How to Cool Down a Room with No Windows

If you want to know how you can cool down a room with no windows, here are some suggestions that are worth considering.

A windowless room in a hot building can feel like an oven during summer. If it's your room, chances are you don't exactly feel particularly comfortable.

In fact, a room without any windows can be a pretty dismal space for a bedroom and would be better used as a place for storing stuff that's not needed all the time. I'd call it a cupboard or a closet, actually!

What to Do with the Room?

Nevertheless, if it's your bedroom and there's no way you can move to a nicer room, you're going to need to do some work if you want to cool it down as well as to get some fresh air in there, as this type of room can get stuffy if you spend a lot of time there.

The first problem that needs solving is air flow. If you can leave your door open all the time, at least you'll be getting some fresher air circulating into the room. But there would also be times when you want some privacy and that means closing the door (and cutting off the supply of fresh air).

The first task is to create some air flow from outside the room when the door is closed. The first thing I would check would be to discover if an exterior wall is accessible from your room. It could be that one of the room's walls is an external one, just without any opening.

Having a window fitted, if that's possible, would be my first thought. That would solve the air flow problem and allow some fresh air from outside to get in while you have the door closed. Od course if it's really hot outside, that won't help you cool the room down.

Fitting Air Conditioning

There are several configurations of air conditioning equipment that could be installed in your room that would certainly cool it down.

First you would need to ensure that you can install a vent that would carry the AC's exhaust air to the outside of the building. A ductless (mini-split) AC unit would be best for this, as you could have it installed fairly easily without taking up any floor space.

The cooling unit goes high up on the wall and the condenser/extractor unit goes outside, with the two connected by concealed ducting through the wall.

If that's not feasible, the next best option would be a portable AC unit. However, you would still need to vent the AC to the outside, through a purpose-built vent through the wall.

It would be a good idea to buy a self evaporating portable AC to make it virtually maintenance-free.

Swamp Cooler

If air conditioning is not an option, for whatever reason, a second option might be a swamp cooler. These cooling devices don't need any venting to the outside, since they don't produce any hot air.

The only problem with a swamp cooler is they humidify the air as they run. If there is no air circulation (allowing air to get in/out of the room) the atmosphere in the room will get more and more humid, rendering the swamp cooler ineffective above about 50-60% humidity.

That means as the swamp cooler raises the humidity in the room, it actually reduces its own ability to produce cool air. What I'm saying is that swamp coolers don't work in high humidity!

Personal Cooler

There are a lot of small, "personal cooler" devices that are often advertised as mini air conditioners or personal air conditioners. They're NOT!

They are actually just small swamp coolers that use the evaporation of water to send out a puff of cool air. They work OK when the air is getting circulated from outside the room, but they are not much good for dropping the temperature in a room,

These are best for cooling you a little, but will still increase the humidity in a closed room. See above for my explanation of swamp coolers to see why they do that and how that will make them less and less effective the longer you run them for.

Ordinary Fans

A low-tech solution would be a regular fan to provide some air circulation and to cool you directly by having it blow in your direction. However, fans only blow air around the room at whatever temperature that air is.

They don't cool the air!

Unless you keep the door open to allow fresh air into the room, it will get stuffier and no cooler.

This also goes for ceiling fans, which are great for moving air around the room, but they don't actually cool the air either.

Conclusion

The only sure-fire way of really cooling a windowless room down is with an air conditioner. It will extract the hot air from the room and blow lots of nice cool air into it, while circulating that air and drying it in the process.

As long as you can have some form of venting fitted in the room to allow the AC to vent its hot air to the outside (of the building, not just to another room or it will heat it up), this may be your only viable solution.

A Fully Self Evaporating Portable Air Conditioner

One of the major annoyances of portable air conditioning units is the need to keep emptying the water tray. Fully self evaporating models avoid this problem altogether by ensuring all the moisture that is normally condensed from the air is evacuated through the exhaust vent to the outside.

How does this kind of device do this and how does it differ from regular portable units that need emptying regularly? Let's take a look!

Air Conditioning and Condensed Moisture

One of the aspects of the air conditioning process is when the warm air that is taken from the room is being cooled, the moisture present in that air is condensed on cold coils in the system. In as simplified as I can way of describing it, that condensed water is normally allowed to simply drip down into a catcher tray located at the base of the unit where it collects.

As the tray fills with water, it needs to be emptied manually or it will eventually overflow as a puddle on the floor. Emptying the tray is a task that has to be done or the overflow will need to be mopped up, making it a chore and a kind of a nuisance.

Fixed AC units don't generally have that problem, as the condensing happens outside the building in the external condenser unit, where the excess water simply drains away to the soil. Window units have a drain pipe that either drips to the ground below or some people allow it to empty into a bottle if the condenser unit is located on or above a balcony.

