Monday, 26 August 2013

What is the Best Ventless Air Conditioner on Sale?

People looking for the best ventless portable air conditioner that's on sale today can read this and discover a secret that will surprise and amaze you! I'm not talking about a revolutionary new kind of portable air cooler, because it hasn't been invented yet (at least not that I or anyone else knows about in this area).

What I am talking about is the best value, highest specification portable model that you can buy for the lowest price in its class and still provide unparalleled comfort on those hot days of summer without eating up a huge chunk of your power supply!

A Portable Air Conditioner that's Vent Free?


First of all, you have to remember that we're talking about a non-vented air conditioning unit here. That narrows it down a lot, because most portable aircon units have to be vented to the outside.

So we're actually talking about a "Swamp Cooler" or to give it the correct name, an evaporative air cooler. This kind of cooling device does not need to be vented to the outside because it doesn't produce any hot exhaust air (as you can read more about this kind of cooler in our article that covers "what is a swamp cooler")

For those of you who live in areas with high summer air humidity, look away now because these coolers are not for you!

Top Rated Portable Vent Free Air Conditioner Facts


Let's look at the evidence to suggest that one particular model is superior to others in its class. What exactly do you expect from a top rated, high spec swamp cooler? Let's take some examples:

  1. Superior air cooling capability
  2. Ability to cool a room quickly
  3. Ability to provide on demand cold air
  4. Lightweight, easy to move portability
  5. Small footprint for easy placement
  6. Low power consumption
  7. Good value for money

I think that just about covers the main points that interest folks looking to get a good value unit for their money without spending too much. So which are the contenders and what do we rate as the best unit for the money?

Affordable Swamp Coolers


The following coolers can be bought for less than you might think when you shop online at Amazon. Prices can vary without notice so please check out the following reviews on this site by clicking the title of the model that you are interested in below:


These are our top three value for money items for the lowest price and best specs. If you want higher specs and greater cooling capability, you need to spend more to get higher grade units. Some of the best of these are below:

Swamp Coolers Under $300


The following units can be bought for between $200 and $300 when you shop online at Amazon. Again, prices can fluctuate, so click the title to read the review before heading over to the sales page to get the most up to the minute price.


Swamp Coolers Over $300


A Step up in price gets you even higher specs. We have included these units for their high power cooling capabilities and other desirable features.


The last unit is expensive, priced at over $700. I included it as a high end contender for fastest cooling ability and sheer power for its relatively small size and power consumption.

The choice is yours at the end of the day. If this type of air cooling solution fits with what you're looking for, then go ahead and read our reviews. They will give you a better idea of what is available so you can see for yourself whether the price and features fit your budget and needs.

Friday, 2 August 2013

Where Can You Buy a Portable Air Conditioner Without Exhaust Venting?

Have you ever noticed that some homeowners have neat portable air conditioners that don't appear to have an exhaust venting capability? Yet they seem to work perfectly well in keeping the home cool in those hot months throughout the summer. How can this be?

You are probably already familiar with the portable, ventless evaporative coolers that resemble true air conditioners, yet aren't. That would be a foregone conclusion if you've read other articles on this blog.

Swamp Coolers are Not True Air Conditioners!


Just to recap, these "swamp coolers" are not real aircon units as they don't refrigerate the air that is passed through them. Instead they chill it by evaporation as it is passed through a damp membrane. There is no refrigeration process and no need for a compressor motor to pump the air through any system.

Swamp coolers simply use a basic fan to force air through a membrane that is kept wet by being partially immersed in a water reservoir. These coolers work best in dry atmospheres, as they generate humidity through the evaporative process.

As a result, these coolers don't need to vent any hot exhaust, since they don't produce any! It makes them the perfect portable cooling solution as they can pump out a cold breeze that is capable of reducing the temperature in a room by as much as 30 degrees!

However, their downfall is their effectiveness is reduced in humid atmospheres. So what about the true aircon alternative, especially for those who live in hot, humid conditions?

Refrigerant Based Portable Air Conditioning Units


Working in a completely different way to evaporative coolers, true aircon units use a refrigeration process to chill the air that passes through them. The by-product of that process is a hot exhaust that needs to be vented out of the room being cooled.

So the reality is that these room cooling solutions have to have a means of removing their hot exhaust air from the room. That is the typical corrugated plastic tubing that you see on most of these units.

Do Unvented Portable Air Conditioning Units Exist?


True refrigerant aircons that are portable, standalone units that are not vented do not currently exist because of their very nature. Until a way can be found to refrigerate the air without the use of a heat exchange system, there will always be the resultant hot air produced by the internal chilling process.

One solution is a fixed aircon system whereby the cooling unit is affixed to a wall or ceiling and its vent is channeled through a wall or ceiling to am extracting unit placed outside the house (usually on the other side of the same wall).

So Where Can I By a Portable Evaporative Air Cooler?


True ventless air coolers can be purchased at all major hardware stores as well as many online retailers such as Amazon, WalMart, Lowes etc. The price you pay will differ from store to store, but generally the prices are lower online since online sellers don't have the same overheads as brick and mortar stores.

One of the best places to buy one of these units is actually Amazon, as they have free overland shipping on larger items such as these and that can represent a big saving on the total cost.

You can find more information on our personally recommended unit when you click the link in the right column on this page.