Will portable air conditioning systems work for the Pittsburgh heat?

As Pittsburgh’s premier air conditioning experts, we’re well equipped to help our customers with all of their air conditioning needs– and that includes portable air conditioning. Many homeowners considering a portable air conditioner solution don’t understand exactly what they’re getting. While a portable air conditioner shares some of the same features as a traditional air conditioner, portable air conditioning units are best used as a temporary solution, or to support an HVAC unit that’s struggling to handle the load. At Triangle Air Conditioning, we offer affordable air conditioning options that can replace portable air conditioning units and help keep your home comfortable while sparing you the headache of a DIY fix.

If you decide that a portable air conditioning unit is the right way to go for your home, there are a number of things to know in order t to ensure you get the most out of your air conditioner unit. Chief among those is remembering that even the best single room air conditioner cannot replace a durable HVAC unit installed by Pittsburgh professionals.

In order to help you stay cool, your unit has to expel hot air

Just like normal air conditioning units suction warm, humid air out of a home and replace it with cool air, a window air conditioner or portable air conditioner does the same thing. With that said, while a full scale air conditioning unit uses the ducts in your home to send air around the entire property, a portable unit must be near a window in order to facilitate this process. The window allows the warm air to escape outside, so that it can be replaced by cooler air. It’s important to make sure your air conditioner’s exhaust hose is securely positioned somewhere it can expel the air it brings in from the room. Since opening a window could also allow cool air to escape, make sure to follow the unit’s instructions for best practices when setting up the exhaust hose.

Remember that window air conditioners aren’t designed for the whole house

While it may be tempting to rig window or wall air conditioners in every room of the house, it pays to remember that that’s not what they’re designed for. While a traditional, central AC unit should be able to effectively cool every room of a home, a portable air conditioner is only suitable for one room, no matter how high the BTU. If you try buying more than one, there’s a large chance that the rooms where the units are will not be cooled evenly. If you absolutely have to get a portable air conditioner, consider placing it in a room that needs it most, and leave it at that until you can fix things with a more permanent solution. Otherwise, you risk wasting money and effort!

A portable AC unit isn’t a cure all for Pittsburgh heat

If your air conditioning unit is not functioning correctly, a portable unit can be a nice temporary fix. However, portable units are not energy efficient, only cool a very small part of a home, are noisy, and have a limited life span, among other things. Although they may seem like the perfect, affordable solution to air conditioning, using them in place of regular AC units can do much more harm than good in the long run. If you’re looking for affordable options for air conditioning, the team here at Triangle Air Conditioning can help. The way we see it, quality AC installation and repair services don’t have to break the bank. For generations, we’ve been committed to providing Pittsburgh with the very best in affordable air conditioning services, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Contact us today to discuss long term alternatives to portable air conditioning units, or for an evaluation of your current setup. We’re here to serve you!