An Alternative Approach

Self evaporating portable air conditioner models tackle the problem of condensed water in a different way. Instead of allowing the condensing moisture to form a puddle in a tray, a secondary process operates to either re-evaporate that moisture or send it to a misting unit.

That makes it possible for the moisture to be mixed with the exhausted hot air and removed from the building through the exhaust vent hose though a window or other outlet. You can read more about venting a portable AC without a window here.

The additional processing inside the unit is minimal, with regards to the impact on the power consumption, making it a very useful feature. This is something that can be a big selling point for people that have already experienced the problem of having to empty a water tray in the past and are looking for a more convenient alternative.

What is the Best Portable Self-Evaporating Air Conditioner?

By taking my own experiences and those of friends and acquaintances, I have settled upon a model that I believe is one of the best portable self evaporating AC units in terms of cost, running cost, power output and ease of use. That unit is featured below.

Whynter ARC-143MX



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This 14000 BTU Dual Hose Portable AC from Whynter includes a 3M antimicrobial filter that incorporates a patented advance auto-drain system. It works by recycling the moisture collected in the cooling process to actually enhance the production of cool air.

Add to that a dual hose operation that enables fast cooling and better economy, the ARC-143MX is perfect for general use in the home or office. It is especially suited to areas requiring low atmospheric moisture levels. These include computer server rooms, wiring closets or indeed anywhere that very low humidity levels are desired.

This great AC unit can be obtained from online stores as well as at physical hardware stores, although the online costs are generally lower (thanks to there being fewer overheads) and some vendors offering free shipping to mainland addresses. My store of choice is Amazon for their great customer service, free shipping on selected goods and general consumer preference.

There are other similar devices on sale at Amazon of course. Simply check out the alternative choices posted further down on the sales page of my feature unit (clicking the image above will take you directly to that page) if you would like to compare them.

How to Vent a Portable Air Conditioner Without a Window

As you need to provide an outlet for the hot, moist exhaust air it produces, here's how to vent a portable air conditioner without a window present if you find yourself in that situation. This can happen with windowless rooms built into older apartment buildings where large rooms are divided into two or more smaller ones, for example.

In this article, I'm getting away from the kind of air cooler that doesn't need venting at all, namely the "evaporative or swamp cooler." The reason for this is that there are a lot of people who live in areas of very high humidity where they don't have the option of using evaporative cooling and an AC is their only way to stay cool when it gets really hot and humid.

Best Portable Air Conditioners to Use

There are several great room air conditioners available to buy that are perfect for venting via alternative means than a window if the need arises. Here are some of my top picks that can be bought online from Amazon:



Simply click the image of the unit that you want and you'll be transferred to the relevant page at the Amazon website.

Venting a Portable Air Conditioning Unit

So let's look at why you need to vent a portable AC in the first place and not just leave it to stand alone in a room turned on and sounding like it's doing what it should be doing. As I mentioned above, all AC units whether fixed or moveable produce a hot, moist stream of exhaust air as a by-product of the refrigeration process that is happening under the hood that you don't see.

There is no avoiding this, because that's how AC works!

Room temperature air is drawn into the unit where it is passed through the internal refrigeration process that acts in a similar way to a domestic fridge. A heat exchange mechanism works by chilling a refrigerant gas using a compressor and forcing that very cold gas through a series of fine tubes in a lattice, looking something like a radiator.

In fact, that's exactly what it is. The warm room temperature air is forced through the cold radiator and is itself chilled and dried. That chilled, dry air is then pumped out of the unit into the room by a fan.

The other side of that heat-exchange equation is the hot air produced by the compressor (mechanical energy) that gets mixed with the moisture that was stripped from the air passing through the refrigerated radiator. That has to be evacuated from the unit but not into the same room being chilled with the cold air, or it would cancel out the cooling effect!

So you can see it is not possible to have a true portable air conditioner without exhaust capabilities because that hot air must go someplace.

Getting the Unwanted Hot Moist Air Out of the Building

So that hot, moist air has to go outside the building for best efficiency. Normally, a portable AC would simply get hooked up to an available window fixing kit using the flexible plastic exhaust hose provided. But we have no window!

In that situation, there are still options, but they require some additional minor construction work to be done. In short, there needs to be a hole made in an external wall so the AC's vent can connect to it and exhaust the air through it to the outside.

That is often the simplest solution and provides a more aesthetically pleasing setup as the hose can be better concealed low down out of sight with the AC unit placed directly in front of the newly created wall vent.

Another solution is to use a false ceiling space to install an exhaust duct that runs to an external wall to provide an outlet for the unwanted hot air. This is more difficult and usually requires a professional installer to carry out the work.

Either way, you are provided with a means for exhausting the moist, hot air from the AC out of the room and building leaving you with a nice cool environment to relax in!

How a Swamp Cooler Can Work in Humidity

It's well known that an evaporative air cooler won't work in high humidity. Or will it? Discover how to get some cool air from a swamp cooler in humid conditions as I reveal the secret many people don't know about!

