Portable air conditioners are cooling units that can be moved from place to place as needed. They work best in specific areas of a building that need additional cooling. Commercial portable air conditioners are most commonly found in offices, dorm rooms, small apartments or individual work areas where the main building’s cooling system may not be sufficient enough to attain the desired temperature for that particular area.

These cooling units use refrigeration for cooling, unlike their larger counterparts that are typically evaporation systems. Because of this, the units will require ventilation in order to work properly. The number of ventilation hoses a portable air conditioner has determines the category in which it falls.

Single hose units have only one ventilation hose, which is usually located in the back of the system. It is connected to the unit and allows hot air to be vented away from the area. This type of unit works best for very small rooms, since its cool capabilities are minimal.

If the area that needs cooling is significantly larger, it is recommended that a dual hose unit be used instead. Since there are two hoses, this type is more capable of venting the hot air away from the room more quickly. One hose works as the ventilation hose while the other brings in cooler air from outside and disperses it through the room to cool the area quicker.

Split configurations have both a compressor as well as an evaporator. They are housed within two different units that are connected to each other through a series of pipes. Of all the categories this type is considered to be the most superior of them all. Noise reduction is easily obtainable and no water drainage is required. The only factor with this choice is that it must be installed nearby in an outside area and cannot be placed within the room itself like the other types. This sometimes makes it an option that many people cannot choose and is dependent upon the area which needs cooling and the outside access that is available.

For the best results, the area in which cooling is needed should be closely evaluated to see which options would work within the space, as well as which options would be able to cool effectively enough to reach a temperature level that is needed. If no outside access is available, the use of either a single or dual hose unit will be the only options, in which case size will be the determining factor.