Portable air con recommendation.

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Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#207294 17-Dec-2016 22:01

Last summer was so unbearable in my computer room that I won't explain, so I've decided I'll pick up a portable air conditioner this summer. I haven't owned one before and have a couple of questions if anyone can help. I have the option of a reversible model that does cooling and heating or just a cooling model. Does heating work well with these units? Are they better than other heating solutions? I currently use a ceramic heater. Would the reversible unit likely have a shorter lifespan than the cooling only model by using it all year round? The two units I'm looking at are at bunnings:

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/suki-aircon-portable-heat-pump-2-6kw-white_p00244331

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/arlec-10-000btu-portable-air-conditioner_p04440784

With a $50 difference between them with one being reversible what would you recommend?

SATTV

1648 posts

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#1691558 17-Dec-2016 22:20

I had a delongi portable air conditioner and my advice is dont bother.

1 - they have to be vented outside, the venting kits are often very basic and need additional work to fit your window / door.

2 - The water collection tank is quite small, just when things start to cool down the damed thing would stop and the room would heat up almost instantly.

3 - Despite the spec's there is no way it could cool our bedroom.

You would be better off paying a few extra dollars and getting a proper split system installed and it would work so much better.

regards

John

I know enough to be dangerous

Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1691559 17-Dec-2016 22:27

Thanks but how could a split system be of any benefit to a separate bedroom?

jonathan18

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#1691600 17-Dec-2016 23:01

Kol12:
Thanks but how could a split system be of any benefit to a separate bedroom?

Only reference to a bedroom was the initial reply saying such a unit failed to cool his bedroom...

My work purchased some of these units for some of the offices, and they were a joke. The noise alone was unbearable, and they made negligible difference to the temperature (even when external venting was done properly, which makes them not so portable anyway).

Agree with going with a split system, as even a cheap as Warehouse job would probably inevitably a better job, and entry level prices for such units can be quite reasonable. And you'll get the benefit of heating, of course...

Pumpedd

1759 posts

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#1691602 17-Dec-2016 23:06

You must external vent a portable system or your computer system will fail in no time. If you talk on skype or game using vent etc the portable system will make too much noise for good comms.

The only real alternative is to get a heat pump installed and if its a small room it will cost $2-3k.

Dingbatt

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#1691636 18-Dec-2016 09:53

I bought a portable air-conditioner a few years ago to cool a bedroom at the opposite end of the house from our installed heat pump. It is noisy but relatively effective in pulling the temperature of that room down. Keep the ducting to outside as short as possible, as it radiates heat back into the room and reduces the airflow through the heat exchanger. Get a model that injects the moisture into the exhaust stream, although that does complicate things if you want to use it as a heater (we don't). Ours is only used for February/March and so doesn't warrant an installed one.
Having said that I would love to be able to afford a ducted system that would do the whole house.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

howsitgoing

41 posts

Geek

#1691674 18-Dec-2016 10:38

I reached the same threshold last year and installed a window air conditioner.

Extremely effective at cooling, although nosier than a split one its tolerable and this isn't the tropics and not needed at nighttime.

I don't expect to use it for heating. It was less then $1k to diy but quite heavy to lift up.

Result is so nice though

richms

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#1691691 18-Dec-2016 11:24

Got a suki one.

Hopeless.

As its pushing air outside, an equivilant volume of warm outdoor air comes in to replace that air. So the max it could drop from ambient was about 6 degrees when running constantly, and it got worse once it started to use up all the cool air in the rest of the house, made the whole house get quite a bit warmer with the hot air from outside being dragged in.

Opposite problem with it on heating in winter, and then the draft coming in under the bedroom door was ice cold and shot right across to my feet at the computer desk so the whole place felt cold as with it running. Would get it about 8 degrees over outdoor with it running full blast.

Now the proper split aircon will keep the place at whatever temperature I choose, is really quiet, and uses a crapload less power. Only problem is since its almost silent when its at temperature, I just leave it on all the time.

Richard rich.ms

Equinox IT

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Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1691751 18-Dec-2016 13:42

Thanks for the reply's. Obviously varying opinions here, I'm going to take my chances as if summer is anything like I experienced last year then anything is going to be better than nothing. My pedestal fan literally blew like heater! I wanted to die. I ended up buying an evaporative cooler, the ones that blow air over cold water.. It blew cold air over me but they actually increase the amount of humidity in the room which is not ideal with such already high humidity in NZ. It actually ended up being more uncomfortable. I had to change the water every day as it get's manky and blows this smell throughout the room.

richms

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#1691801 18-Dec-2016 18:01

Also the non inverter driven compressor starts with a loud thump whenever it kicks in. OK for a noisy workshop where mine is now banished to, hopeless in a house.

Richard rich.ms