As you may already know, I’m a big proponent of spot cooling with portable air conditioners.  Using a portable unit to cool just the room you’re in is a smart choice because it prevents you from cooling your entire house using your more costly central system.  Furthermore, a lot of portable air conditioner manufacturers are doing what they can to design more energy-efficient models in this energy-conscious age.

In any case, while looking through my local energy company’s website the other day in order to find a rebate for a refrigerator, I found out that they also offer incentives for purchasing energy-efficient portable room air conditioners.  For purchasing a qualifying model on their list, you get a $20 rebate.  The portable air conditioners they recommend all have an EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) of at least 11.9, which is considered excellent for a portable air conditioner.  Take a look at the list here.  Judging from the list Southern California Edison provided, it looks like the only brands that qualify are DeLonghi, Sunpentown and NewAir right now.

After doing some additional research, I’ve found that Pacific Gas & Electric up in Northern California has a similar program, as well as well as conEdison in New York.  So before you go shopping for your new portable air conditioner, check with your local electric company to see if they’re giving out rebates on qualifying units.

I recently received a NewAir AC-10000H from the manufacturer and found it to be a great unit for those looking to cool/heat a small room.  Overall I liked its performance and ease of use.  It was able to cool my living room (approximately 250 square feet) and was quitter than other units I’ve used in the past (my roommate thought it was a bit loud, though).   The unit comes with a remote control plus a dehumidifier function that can be used on its own.  I also tried using the heater function and can say that it works as advertised.

Positives:

• Powerful 10,000 BTU unit
• Good price (less than $350 shipped – look for current specials online)
• Works as a standalone dehumidifier
• Cools and heats

Negatives:

• Can be a bit noisy for some

The NewAir AC-10000H portable air conditioner can be found on different websites such as Air & Water, Sears, Amazon and more.

Prevent Heat Gain
One of the most effective ways to make your home feel cooler costs you nothing and involves keeping heat from building up in the first place. The primary source of heat gain can often be attributed to sunlight that’s absorbed by your home through the walls, windows, and roof. Other sources can come from heat-generating appliances (ovens, stoves, microwaves) and air leakages.  You can prevent heat gain by reflecting sunlight away from your house, shading and blocking the heat, removing built-up heat, and reducing heat-generating sources in your home.

Ceiling Fans & Evaporative Coolers
Ceiling fans and evaporative coolers are energy efficient cooling solutions because they cost less to install and run as standard air conditioners. Ceiling fans have the ability to lower the air temperature by approximately four degrees, and evaporative coolers use one fourth the energy of conventional air conditioners.

Whole House Fans
If you’re looking for a lower-cost, natural alternative to an air conditioner, whole house ventilation may be the solution. Installing a whole house fan costs only a fraction of traditional air conditioners and operating costs may be as little as 10 percent of the cost of operating an air conditioner.  When the fan is turned on, cooler air from the outside is drawn into the house trough open windows and doors, and warmer air is pushed out of the house through ventilation spaces in the roof or gable end walls. This air movement cools your house by replacing hot air with cooler air; by flushing out hot air; and by creating a gentle breeze that cools occupants.

One of our friends has been doing this for the past 3 summers and has seen a good decrease on his electricity usage year over year.

When he first moved into his Southern California home 2 years ago, he found that he couldn’t keep his 1,800 square foot house cool enough with his ancient central system. In his upstairs home office alone, he had 2 computers running at all times, overhead lighting and a giant window located near the ceiling, leaving the second story of his house scorching in the middle of summer. During the hottest months of the year, if he tried to cool his house using only his central system, one side of his house would always be several degrees than the other. So to eliminate hot and cold spots in his house, he decided to purchase a 14,000 BTU portable air conditioner to supplement his existing system.

The portable unit he purchased cost approximately $500, and to him it was a great purchase because he was able to even out temperatures and save money on his electricity bill at the same time. The portable air conditioner didn’t require permanent installation, and he’s able to move it from room to room when it gets really hot. Having the portable air conditioner moved to his bedroom at night keeps him cool while the occupied portion of his house is set to 80 on his thermostat.

Since his initially investment, he claims he’s seen a drop in his bills by at least 15% year over year and the portable air conditioner is paid for.

Most portable air conditioners will range anywhere from $250 to $600, and more cooling power also equals a higher price tag, so choose a model based on what your specific needs are. As a general rule, match up the square footage of your room with the right BTU rating:

10,000 BTUs = 250 square feet
12,000 BTUs = 350 square feet
14,000 BTUs = 450 square feet

Keep in mind that if your room or area is near a large window or kitchen, you’ll have to size up, so your mileage may vary.

Although it seems like this site was briefly put on hiatus, I’m back into the swing of things. To celebrate, we have a brand new product review for this month!

As you’ve read on this blog before, portable air conditioners are quickly becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience. For those who live in small apartments or condos without central air, a portable AC can be a godsend in the summer heat. But what you also need to know is that portable air conditioners aren’t able to provide as much cooling power as a central or even a window system. So if you’re looking for a lot of cooling and are OK with having a window unit installed in your home, a window air conditioner is the way to go.

Back in late August, one of our good friends from Northern California renovated his modestly sized 1,200 square foot condo. Because the temperatures never get too crazy up there, he didn’t see the need to get a central system installed. Instead, he opted for a less expensive window air conditioner for his living room. He ultimately chose the Crosley CAE15ESR, a 15,000 BTU window air conditioner, and I was there to help him install it.

