJHS6KXFFPJWC

https://www.amazon.com/Koldfront-PAC801W-Ultracool-Portable-Conditioner/dp/B003WL2BQA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474864318&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=air+conditioner+portable&psc=1

http://www.arcticbreeze-truckac.com/index.html
https://www.amazon.com/GoCool-Portable-Conditioner-Camping-Camper/dp/B00DMR4HBG/

Howdy!

Mine is home made, but there is at least one brand commercially available, maybe more. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/GoCool-Portable-Conditioner-Camping-Camper/dp/B00DMR4HBG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411898277&sr=8-2&keywords=gocool

Why not pick yourself up something like this? The evaporative ones don't work at ALL but these refrigerative ones are quite good, just a tube out the window and it dumps the heat. I don't own the place where I live so I wanted to buy something I could take with me or sell when I left, now I can't live without it. Amazing for 1 room. Just make sure it isn't evaporative.