Portable air con units?

S

stevewestern

Messages
5,117
Edit My Images
Yes
Anyone got one or know anything about them?
I'm looking for a QUIET one for a small bedroom - yes, I know they are all noisy!
It doesn't need to be massively powerful as the room is only about 20m². Some sort of sleep mode seems to be the way to go - my poor old mum really struggled with the heat over the last few weeks..
It's hard to know from the reviews so personal experience would be appreciated.
 
Our current one is the best we have had, it is a De'Longhi Pinguino at the lower end of the range. It has a quiet option but it still makes a noise.
 
I was going to get one but the weight of them is also a bit of an issue as they're mostly 25-30 kg so a bit awkward.

I got a quiet fan instead. That supposedly is only 24-43 db which was so quiet I left it on without realising! I measured my previous fan which was about 50db at a metre away. That blows a gale but it's loud and I'd think the aircon units will be the same or worse.

Fan:

 
Brentor said:
Our current one is the best we have had, it is a De'Longhi Pinguino at the lower end of the range. It has a quiet option but it still makes a noise.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll have a look.
srichards said:
I was going to get one but the weight of them is also a bit of an issue as they're mostly 25-30 kg so a bit awkward.

I got a quiet fan instead. That supposedly is only 24-43 db which was so quiet I left it on without realising! I measured my previous fan which was about 50db at a metre away. That blows a gale but it's loud and I'd think the aircon units will be the same or worse.

Fan:

Click to expand...
Yup, they are heavy and all seem to be fairly noisy. I think even the quietest ones are about 50 db.
Mum has a quiet fan which has been just about OK in previous summers but no matter what we do to keep the place cool it was just so hot over the heatwave that I think the only thing that'll help is an air con unit to cool the room then the fan to keep the air moving after.
Thanks for your replies - any one else got anything to add?
 
I found that a wipe down with a wet flannel (kept by my bed!) and a fan was the best way for me to get some sleep when it was really hot in my static home. I have a quiet tower fan with a sleep mode which is pretty good. Air con unit needs to have doors and windows shut which is sometimes counter productive too.
 
Portable air con can be self defeating - the heat it sucks out of the air if blows out of the front gets blown out of the back so in a closed system, the energy is still there. If you can arrange it so the hot air gets blown out of a window, they can work. When on holiday, we keep the aircon on all night but that's a fixed unit and is still quite noisy - foam earplugs keep the hum out.
Mrs Nod's Mum sits and sleeps on a pet cooling mat (I got it from 7dayshop and didn't tell her it's for pets...) with a moist flannel available as and when necessary.
A quiet fan blowing over a bowl of ice might be enough for her to get to sleep and hopefully the temperature will drop enough to let her stay asleep once the ice has melted.
 
You need to vent the hot air, they normally have a large pipe which you stick out the window, which is not the best as it will allow a lot of the warm outside air back in.
They will not cool down the room more than a few degrees and they are very noisy and they use a lot of power.
I find it very hard to sleep with one on.
 
seaodyssey said:
You need to vent the hot air, they normally have a large pipe which you stick out the window, which is not the best as it will allow a lot of the warm outside air back in.
They will not cool down the room more than a few degrees and they are very noisy and they use a lot of power.
I find it very hard to sleep with one on.
Click to expand...
They do seem to need to be vented, and many come with a window sealing kit that allows the vent pipe and hot air out but keeps the outside warm air from coming in.
 
For the few days it will be/was needed, maybe renting one would be the answer. At least that way she could see if the idea works and if she can sleep through the noise.
 
I've had a couple myself, but much more experience with others at work and friends' houses (having lived/worked in South Africa).

One constant (as you'd expect) is that the more you spend, the better the kit you'll get. Cheap fans are noisy anyway and will get noisier with age/use, whereas the quality ones will be quieter and will last much longer.

Venting to the outside is an absolute must and although window 'kits' work to a degree they will work most efficiently when vented properly - this makes a BIG difference. All windows and external doors will need to be kept closed.

They're only worth considering in smaller rooms, but that's all you want anyway. If you require one for bigger spaces, then professionally installed (non-portable) ones are an absolute must.

In this country, I wouldn't bother with them myself. We only get a few days a year when they're 'needed' so unless you really don't like the heat I'd make do with a large fan.
 
stevewestern said:
They do seem to need to be vented, and many come with a window sealing kit that allows the vent pipe and hot air out but keeps the outside warm air from coming in.
Click to expand...
The kits only work with a sash type window, any windows with a side hinge, the kits will not fit. The windows we have use cantilever hinge (like most double glazing) and there are gaps on every side of the window. I said to the Mrs that I could cut a bit of ply to cover the whole window opening (wit a hole for the vent) but she did not like that idea.

SWMBO

Mind you I did sleep on the hot nights last week. The room is in shade in the afternoon and the unit got it down to 25c.
My Mrs has a fixation that the room should be 16 to 18c to sleep in yet she covers herself up in the duvet, while I like my arms and shoulder not covered and I feel like I'm freezing at those temps. I'm also appear to be a light sleeper and wake at dawn, due to the light.
 
