In recent years portable air conditioners have become much more popular than only a few years ago. They are often used in homes that already have central air conditioning systems installed to assist in cooling problem areas.

Portable air conditioners are self contained and do not take up a lot of space. These units are about 28 to 32 inches tall. They can be somewhat heavy but this issue is easily overcome by getting a unit that has wheels installed for easy mobility. Most models come with wheels that can be installed very easily.

One of the greatest things about portable air conditioners is that there is no installation cost associated with them and maintenance is quite simple. Put it in any area of your home as long as there is a wall outlet nearby. You can even wheel it from the living room to your bedroom or kitchen, or wherever you need it. Park it against a wall or in a corner out of the way. This is a big advantage over window air conditioners because once a window unit is mounted in your window it is not a easily moved.

Portable air conditioners and window air conditioners also, are relatively quiet compared to older models of window air conditioners and will not become a nuisance when trying to watch TV or sleep. A popular name for window air conditioners is “window bangers” because of how noisy they used to be.

Portable air conditioners are slightly more expensive than window air conditioners of the same capacity but not a lot more expensive and the advantages of owning a portable air conditioner over a window air conditioner far outweigh and small price increase.

When selecting a portable air conditioner it is very important to select a unit with the proper cooling capacity for your requirements. Oversized units will not perform at maximum efficiency and will probable not give you as many years of use due to erratic operation. Purchasing a unit that is oversized for the job will not work easier. This is just the way that they work.

Look for air conditioners that are Energy Star Compliant. These units will have an energy star label which indicates that they consume less energy than similar standard products. Energy Star guidelines are set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

Prices for portable air conditioners start at less than 300 dollars and increase from there. This is probably about twice the cost of a window air conditioner of equal capacity but they are much better systems. Window air conditioners are now as low as 150 dollars and maybe less if you get it on sale. But if you can afford it the portable air conditioner is move versatile.

So don’t be enticed into thinking that you have to have central cooling if it’s not in your budget right now. A portable air conditioner will give you many years of trouble free operation at only be a fraction of the cost of a central system.