First of all, the main problem people have with evaporative air cooling devices is their ability to produce nice cold air is seriously curtailed when the humidity level increases to high levels. This happens because in order to produce the cooling effect, the air needs to be dry enough to absorb the moisture being added to it by the evaporation process.

When the air becomes saturated (100% humidity) it cannot absorb any more moisture and the cooling stops. At this point, most people give up trying and either return their cherished cooler to the store they bought it from, or they get onto consumer websites and complain with such verbosity that the sky might as well be falling!

Tackling the Problem at its Source

When the "it doesn't work anymore" mindset is activated, there is not much the owner can or will do, so the only solution they see is to replace the low energy cooler with a more expensive (to run) air conditioner. But they are not going at the problem the right way.

The fault is not in the device at all. It is in the climate or environment it is being used in.

A common mistake people make is to treat their swampie like an air conditioner and close all the windows and doors to "keep the cold air in." While that's good practice for AC, it is the kiss of death for an evaporating air cooler.

Why?

The reason is pretty simple and you'll kick yourself if you didn't think about this:

As an evaporating cooler operates, it is by its very nature adding moisture to the air in a room. If the room is closed in (all windows, doors and other openings are closed tight), the air in that room becomes more and more humid over time until it reaches 100% saturation point.

Totally Humid

At that level, the cooler keeps pumping out a breeze but it stops being cold. The solution is annoyingly simple.

OPEN A WINDOW!

That's right! The simplest way to prevent the air's moisture level in a room being artificially raised to saturation point is to allow fresh air to circulate in from outside.

You can even place the cooling unit in front of the open window so it draws dryer air in from outside and cools it in the room. While it won't make the room as cold as an AC with everything shut tight, it will make it more comfortably cooler than it would be without any temperature control.

The logical thinking here is that by opening a window, you are letting warm air in from outside and wasting the coldness inside. That would be true if you were using AC where you should be doing everything possible to limit the amount of electricity it uses, because it uses a heck of a lot!

Sacrifice a Few Watts

But with a swamp cooler, which uses around 1/20th the energy of AC, it is not so critical to try and conserve every precious degree of coolness by sealing the place up extra tight. You can afford some wastage, which is actually a good thing because it means you can keep enjoying cool air indoors as well as it being freshly cycled from outside.

This is actually much preferable to breathing in stale, recycled indoor air that is very dry and harsh on the lungs (as many AC users will well aware of). Fresh, moist air is good for the respiratory system as well as for a person's health!

The major point here is that you do not need or want to be cold inside your home during summer. You just want to be comfortable and not too hot. A swamp cooler running with an open window will provide enough coolness to make it comfortable and still not cost you any more than a fraction of running an AC.

The Solution is Simple

And there you have the simple, yet wonderfully effective solution. When you run your evaporative cooler by an open window, it keeps cooling you even when the outside humidity rises above 50%, in many cases much higher.

As long as the inside humidity is kept to the same as outside and not allowed to be increased by the evaporation process and no way to cycle with fresh outside air, you can enjoy a cool breeze from your appliance and not get angry with it or feel the need to return it simply because you didn't know how to get it to work just by opening a window!

Annoying, isn't it? But on the other hand, good to know!

Best Rated Portable Evaporative Coolers (2020 Update)

Are you looking for the most amazing deals on the best portable evaporative cooler models you can buy in 2020?

I know a secret you'll want to know too but you'll need to read this page to find out what it is.

Update 01/26/2020: First, I want you to know that I've updated this post for the 2020 cooling season to bring you the latest information regarding the most economical and Earth-friendly way to keep cool this year!

I believe I'm right in saying you want a means of keeping cool in the heat of summer but you don't like the high utility bills that you get when running air conditioning in your home or office space.

Am I pretty close? Thought so!

A much more economical alternative to AC that will still give you all the cold air you desire in a portable, vent free package is the ever more popular evaporative cooling unit. It's the genre of products this website is not surprisingly highly focused on, after all.

Top Rated Free Standing Evaporative Cooler

Honeywell CO30XE Portable
Evaporative Air Cooler



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In my experience over the last three years, certainly, the top model of the non-AC class of air cooler has consistently been the Honeywell CO30XE indoor/outdoor cooler. This year it still beats all the other models in its class for sheer cooling power, capacity, ease of use and features as well as its incredible economy rating and affordable purchase price over comparable portable air conditioners and coolers without exhaust vents.

With its very generous 7.9 gallon water reservoir tank and high power evaporating system and fan making it capable of cooling an area of up to 320 square feet by as much as 25 degrees, this model is simply the best I've ever used. It works indoors and outdoors, making it great for cooling you on porches, patios and terraces as well as in the home.

Sure, there are cheaper models but they don't stand up to this baby for sheer cooling power and long term economy.

