Portable air conditioners any good?

[cooked]

I don't mind spending a bit, but can't really afford a wall unit, too many costs coming up next month. This would be in the bedroom where we have been (most days)  managing with a swamp cooler.

I saw something in BigC for about ฿15 000.-, not that I'd buy in BigC. The plan would be to use the portable in the guest room later on.

Thanks.

[Kwasaki]

There are 2 types one you still have to set up with pipes in & out windows and set up a drip tray. 

The other is having a ice storage area to blow cold air but they use aot of ice. 

IMHO I would just have an ordinary air-con BTU size unit fitted in the bedroom according to its size. 

They will try and push the inverter type but the ordinary cool units are cheaper and just as good.

[lopburi3]

15,000 is more than most wall units would cost installed and you have good cooling.  Portable requires vent outside cooled area to cool so not really portable and likely to be very noisy.  ICE flow coolers make no sense in Thailand humidity.  As far as inverter units they are not much more, if any, than the older versions today and can often save you money in operating expense.  They are still less than 15k as you should not need more than 9-13k btu for a bedroom (I use 9 for 26sm and works fine) unless you require tour bus temp.  

Edited March 19, 2021 by lopburi3

[Steve&mem]

Bought one of these last year and I cant fault it, 10 year warranty.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/inverter-0-10-tcl-inverter-new-elite-series-11500-btu-tac-ivx12_non-install-i316860952-s592460139.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.3.6d1f6aa6YUhAap&search=1&freeshipping=1

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

The other is having a ice storage area to blow cold air but they use aot of ice. 

Got one of these a year or so back. All it does is raise the humidity in the room so everything feels damp.

[KannikaP]

13 minutes ago, Steve&mem said:

Bought one of these last year and I cant fault it, 10 year warranty.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/inverter-0-10-tcl-inverter-new-elite-series-11500-btu-tac-ivx12_non-install-i316860952-s592460139.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.3.6d1f6aa6YUhAap&search=1&freeshipping=1

Just looked and it says non-install / does not include installation fee.

Where is the compressor please? And how much did it cost?  Only nine years to go on the warranty....do you think it will make it?

[xylophone]

19 minutes ago, Steve&mem said:

Bought one of these last year and I cant fault it, 10 year warranty.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/inverter-0-10-tcl-inverter-new-elite-series-11500-btu-tac-ivx12_non-install-i316860952-s592460139.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.3.6d1f6aa6YUhAap&search=1&freeshipping=1

Jeez, that sounds like a good deal.........will keep an eye out for those!

[KarenBravo]

They're only good if you sit six inches away. Otherwise, most of them are totally ineffective.

Might as well cover all the windows with damp cloth. That's what they used to do before air-con was invented.

[Orton Rd]

About as much use as those air filters, not a lot.

[pseudorabies]

I used a 12kBTU portable Honeywell AC unit for about 6 years while living in northern California.  This was a first floor condo, northeast facing kitchen and living area.  Even on days were the outside temps were well over 100deg F it was able to keep about 35m2 cool. I used it for 20-30 days per year with no problems during that period.  Like most portables it was loud since the compressor is in the room with you.  But it was better than dealing with the heat.

[finnsk]

I bought one transportable 12000 BTU air conditioner last year.

My experience is ok, it needs to have a flexible 6 inch pipe to the outside, the water getting condensated and get out together with the hot air in the flexibe pipe. For the 6 inch pipe it needs a little installation, but not more than most can do it DIY.

It is noisy, you have the compressor together with the cooler radiator inside the room. I think it is a little more expensive in use than a wall mounted air conditioner with an outdoor compressor, our electric bill rise about 1000 baht in the months where we use it about 10 hours a day.

I bought it in Thai Watsadu at 7000 baht, it was an offer, I dont know the price now, it has a name Zagio

[KannikaP]

48 minutes ago, Steve&mem said:

Bought one of these last year and I cant fault it, 10 year warranty.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/inverter-0-10-tcl-inverter-new-elite-series-11500-btu-tac-ivx12_non-install-i316860952-s592460139.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.3.6d1f6aa6YUhAap&search=1&freeshipping=1

The OP was asking about PORTABLE A/C units, which is why I questioned the installation in my earlier post. This is a cheap inverter style unit. Glad you've had no problems in it's first year.

[KannikaP]

4 minutes ago, pseudorabies said:

used it for 20-30 days per year with no problems during that period.

So much? I would expect 300 days a year with no problems for at least 5 years.

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, pseudorabies said:

Like most portables it was loud since the compressor is in the room with you.

And from USA that is something as many still use those noisy wall/window AC units which most people here gave up on decades ago.   Yes I know many places have central AC these days but this has it's own issues trying to move air through doors/ducts and huge blowers.  Wall split system is something that works well where instillation work price is reasonable, as here.

[pseudorabies]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

So much? I would expect 300 days a year with no problems for at least 5 years.

I agree but with everything being made in China these days I don't expect appliances to last very long.  In the SF bay area we didn't have very many really hot days so I never had the chance to push it out further. I gave it away when I moved to Thailand last fall.  Last I heard it was performing perfectly (now have sinking feeling that I'm going to regret saying that)

[pseudorabies]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

And from USA that is something as many still use those noisy wall/window AC units which most people here gave up on decades ago.   Yes I know many places have central AC these days but this has it's own issues trying to move air through doors/ducts and huge blowers.  Wall split system is something that works well where instillation work price is reasonable, as here.

I agree - the split systems are fantastic.  They should be more popular in the US than are.

[bkk6060]

Portables are ok for one room.  That seems like too much though check around.  I got a wall unit installed at Makro for 14,000 b.

[KannikaP]

32 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Portables are ok for one room.  That seems like too much though check around.  I got a wall unit installed at Makro for 14,000 b.