The Crosley CAE15ESR air conditioner looks like a no-frills window unit, but don’t let its looks fool you: this window air conditioner cooled pretty well and came with a lot of nice features. It’s suitable for a decent sized room of about 700 square feet max (around 600 square feet is probably recommended) and it’s pretty quiet. It’s also Energy Star rated. As with most window air conditioners, there may be some concerns about durability, but my friend hasn’t reported any issues yet (it’s been about 2 months). We did appreciate things such as the automatic temperature sensor, full function remote control and sleep mode.

Pros:
• Cools up to 700 square feet
• Energy Star rated
• Lots of cool features

Cons:
• Not too aesthetically pleasing

The Crosley CAE15ESR retails for about $450 and can be found at retailers such as Sears and Air & Water, Inc.

Although it may be easier to simply bundle up and wear more layers to stay warm, using a portable AC can prove to be very handy when chilly days set in. Most portable ACs can reach temperatures past 80 degrees fahrenheit and have a heater function installed right in. If that’s not enough heat, remember that models also operate with a thermostat, so heating your room is not only easy but economically cheaper, too.

Running your central AC during the hot or cold months can run you hundreds on your energy bill. With a portable AC, you only warm up areas that need warming, such as your bedroom at night or the living room during evening hours. Portable ACs warm up spots and rooms without needing to expend large amounts of energy to heat the whole home.

So when thinking of an economic, cheaper way to stay warm or cool this year, consider investing in a portable AC for its many easy benefits. What’s even more, you can take it with you for extra cooling or warming when your central AC breaks down (or if you simply do not have one!)

Though it hasn’t really been too hot in Southern California (I think we have 60-something degree weather in the morning!), a PAC is still necessary during the afternoon. Recently I came across the Sharp CV-10NH 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner. Although they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I was mostly drawn to the CV-10NH because of the way it looks. This unit is so sleek, so sturdy-looking, I just couldn’t resist. Plus I called online retailer Air and Water and actually spoke to Luke Peters, who gave me some great buying advice on portable ACs (which lead me to this purchase).

Anyway, this PAC is perfect for areas up to 250 square feet. It cools quickly and quietly. A lot of portable ACs advertise its “whisper-quiet” operation, but many don’t follow through. Thankfully, the CV-10NH does. I barely even notice it’s on! What’s great about this appliance is that it also doubles as a dehumidifier. It can help you remove up to 60 pints of moisture from the air every day. The unit obviously has many more features, but right now I’m just going to focus on what I believe is one of the greatest: its bucketless condensate system. The Sharp portable AC connects to an exhaust hose, and the condensate collected throughout the day is released out the hose. This means that you don’t ever have to worry about constantly emptying buckets!

The Sharp CV-10NH is available at Air Conditioner Home and Air & Water.

Additionally, window air conditioners are very easy to install, as they all come with installation kits. In about 20 minutes, they can be installed and ready to go! They take up very little space, since they install into windows. Thus, window coolers actually vent the exhaust outside. Like with portable air conditioners, this makes the units more efficient. However, a feature unique to window air conditioners is that they don’t come with extra tubing, which actually ends up saving you even more energy.

Many times, window air conditioners include the use of an air filter and/or a dehumidifier. An air filter helps capture dust and other allergens for fresh and clean air. Dehumidifiers help remove excess moisture in the air, giving you more control over the humidity levels in your home or workshop. Both work together to prevent mold growth and improve breathing conditions for allergy and asthma sufferers.

As featured on www.air-n-water.com, the NewAir AC-14000E seems mostly to be just a new and improved version of the NewAir AC-12000E, which I reviewed earlier. The main differences are the size and the BTU rating. According to Air & Water, the AC-14000E covers a good 450 square feet with its 14,000 BTU capacity, while the AC-12000E cools only 350. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the more powerful unit could actually cover an even larger area. The portable AC provides cool air that is sure to drop the temperature by at least a few degrees in just minutes. It is MUCH cooler than the 12,000 BTU unit.

Additionally, the AC-14000E is actually smaller in width than its predecessor, so it looks a lot sleeker. However, the unit is indeed louder, just like Unplggd mentioned. On the other hand, though, I don’t think it’s really that loud. It seems about right for a 14,000 BTU unit! But by far my favorite part about this unit is its blue LED screen with electronic controls. It’s extremely easy to use, and it even comes with a remote! Even for a hefty price like $529, I think it would be worth it – but only if you have an area that’s at least 450 square foot in size. Getting this unit for a smaller area would just waste energy. You can find this unit at online retailers such as Air & Water Inc.

However, my friend mentioned to me that the best part about the PAC2KCYC01 is that it doesn’t use fan blades to move the air, so operation is quiet and doesn’t bother his workers no matter how high it’s turned up. He loves that its water tank can hold 16 gallons, a feature that saves him time and effort when it comes time to filling the reservoir.

The only thing about the evaporative cooler is that it’s rather large and it weighs a lot. But that’s to be expected, since it is a commercial cooler, not a personal one. Well, that doesn’t matter. Because it’s built from molded plastic polyethylene housing, we know that it’s sure to keep all my friend’s workers cool and comfortable for as long as they’re there.