Dear friends
I am looking for some help with price bargain and ideas for a portable air-conditioner for my room. (Room size is about 4.5 meters * 5 meters.
Portable Air conditioner
sheenzy on 03/02/2011 - 02:18
Comments
get a 2nd hand one off ebay
if your patient there are some great deals (I bought one off ebay earlier this summer - serious bargainThis from Topbuy does not look too bad an offer for $349 + shipping and has heating and cooling.
http://www.topbuy.com.au/tbcart/pc/1-5HP-Portable-Air-Condit…
Just be careful, look at the instructions which can be downloaded. Heating is accomplished by reversing the pipes going outside, rather than just a simple change by remote control. Looks like they just reverse the expelled air from the unit.
Probably not a big deal, but not a fully simple process. See the pdf manual here
http://www.topbuy.com.au/tempimages/air-conInstructionManual…
Just watch the specs - some are true reverse cycle - can heat during winter using R?C - cheaper. Others are just boosted with a heater inside - electric element, so are expensive to run in winter.
Considering prices are often similar check before you buy.
The Kogan one seems to have neither according to specs, its cooling only.
Problem at present may be supply after this current east coast heat wave
The brand I have which is heating/cooling RC is called Digilex, which I found online a few years ago at Dealsdirect (or similar), I saw identical looking models at Golo and Homeart around the 300-400 price
In addition to thinking about reverse cycle models, which are a cheaper way to heat a space in winter, do some energy cost calculations based on the differences in efficiency between models. Look at the actual power consumption for a given cooling/heating power. It may very well be worthwhile to buy a more efficient model that has a higher price.
Some nifty features you might like to look for are: A sleep setting to ramp up the temperature in cooling as the night wears on (ramp down in heating mode) which gives better sleep and also saves power. A timer to turn it on before you get home.
One of the issues that I have with the portable air conditioner is that it never cools the room like a proper air conditioner does.. it does takes off the heat about 3-4 degrees thats it… also… bear in mind they have this tube that vents the hot air out to the window.. if your tube is too long inside the room.. it only re-heat the room(also in my case).
I also don't have the shutter window but the ones that opens out both sides… which is not suitable for the portable airconditioners that usually specifically made for shutter windows…
I thought the 3.4KW was enough for me for my room size which is 4x4 and it serious it not enough… need like 8KW or higher for the portable ones.. but I was told that the wall mounted one (ie the proper air conditioner) 3.4KW is more than enough for a room of 4x4… but then I am talking to a technician who usually spend most of his time outside and loves the hot weather.. whereas the colder for me the better.. just my two cents
One reason for this is the design. A portable aircom sucks air from the room, cools most of it, and expels the rest as hot air to the outside. The result is that air is drawn in from the other room openings (doors, etc) to compensate for the outgoing air. And if the rest of your dwelling is already hot, then you get some warm air coming into the room.
A fixed mount split system aircon recirculates the air in the room, cooling it, and pipes the heat outside without letting any of it enter the room, if the room is closed.
nice explanation
Have been thinking of getting this one: http://www.crazysales.com.au/highlander-1-5hp-portable-mobil…
$289 + shp
Any thoughts?
Just a few thoughts. I'm in a rental so I can't have any fixed A/C systems installed. Just two days ago, because I just couldn't stand it anymore, I bit the bullet and shopped for a portable A/C. Tried ebay but was constantly outbid, so went on gumtree. Got one for a song, but it was a low capacity one. That being said, if I don't expect the world of it, it does the job. Basically, I just needed it to the take edge off and actually allow me get some sleep. My unit is a 10000BTU Heller that can cool anywhere from 4 - 10 degrees. I say this because it depends on a whole lot of factors. Whether its daytime, whether the sun is shining in the windows, whether there is insulation… that sort of thing. It definitely does NOT cool like a real split type A/C, but like I said, it does exactly what I wanted it to do which was let me sleep at night.
On a side note, I was going to bite at that Highlander one, but it was just sooooo hot that day that I couldn't wait for shipping.
One last thing, the one from topbuy was available from COTD for 299 + shipping 2 days ago. Sorry.
You can get portable A/C that work… they have a pipe (not a large hose) that separates the compressor and coils. You place the coil unit outside, and a THIN flexible pipe runs through the window to a fan unit inside.
Those ones don't suffer from the problem of sucking in warm air like Greenpossum mentioned above. They are a real, split system and they actually work!
This is a link to a UK site with an example…
http://www.portableair.co.uk/koolbreeze-kudos18-portable-air…
You can see the thing grey refrigerant lines in that picture - I have an old Delongi that is similar in concept - 3.5kW cooling, works awesome!
Where can you get these in Australia? Never seen these types before in shops
Sorry, now that I check further… I am not sure. I found the Delongi model that we have last year on their website, but it's not there now.
Yeah.. my friend has one of those split portable airconditioner ones.. and apparently they do work much better.. but I also can't seem to find them… I am on the hunt for them if anyone knows where I can get them…
Another big advantage is that the pipes are small, so the window need only be open a crack (shove a towel in the gap). The one that I have even has seat-belt like straps on the external fan unit, so you can hang it out the window of a home unit or whatever, rather than resting it on the ground!
damn i really want one now…. already have a dimplex hose type one… but need another if the price is right..
Any luck? any detailed information … today is my day off I was hoping I could order or pick one up today..
Nah nothing as yet!
i got one and it sucks only cools by 4 degrees or so and is too loud to sleep with it on. sick of this goddamn heat i sweat in bed everynight.
They are best if you use them as a fan = forget cooling the room, just make them blow coldness at you!
1 aircon for a rental property - portable… I am sure there is something out there that will beat this heat..Still searching..
I know… I hate the portable aircon that has the big tube.. should have got the protable split.. and now I can't find one…
My portable aircon oly cools by 4 degree or so too.. and it is loud as well so I had to put ear plug in every night when I sleep…. and like you nubzy I still sweat in this heat at night…
I need cooler temperature NOW…..
In most Bunning's warehouses you can pickup a 10,000 BTU Arlec branded portable air conditioner unit.
IIRC it's $319.Cools relatively well, although I have a pretty small room. Your mileage may vary.
Sam's Warehouse have reduced theirs to $239.
http://www.lasoo.com.au/catalogue/sam-s-warehouse-catalogue-…
+1 to the comments about separating the blower from the heat exchanger.
Having them in the same unit means :
- It's pretty noisy
- The unit's compressor heats up and radiates into the room
- The tube heats up and therefore heats up the room
- When you turn the unit off all the heat from the unit is released back into the room
My recommendation is to buy a cheapish window job that plugs into the wall and do it yourself.
We made the mistake of buying a portable for $600 or something brand new. Ended up selling it for $100.
I own my own home, but I have always wondered why people who rent need to buy portable air conditioners.
We have window-mounted A/C in some rooms (including our bedroom). Don't rental houses have windows in them?
Don’t rental houses have windows in them?
most do, but still with window open and little wind, it will be very hot,
try it on a hot day without A/C, it will become very hot
but for A/C being in rental rooms, it depends on the homeowner(not the renters) to decide whether to add a A/C or not in the rooms
You have to get the owner's permission to affix anything to the unit. Also if the unit sticks out of the window, you have to get body corporate approval, stay within noise limits, etc. etc.
Absolutely agree with above 2 entries. Even putting a thumb-tack into the wall etc you need permission.
I got totally burnt buying a Delonghi Pinguino portable for $800.
Doesn't cool very well despite being a massive unit, and high price tag — so much for a good looking Italian. From now on I'm only buying generics…
Been thinking about this one..
http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/portable-air-conditioner/?gclid…