Make, BTUs, invertor or not, please

[Pilotman]

I have tried them.  A someone said earlier, if you fill them with ice and sit fairly close, say working at a desk,  they can help, especially if you have a de humidifier in the room, otherwise a standard wall mounted  unit will be much more effective. Forget doing the maths that the 'experts' tell you, a 8,000 BTU unit is great for most reasonably sized rooms.  we have 8,000 units in out bedrooms and they are perfectly adequate, even though the maths tells us they need to be 12,000. 

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

Got one of these a year or so back. All it does is raise the humidity in the room so everything feels damp.

We have small one which we put crushed ice in and with doors and windows open its cooler than just a fan.

[Quack]

Honestly the ice ones are <deleted>, you only feel it if you're sat right next to it, and the ice melts in 30 mins anyway so it starts blowing warm air, like a very weak fan.

[Dazinoz]

The stand alone units you add water/ice are not air conditioners they are air coolers. In paces like Thailand with high humidity all they do is make the air more humid and things damp. To me a waste of money.

Then there are portable air conditioners with a proper refrigeration cycle. They are nosier as the compressor and 2 fans are in the unit which are inside with you. The hot air needs to be ducted to the outside. This duct is usually thing flexible plastic duct which gets very hot and radiates some of that heat back into the room. I have used them before and I wrapped insulation around the ducting. They do blow a lot of hot air to the outside. That air needs to be replaced with air, where from? Eventually from outside which is hot. 

The best is obviously an installed split air conditioner where the compressor and one fan is outside. The air inside is just cooled and recirculated so not continually sucking in hot air from outside.

Old style or inverter is another story. Inverter can save money but has to be sized correctly. Most people seem to believe just because its and inverter it MUST save money. If its undersized and runs full speed then doesn't save money, costs more and expensive if it dies.

[Steve&mem]

17 hours ago, Steve&mem said:

Bought one of these last year and I cant fault it, 10 year warranty.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/inverter-0-10-tcl-inverter-new-elite-series-11500-btu-tac-ivx12_non-install-i316860952-s592460139.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.3.6d1f6aa6YUhAap&search=1&freeshipping=1

OK Update on my TCL Air Con, The one I fitted last year was running about 16 hours a day last year in the hot season, I put a cheep one in because I was a bit short of cash. I was surprised how well it cooled the room, only thing I have had to do is clean the filter and give the outdoor unit a hose off. Now its back on and still running about 16 hours a day with no problems.

I must admit that I have now replaced my other very old air con's with TCL Inverters, my electric bill dropped from its usual by 6000 to 4000 Baht if this months bill is anything to go by

If you look at the TCL flagship Store on Lazada (they look about the cheapest) they sell them with fitting included for a few thousand Baht more, 

[Steve&mem]

11 minutes ago, Steve&mem said:

OK Update on my TCL Air Con, The one I fitted last year was running about 16 hours a day last year in the hot season, I put a cheep one in because I was a bit short of cash. I was surprised how well it cooled the room, only thing I have had to do is clean the filter and give the outdoor unit a hose off. Now its back on and still running about 16 hours a day with no problems.

I must admit that I have now replaced my other very old air con's with TCL Inverters, my electric bill dropped from its usual by 6000 to 4000 Baht if this months bill is anything to go by

If you look at the TCL flagship Store on Lazada (they look about the cheapest) they sell them with fitting included for a few thousand Baht more, 

Just had a quick look on Lazada and the Flash Sale starts in 6 days showing a price of 7890 (Baht not fitted) Or how about this portable TCL Air Con.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/new-9000-btu-tac-09cpars-portable-air-conditioner-touch-control-led-displaystrong-cooling-dual-fan-motor-quiet-operating-i1703310735-s4822530799.html?spm=a2o4m.seller.list.10.22abc483EvrX8D&mp=1&freeshipping=1

[cooked]

Thanks guys. I'm surprised that so many confuse portable air conditioners with swamp coolers, and even with wall mounted units. 

I now know that they are noisy, but as I was planning to use one before going to bed, and we are using a swamp cooler all night anyway, the idea is still on. 

I did say bedroom, but it is a large one, 6 x 3 metres.

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, cooked said:

I did say bedroom, but it is a large one, 6 x 3 metres.

And I did say our BR was 26sm and 9k BTU works fine.  Smallest unit should be fine for that size BR and be much more comfortable than a swamp cooler.  But to limit noise and maintaining and running costs would go split system.

[Dazinoz]

4 minutes ago, cooked said:

Thanks guys. I'm surprised that so many confuse portable air conditioners with swamp coolers, and even with wall mounted units. 

I now know that they are noisy, but as I was planning to use one before going to bed, and we are using a swamp cooler all night anyway, the idea is still on. 

I did say bedroom, but it is a large one, 6 x 3 metres.

I have a Midea 12,000 BTU unit I used 1 season at rental house then I talked owner into going halves in a wall mounted split. I am going to sell that but it is in Chiang Mai.

[1FinickyOne]

i considered one but decided it was a waste of money and not very effective.. 

felt good on display in an air conditioned store

[rickudon]

I do not think portables are a wonderful idea. Noisy, inefficient (because air expelled and is replaced by warm air from outside) and always a bit of a hassle to alter window for the vent. Very much a short term expedient.

Installed split systems - 9000-12,000 btu sufficient for most bedrooms (ours is 24 sq, metres). Inverters - can be more expensive and repairs can be very expensive (bugs/jingjoks shorting out electronics). Look for special offers at sale time - most we have spent is 12,000 baht, often under 10,000 baht. Installation included.

[JBChiangRai]

Swamp coolers only work until the humidity saturates, they are not recommended for use indoors unless a window is left wide open.

Use outside on a balcony.