Best Portable Air Conditioners?

[Mitsu3000gt]

I have finally decided not to go another year without A/C. I have South and West facing windows and my bedroom gets around 30 degrees in the summer which makes it impossible to sleep.

I live in a Condo building, so central air is not an option. I just want a portable unit for my room.

It has to be a floor standing unit because all of my windows are 7-8ft tall casement windows. I will figure out a way to vent it, that isn't an issue.

It will be just for the master bedroom, not the whole condo. The quieter the better.

I like the idea of a drip-less one, which from my understanding evaporates the condensation build up into the exhaust duct so there is no water tank to empty. The last thing I need is for a water tank to fail and cause an issue for my downstairs neighbor(s).

I don't care what it does to my power bill, and I'm happy to pay $400-$700 for a good unit.

I was looking at something like this:

http://www.costco.ca/LG%C2%AE-13%2c000-BTU-Portable-Air-Conditioner.product.10350462.html

This also looked good as it seems thin:
http://www.lg.com/us/air-conditioners/lg-LP1411SHR-portable-air-conditioner

Unfortunately LG's website is shit and I can't tell if it's dripless.

But I am having trouble finding much good information on what the best A/C units are to buy. I read lots of mixed things on the cheaper Danby/DeLonghi units - mostly leakage.

Any beyonders sell portable A/C units? I think Jordan's guy only does the big central stuff.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions! I just want a really good portable unit that doesn't use a drip tank.

[HomespunLobster]

I had a 'drip less' unit as well. but if it's humid that excess water has to go somewhere. The machines have an auto shot off for the tank if it fill up too much. Or you can install a hose so it's constantly dripping. I had the hose just running out the same window I was pulling air in from.

The uprights are good. Bought mine used off kijiji, but it was a $450 unit. Couldn't tell you which one, but i could find out.

[dj_rice]

The one I currently run in my condo I bought from Costco when it was on sale for $399.

It is from Dandy Premiere. Been going strong for 5 years now. Every couple months, I do a maintenance on it where I take the screen filter out and clean it. Empty out the water tank. Blow compressed gas through all ducts to get any dust out.


Wait for Costco to have a sale, its usually $100-150 off. Its either gonna be a LG unit or a Dandy Premiere.

This is the one I have
http://reviews.costco.ca/2070-en_ca/10324291/danby-danby-premiere-13-000-btu-portable-air-conditioner-reviews/reviews.htm


I couldn't use any of the window attachments on it as mine is a crank open out window so I have to fab my own mounts using some clear corragated sheets from Home Depot.

[v2kai]

I got a newer DeLonghi off kijiji was pretty much brand new. Never had any leakage problems. Works awesome. Kijiji price was a bonus too. Can check out the model when I get home.

PAC A12OE - evap type, read moxed reviews online of leakage. never had a problem personally probably because our humidity is so low

[Mitsu3000gt]

Costco has this one up for $100 off starting April 8th:

http://www.costco.ca/Danby-Premiere%C2%AE-13%2c000-BTU-Portable-4-in-1-Air-Conditioner.product.100023367.html

Which would be great but as far as I can tell it has no evaporation technology, just the straight water bucket.

Thanks for the input though, sounds like they are all kind of the same.

[Darell_n]

Don't buy LG anything. This includes a/c, TVs, fridge, stove, clothes washers or any other garbage they make or claim to.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Darell_n
Don't buy LG anything. This includes a/c, TVs, fridge, stove, clothes washers or any other garbage they make or claim to.

Haha, I have actually the complete opposite experience with LG. Has regularly been some of the best stuff my family has owned. Funny how that sort of thing works out sometimes.

My phone is LG, my washer/dryer is LG, my parent's have a bunch of LG stuff, all has been outstanding.

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Haha, I have actually the complete opposite experience with LG. Has regularly been some of the best stuff my family has owned. Funny how that sort of thing works out sometimes.

My phone is LG, my washer/dryer is LG, my parent's have a bunch of LG stuff, all has been outstanding.

Give it time. :barf:

[Alterac]

Sharp used to (or still does?) make their Library Quiet line of AC.

Those were really quiet :D

I have a Costco Royal Soverign. Its LOUD.. but self evaporating, and works well.

['93 SR-V]

I would recommend you get one with two air hoses for the window… one for intake and one for exhaust. We had a crappy one that just had an exhaust hose and basically it would just suck more warm outside air into the house as it cooled, somewhat counterproductive!

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Haha, I have actually the complete opposite experience with LG. Has regularly been some of the best stuff my family has owned. Funny how that sort of thing works out sometimes.

My phone is LG, my washer/dryer is LG, my parent's have a bunch of LG stuff, all has been outstanding.

+1. LG has been one of the most reliable brands for me.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
It has to be a floor standing unit because all of my windows are 7-8ft tall casement windows. I will figure out a way to vent it, that isn't an issue.

How are you planning on setting up the exhaust if you have casement windows?

[Alterac]

Originally posted by sputnik


How are you planning on setting up the exhaust if you have casement windows?

I made a plexiglass insert, and put two holes in it for the hoses. (Unscrewed the hose mounts from the stock little peice, and used these in the new insert)

That way it fits infront of the screen for hte crank out, and i used Masking tape to keep it in there. Works well.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by sputnik


How are you planning on setting up the exhaust if you have casement windows?

Well the setup looks like this, with the left hand side being an actual door to a balcony, and the other door being basically a door turned into a crank window that opens up only about 8". Both are the size of a door, so maybe 7 feet tall.

http://newimg.globalmarket.com/PicLib/547/2041547/prod/0_1342483887804_l.png

My plan was to just close the crank window onto the hose (most hoses seem to have a thin end-piece designed to be squished by a door) and then worst case scenario my window is still open a crack. I don't think there would be enough airflow around the window to have too much negative affect on the cooling, but I am not sure.

Or if I could pop out one of those little panes of glass in the door, that would be amazing, however I think it's one solid sheet of glass.