You can buy the CO30XE online from Amazon by clicking the image or link displayed above right and get a really great deal on price as well as their free shipping deal if you qualify (see the info on shipping when you visit the target product page by clicking on the image).

The Best of the Rest

Just to show I'm not totally biased toward the Honeywell ventless cooler, I will also recommend two additional highly rated evaporative coolers that come a close second to the above. They're both on sale at Amazon at surprisingly low prices considering their capabilities, so be my guest and check them out as well if you want to see what else is available to get the job of keeping you cool well and truly done!

Luma Comfort EC110S Visit Amazon for Details #ad You'll love this stylish compact portable cooler that can chill a room of up to 250 sq ft by as much as 25 degrees. With a 1.75 gall water tank, it's smaller and lighter than the other models. However don't let its small size fool you. It will provide several hours of continuous cooling before needing a refill. It comes with a convenient remote control and is easy to move around the place on its easy glide wheels. This Luma portable cooler represents great value for money, is cheap to run and looks distinctively chic.

Port-A-Cool Cyclone 1000 Visit Amazon for Details #ad This high power unit is made in the USA and as you'd expect, is of superior build quality and will perform better and last longer than the cheaper imported models. The Port-A-Cool Cyclone PACCYC06 1000 has a powerful room cooling capability of up to 300 sq ft by 10-25 degrees. It can also be used outdoors on patios, porches and anywhere people need some cool respite from the heat of the summer sun! It has a massive water tank capacity of 8 gallons for long periods of cooling without needing a refill plus a standard hose fitting for continuous running. With two fan speeds and no complex electronic gadgetry, it is really easy to use. Fully portable and easy to move around makes this model perfect for larger area cooling situations, with a very low carbon footprint and is very inexpensive to run!

Know Your Humidity Rating

To reiterate the most important factor about owning and using an evaporative or swamp cooler, you must have a relatively moderate to low humidity level in your area. These devices are NOT air conditioners and they will lose functionality when the humidity levels are high (above 60% is a ballpark figure).

If you live in a place that has high levels of humidity on average, please DO NOT BUY ONE because you may be disappointed. Unfortunately, the only effective way to cool your home or workplace when the humidity level is high is to opt for traditional air conditioning, even though it costs a lot more to run, with up to 20x the energy consumption of a comparable evaporative (swamp) cooler.

As I explained in another articles on this site, "What is a Swamp Cooler," these cooling devices work by chilling the air by evaporation. As more moisture is evaporated to produce cold air, the amount of moisture (humidity) rises in the room being cooled until it reaches saturation point.

When that point is reached, the effectiveness of the process is greatly reduced as the air simply cannot hold more moisture (reaching 100% humidity). For that reason, you need to keep a window open to allow air from outside to circulate and carry excess moisture out of the room.

This works perfectly well when the ambient humidity outside is low enough to absorb the additional moisture created by the evaporation process in the cooler. But if that ambient humidity is very high, the air is saturated and will not assist in keeping you cool.

Of course if you're lucky enough to live in an area with low to moderate humidity, you can take advantage of the low energy consumption and high output of these innovative air chilling machines. Go right ahead and buy one and enjoy the healthy cooling capability combined with low energy bills that these give you over conventional portable air conditioners and they don't need venting or an exhaust hose either!

Best Portable Evaporative Coolers for 2015

If you want a great deal on a portable evaporative cooler this summer, here are some of the best units on sale online that you could to take a look at. I want to bring this site right up to date here with the latest models and best deals for 2015 that you're going to find and save you a lot of time and searching around by making some sound recommendations right here.

First of all, what makes one of these units the best for this year and why? Let's take a look at a small selection of contenders and see why they are so highly sought after by people looking for a low cost cooling solution that doesn't use much power and thanks to being vent-free, is truly portable.

The Best of the Bunch

Honeywell CL30XC Portable
Evaporative Air Cooler

The model that came out top for me personally is this one (pictured right: Image courtesy of amazon.com), the Honeywell CL30XC which is a nice looking, compact model that has a pretty impressive output, It can cool a space up to 320 sq ft by an incredible 25 degrees Fahrenheit or more depending on the level of humidity in the room.

It has a big 7.9 gall water tank so you don't need to refill very often, which for me converts into a long period of constant cooling without needing to add any water to the reservoir. It's on easy glide wheels making it a cinch to move the lightweight unit around from room to room.

And remember, this is a truly unvented cooler so there is no hassle with figuring out what to do with an ugly corrugated plastic vent trailing along after it that you get with regular portable AC units! The best part is you can get this unit for way cheaper than a comparable AC, so it represents a fantastic bargain as room coolers go.

Click the image above to find out how much you can save by buying one right now!