Again, thanks for help.
It's that old conundrum about cheap vs quality and days of use vs cost.
Her fan makes a big difference but doesn't cool the room, just the sweat which hasn't been enough. I'll talk to her again.
She has sash windows and I could easily make up an insert for the window if needed.
I don't know what temperature her room gets up to but I find it impossible to sleep in the spare room when it's hot and her room gets the afternoon sun so is way hotter.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Sky
I've not needed a fan so far this year (even though I've bought a new 'quiet' one) and I'm still sleeping with my 12.5 tog duvet on me at night.

I had the windows open on those three or four warm days/nights though, but they're closed again now until the next 'heatwave'. :rolleyes:

My ideal temperatures are 25 inside, 35 outside and about 22 for sleeping. I love summer and hate the other three seasons (not so much Spring) of the year in the UK.
 
Sky said:
I've not needed a fan so far this year (even though I've bought a new 'quiet' one) and I'm still sleeping with my 12.5 tog duvet on me at night.

I had the windows open on those three or four warm days/nights though, but they're closed again now until the next 'heatwave'. :rolleyes:

My ideal temperatures are 25 inside, 35 outside and about 22 for sleeping. I love summer and hate the other three seasons (not so much Spring) of the year in the UK.
Click to expand...
I'm exactly the same, I hate the cold, dark and wet. Winter duvet, windows closed here too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sky
My main bedroom gets the sun all day pretty much. I got a windscreen shade and put it up over the centre of the window and made sure the curtains were shut and windows closed as soon as the temperatures started to rise. That made some difference. It was also tough to get the room cooler over night as the outside temperatures just weren't low enough to have much effect and the solar energy stored in the bricks was quite noticeable.

Also what is the loft insulation like? If that is poor the heat from the sun and the loft seeps into the room more. My bedroom wall stuck at 28-30c for days after as it retained a lot of the sun's energy. I'd think some kind of external sun shade would help plus loft insulation and maybe reflective roof insulation on the sun facing parts of the roof to encourage it away.

Reducing solar gain as much as possible in very hot weather is definitely a help. If you can keep bedrooms at 25c or below then a normal fan will often be sufficient.
 
srichards said:
My main bedroom gets the sun all day pretty much. I got a windscreen shade and put it up over the centre of the window and made sure the curtains were shut and windows closed as soon as the temperatures started to rise. That made some difference. It was also tough to get the room cooler over night as the outside temperatures just weren't low enough to have much effect and the solar energy stored in the bricks was quite noticeable.

Also what is the loft insulation like? If that is poor the heat from the sun and the loft seeps into the room more. My bedroom wall stuck at 28-30c for days after as it retained a lot of the sun's energy. I'd think some kind of external sun shade would help plus loft insulation and maybe reflective roof insulation on the sun facing parts of the roof to encourage it away.

Reducing solar gain as much as possible in very hot weather is definitely a help. If you can keep bedrooms at 25c or below then a normal fan will often be sufficient.
Click to expand...
Solar gain (I didn't know that was the term) is big - lousy roof insulation and an attic space that can't be accessed to improve it and bricks that do seem to hold the heat. Mum is 93 and doesn't own the house (equity release) so spending money on improving it doesn't make sense.
 
We have one from screwfix a few years ago, a 9000BTU one.

Vents out the cantilever window and we have a bit of cardboard to fill the hole. It gets the room from about 30degrees (large windows in the sun all day) to 16 degrees. You need to start it at about 2pm to be that temp by 10pm mind.
Yes it’s noisy, but I wear earplugs anyway and my wife loves the white noise aspect of it.
A fan doesn’t come close, just blows hot air at you.
 
I have B&Q one, bought last year. Came in handy last week, and it was powered by solar panels, zero cost to run. My wife (who came from hotter part of the world) even thought the bedroom was too cold during her afternoon nap, Both my wife and 4.5yo son also doesn't want it on in the room when sleeping, mainly due to the noise. The most annoying noise is when it starts or stops the compressor with a loud noise.

Only real use I found with my portable AC was to use it (powered by solar) during the day while I WFH. Allows me to keep (solar powered) mining crypto in the same room and stay comfortable.

We also have a Dyson tower fan and a box fan. The fans are much better for sleeping. We also have stay-cool bamboo (?) bed sheets, I think this is the most important part of able to sleep with just a fan during the heatwave.
 
wyx087 said:
I have B&Q one, bought last year. Came in handy last week, and it was powered by solar panels, zero cost to run. My wife (who came from hotter part of the world) even thought the bedroom was too cold during her afternoon nap, Both my wife and 4.5yo son also doesn't want it on in the room when sleeping, mainly due to the noise. The most annoying noise is when it starts or stops the compressor with a loud noise.

Only real use I found with my portable AC was to use it (powered by solar) during the day while I WFH. Allows me to keep (solar powered) mining crypto in the same room and stay comfortable.

We also have a Dyson tower fan and a box fan. The fans are much better for sleeping. We also have stay-cool bamboo (?) bed sheets, I think this is the most important part of able to sleep with just a fan during the heatwave.
Click to expand...
That sounds like the sort of way I imagine mum would use one - to cool the room before bed time with the fan for night use.
I've not heard of bamboo sheets - socks but not sheets, I'll have a look into them. Thanks!
 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top