More Than One Best Cooler

Of course, it would be short sighted to only include one model in this review of the top unvented compact coolers, so here are two more models that I found to be particularly effective for a price that is pretty tough to beat when you buy them online:

KuulAire PACKA53 500 CFM Here is an appliance capable of chilling a room of up to 325 sq ft by up to 25 degrees while being positively frugal with its power consumption. With a large 4 gall water tank that is easy to refill, it can be left running for several hours between refills. It comes with a remote control and is on easy glide wheels making it a pleasure to move from room to room as needed. The low price makes this unit very attractive and great value for money.

Luma Comfort EC110S You'll love this handy appliance that can handle a room of up to 250 sq ft and chill it by as much as 25 degrees. Its 1.75 gall water tank is smaller than the other models mentioned here, but it still gives you several hours of cooling before refilling becomes necessary. It has a remote control for convenience and is lightweight for easy moving between rooms. It is great value for money and very cheap to run.

If either of the above units look and feel right for you, simply click on the image (images reproduced courtesy of amazon.com) to visit the respective page at amazon.com to get all the details and the most up to the minute, bargain price. Currently, both units are available for surprisingly low prices making them fantastic value for money!

Click either of the images above to find out just how much you can save by buying the model of your choice right now!

Remember to Check Your Humidity Levels

Before I sign off with this review article, I want to make it clear that these are NOT regular AC units and as such will not deliver the same level of air chilling that can be achieved in all climates, but especially humid ones.

If you live in an area that has high average humidity levels (above 60%), DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE!

These devices work by chilling the air using the evaporation of moisture. So if your atmosphere is already saturated with moisture as in the case of higher than 60% humidity levels, they will not be as effective as they are in lower humidity (less than 60%).

If in any doubt, please read my in-depth article on "What is a Swamp Cooler" which explains how these appliances work and why they are so effective in low humidity but not much use in high humidity! If you have the right moisture levels in your atmosphere, go right ahead and buy one because you'll save a small fortune on your energy bills compared with a similar sized regular air conditioning unit.

A Most Effective Portable Vent Free Air Conditioner

When looking for a good quality air conditioner that is both portable and ventless, the most effective model is the one to choose to keep you cool in summer. The only problem many people have is in deciding on which is the best type of cooling solution for their home or office.

While many simply go for a conventional air conditioner on wheels and put up with having to site it near a window or other opening on an outside wall to feed the exhaust vent through, some have discovered the vent free alternative. The swamp cooler is a great choice when the space you need to cool is in a low humidity climate zone.

Which Genre of Portable Aircon Unit is Best for You?

You have do to some homework before choosing the most suitable air conditioner for your needs. There will be some determining factors that your final choice will be based upon, so make sure you know what you're getting before you commit to buying a model.

If your budget is large and you are not limited by price tag and similarly not bothered about the environmental aspects of your choice, then a conventional vented aircon unit is probably your best choice if there are no restrictions on where you can site the unit. While they cost more than swamp coolers, the air chilling factor is generally greater and especially so in areas of higher humidity.

But if your budget is more limited and you do care about the environment, as long as the humidity levels in your area are below around 50%, then a swamp cooler can be a very economical and highly portable vent free air cooling solution. There is no need to vent to the outside and power consumption is a fraction of a conventional room air conditioning unit, meaning running costs are kept very low.

Making Your Decision of Air Conditioner Based on Common Sense

Most will simply go for the easy option of a conventional refrigerant based air con unit and not give a second thought to costs and environmental factors. However, the sensible choice is for the unit that will not only save you the most money in purchase cost and running costs, but is kind to the environment in a number of ways.

First of all, the recycling of refrigerant based unit is more complicated because of the ozone-unfriendly gasses contained in the unit, not to mention many other materials that are not easy to recycle. Then there is the high power consumption which has a secondary negative effect on the environment due to the need to burn more fossil fuels to produce the extra electricity to power your device and thousands more like it.

However, with a low cost swamp cooler that is ventless, highly recyclable and uses far less power, you would be doing your bit for the ecological health of your locality while saving yourself money and still enjoying a cooled room and the portability that can only truly come from a model that does not need to be vented to the outside!

Combination Heating and Cooling Units

While it's usual to focus on air cooling devices when the weather is hot, combination heating and cooling units can kill two birds with one stone in hot and cold weather situations. Let's take a look at the benefits that can be had from taking the two main indoor climate controlling capabilities of portable units when they're united in the one single unit.

When it Gets Too Hot

There is always a great need for indoor cooling power from a compact, portable device in summer when a simple fan simply cannot produce acceptable results. This is especially so in conditions of extreme heat coupled with high humidity.

In these conditions it can become really uncomfortable during the day and almost impossible to sleep at night. A solution that incorporates the portability of a small air conditioning device with the power to keep the indoor temperature at a bearable level is paramount.

When it Gets Too Cold

On the other hand, when it gets very cold outside and the indoor heating system is just not able to cope with keeping certain of those more isolated rooms comfortably warm, a booster from a small portable heater is often necessary to keep the temperature at a decent level.

If your home office space is not warm enough, trying to get any work done can suffer when the ambient temperature drops to unbearably low levels. The same can be said for a bedroom that is too cold at night, where sleeping can be difficult and interrupted through getting too cold, despite having thick blankets.

Space, Size and Logistics

Having a decent portable air cooling unit and a separate heater in a home is fairly common in many families. While one is in constant use, the other will be safely packed away in a garage or storage space until the weather changes and the requirements become reversed.

But when space is limited, such as in the case of living in a very small apartment or if you're staying in a small remote vacation cabin in extreme weather, then it makes sense to have the best of both worlds combined in a single, compact and highly portable unit, whether it is vent free or needs some way to vent exhaust air to the outside.

The benefits are actually quite obvious, especially when your main power source is electricity anyway, or for reasons of building safety regulations you are not allowed to use an indoor propane, kerosene, paraffin or gas heater in winter.

• Space saving is uppermost in most people's minds when considering a combination heating and cooling unit
• Cost of purchase is another factor that is kept low by combining two units into one
• Power consumption in combo units is generally on par with separate devices
• Maintaining a single unit is generally cheaper than maintaining two

Non Portable Solutions

Not all air conditioning and heating combo units are of the portable variety. You can get many main systems that are fixed to the wall and can handle both tasks extremely well while having very quiet operating noise levels.

These appliances generally cost more than their smaller portable air conditioner and heater counterparts, but generally provide more powerful heating or cooling and can often handle much larger spaces without being overloaded or struggling to maintain a comfortable room temperature.

In the end, it really depends on what your individual needs are concerning climate control in your home or vacation cabin. Your final choice of unit will need to be considered carefully so you end up choosing the right appliance for your needs.

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:

• Sunpentown SF-609 Portable Evaporative Air Cooler
• Sunpentown SF-608R Portable Evaporative Air Cooler
• KuulAire PACKA43 Portable Evaporative Cooling Unit

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.

• NewAir AF-330 Evaporative HEPA Swamp Cooler

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.

• KuulAire PACKA53 500 CFM
• Port-A-Cool PAC2KCYC01 Cyclone 3000

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.

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.

Ductless Multi Zone Air Conditioners Explained

People who have an interest in vent free air cooling solutions can read this and learn all about ductless multi zone air conditioners and how they function. On the surface, they may appear to be similar in functionality to regular ventless units that have been explained at length in previous articles on this site but dig a little deeper and you will discover some fascinating differences.

Whole House Air Cooling Solution

The first thing that you will notice about these setups is that they incorporate several units placed at strategic points around the home, qualifying them with the "multi-zone" label. They are computer controlled to insure the correct level of cooling in each room according to occupation.

That means the system will not waste energy cooling unoccupied spaces in your home, thus reducing power consumption dramatically. This is an important consideration in this day and age when fuel costs continue to rise at an alarming rate.

Not Portable

The next thing that you'll notice is that these systems are not made up of portable units as with individual evaporative cooling units described in previous articles here. In fact, these systems are comprised of true, two part air conditioning units that expel hot air to the outside via fanned condenser units mounted outside.

They use non-ozone depleting refrigerant gas in their system, making them kinder to the environment while still being able to provide highly efficient cooling in all climates including high humidity (where swamp coolers fall down).

Not Evaporative (Swamp) Coolers

While swamp coolers are excellent for cooling spaces in areas of low humidity and extremely cheap to run in comparison with true air conditioning systems, these multi zone systems offer a viable alternative for those living in humid climates. Costs are higher than evaporative solutions, but lower than conventional ducted aircon systems (HVAC).

These ductless split air conditioners and heat pumps offer a heating solution in winter as well as a cooling one in summer, making them highly versatile. However, heating by electricity is still an expensive method and one that should be considered before deciding on one of these systems.

Installation Considerations

Installing a system like this can be far less invasive than conventional HVAC, although it still requires creating exit vents to the outside for the inner and outer units to be connected through exterior walls. There is no unsightly ducting (or extensive remodelling to disguise ducting inside ceiling space or boxed into walls) making these units far more aesthetically suitable in a home.

Vent holes are created behind the internal unit, making it invisible to an occupant. Similarly, the exterior unit is placed over the exit vent making it invisible from the outside. Units run much more quietly than older systems, which is another important consideration.

Dehumidification

Another important aspect of this kind of setup is its ability to dehumidify the indoors air in areas of high humidity. This can become an important consideration where long periods of very high humidity can create problems in the home.

These problems include damp forming in walls and ceilings, mold growing in closets and cupboards and an uncomfortable living atmosphere. By effectively extracting the humidity and expelling to the outside, this type of system becomes so much more than simply an effective cooling and heating solution.

Conclusion

While a ductless multi-zone air cooling (and heating) system will cost considerably more to install and run than a comparable evaporative system, it has several benefits especially for people who live in climates with high humidity where evaporative units are not so effective. This is a consideration that must be explored in this case as costs will still be lower than with a conventional heating, ventilation and air conditioning installation.

While truly ventless air coolers are effective, cheap to run and highly versatile in dry climates, not everyone can enjoy their benefits. That makes a true aircon system that can run at a much lower cost than conventional ducted systems a viable alternative where humidity is a problem. The choice, in the end, is up to the buyer as always.

Swamp Coolers: Sale Facts You Should Know

People who are considering buying a portable swamp cooler can read this and find out about several sales facts that they should know before they buy. This is important to ensure you make the right decision and go home with the right solution to your home's cooling needs.

Advertising is becoming ever more compelling which can lead to you being sold on something whether you want it or not without even realizing. Knowing what you are getting into before you get into it is the secret of common sense consumerism, so this article may be quite useful to you if you are looking to buy a swamp cooler for your home.

Location and Climate

The single most important fact about swamp coolers, as has already been discussed in this blog, is the location and climate that you live in and whether it is conducive to the best operation of this type of air cooling solution. We hear about so many people who have bought an evaporative air cooler, either a portable unit or a larger installation, when they lived in a hot, humid climate that seriously compromised the effectiveness of the cooler.

A salesman may well beat on about the fact that these cooling units will work best in a hot, dry climate and are capable of reducing the room temperature by as much as 30 degrees. But they will likely gloss over the opposing fact that they will not work so well in hot, humid conditions.

The bottom line is that if your climate is humid, do NOT expect a swamp cooler to be effective!

Cost Comparisons

Another compelling sales pitch much loved by advertisers is to highlight the cost comparison between the two main air cooling systems. It is quite true that evaporative coolers cost a lot less to buy as well as being much cheaper to run than air conditioners, but watch out for sales talk that highlights the gap in cost as being so huge.

It's enough to know that there is a considerable saving especially on power consumption when you choose a swamp cooling unit or system, but remember that any electrical appliance still uses power no matter how much or how little. You will still get an elevated power bill in at the end of the month when you use any kind of air cooling device, so don't be sold on empty promises of huge electricity bill savings.

You will pay far less than you would for a comparable air conditioning setup, for sure. But you will still have to pay for the power used by the swamp cooler!

Portable, Vent Free, Vented or Fixed System?

Don't get confused by the different kinds of system that are available. There is an easy way to remember which is which.

Air conditioners use a heat exchange system which does produce hot exhaust air that must be vented to the outdoors and that includes all kinds of portable unit.

Swamp (evaporative) coolers do not need to be vented as they do not produce hot exhaust air as do air conditioners.

Simple? It may sound so, but you would be surprised at how many people don't know the difference.

Worse still is that there are some people who believe they can run a regular portable air conditioning unit in a room with the vent not connected to the outdoors. These are the ones who sit there complaining their aircon units aren't working because the room is not getting any cooler.

In fact, if you don't vent a portable aircon unit to the outside, the room temperature will actually increase as the hot air creates a net heating effect over the cold air put out by the unit!

This is not a problem for swampies, so they are the only truly ventless portable air coolers. So now you know what you are getting into when you consider choosing your air cooling solution. Make your decisions a good one!

Portable Swamp Coolers for Low Humidity Heat

If you happen to live in a hot climate that has low humidity levels, or what is commonly described as dry heat, then one of the best and most economical ways to keep cool is to have a swamp cooler to chill the air. These low power alternatives to regular portable air conditioners are perfect for cooling individual rooms in your home or office when the temperature rises during the hottest days of the year.

Of course, how you keep cool is completely up to you. Most people still choose a regular room aircon unit over the cheaper to buy and run swamp cooler. This is not because they are any better but because they don't know about this alternative. It's an expensive omission!

But for those who know, owning an evaporative air cooling unit is a highly satisfying thing. Just knowing that you can keep just as cool as the guy next door for a fraction of the cost is one thing. But seeing the evidence in black and white when you receive your power bill for the month is the sweetest part of it.

However, I just want to stress that swamp coolers are really only for cooling a room if you have low humidity. If you have high humidity, their effectiveness at chilling the air is reduced and gets lower as the percentage humidity rises.

So don't make the mistake of rushing out to buy an evaporative cooling unit if you have hot, humid air as you'll be returning it right away, grumbling that it doesn't work! Just a heads up, there.

Knowing how to stay cool in the heat of summer in the most economical way available to you depending on your "kind" of heat is important. So make sure you get it right and if you do enjoy dry heat, then grab yourself a swamp cooler and watch your room temperature drop by as much as thirty degrees as these innovative units do their thing!  

Sensible Air Conditioning Practices

Enjoying the blissful cooling capability of your own air cooling solution whatever it may be, provides a thankful respite from teh relentless heat of summer for many people. However, while it may be a natural reaction to the hot weather to want to crank up the aircon to the max in an attempt to stay cool anc comfortable during summer, it should also be remembered that at the end of the month, someone has got to pay for all the power.

Make no mistake, an air conditioner can use a scary amount of power to keep yoru home cool, so you may be interested in what you can do to keep things sensible in that area. This article will take a look at some helpful tips you might want to follow to help keep your energy consumption in check while still enjoying a cool atmosphere in your home.

Practice Economical Thinking

The first thing that should always be lodged in you mind is sensible economy when it comes to your home's power consumption during summer. If you're running a large HVAC system, your first point of call should be the thermostat. You can actually reduce you system's power consumption quite dramatically simply by turning the temperature dial a few notches.

A comfortable room temperature is around 72 degrees (F), so if your temperature control is set to anything lower than that, you are wasting electricity. How many of you have it set to 70 or even as low as 68? I know plenty of my friends do just that without realizing how much harder their system has to work to maintain that indoor temperature.

It's actually quite normal to err on the cool side when setting your aircon's thermostat during very hot weather, but this is a mistake that can prove very costly when your monthly power bill drops through your door! Make opening that bill a more bearable experience by turning down the dial!

Do You Need HVAC?

In many homes, having a big HVAC is not even necessary, especially when there are not enough people actually living in the house to warrant keeping every room super cool. Some homes are occupied by only one or two people at any given time, so it makes a lot better sense to have one or two portable air conditioning units to keep only the rooms that are actually occupied cool!

Not much point in keeping a whole room cool just so the cat can enjoy curling up in a thick pile of blankets! And do you really need a super cooled kitchen or bathroom? Probably not.

Swamp Cooler Option

Aside from turning down the dial a few notches so you don't waste so much power, there is another option that is more power-sensible as long as you live in an area with a dry heat (low humidity) and that's a swamp cooler. These units, as explained in earlier posts, only use a fraction of the power to blast out cold air into a room and are much more environmentally friendly to run too.

So there's a few things to think about next time you're sitting in your home huddled in a blanket in the moiddle of summer while you aircon system icres up under the strain of trying to turn your home into a walk-in freezer!

Be sensible with temperature and you can save money as well as be kinder to the power company!

 

Portable Air Conditioners: Vent Free and Portable

One of the great things about a portable air conditioner without exhaust hose pipe venting (vent free) is its amazing portability, versatility and usability in keeping you cool when the weather gets hot. It's a huge advantage over other kinds of portable unit that by their very nature need to be vented to the outside. That's even in a room that doesn't have an accessible window.

When you read this article, you'll discover the common sense benefits of choosing a truly vent free space cooling option that really will keep you feeling nice and cool in the hot summer months.

Why Normal Portable Air Conditioning Units are Not so Portable

With regular mobile, room air conditioners, their portability is actually pretty limited to places where there is an easily accessible external wall outlet to the outside. That's because they produce a hot air exhaust which is a by-product of the heat exchange system that allows them to create chilled or refrigerated air to keep you cool.

In most cases, there won't be a customized outlet for fitting the hot air exhaust venting pipe to. So it will usually end up being poked out of an open window or door, meaning some of its benefit is lost thanks to there being some hot air from outside that's allowed to get in!

Some users have places they habitually use and block up the openings with cushions, strips of thick foam rubber or other insulating material, but it never looks very good. However you do it, you will have to find a means of getting that hot exhaust air out of the house, because if you don't it will simply blow into the room creating a net heating effect!

Which is exactly what you do not want!

When Vent Free Means Vent Free!

Truly ventless air coolers are of course the types of device called evaporative coolers, commonly known as "swamp coolers". These units cool the air by evaporating moisture through some loose knit, porous material that is kept wet thanks to being partially immersed in a reservoir tank of water.

A regular fan blows air through the material, evaporating the moisture and creating a cooling breeze that can effectively reduce the air temperature in a room by as much as thirty degrees or more. Because there is no compressor to run or refrigeration process to exchange hot air for cold, there is no hot exhaust air produced, meaning there is nothing that requires a venting hose or exhaust pipe.

Swamp coolers literally take room temperature air and blast it through a wet membrane to produce cold, humidified air. With no other mechanical workings inside them, they use very little power, making them far cheaper to run than regular room air conditioning units.

So that's how they work and what gives them true portability in every sense of the word.

Which Windowless Vent Free Air Cooler Models Are Best?

Update for 2016: There are some really awesome evaporative air coolers available to buy this year. They are already proving hugely popular with customers at Amazon, so let's take a look at my personal "Top 3" of the best selling units currently and compare them:

Honeywell CL30XC Portable
Evaporative Air Cooler


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The Honeywell came up tops for me personally as it's a great looking, compact model that packs a pretty impressive output rating for the price. It can cool a space anywhere up to 320 sq ft by an amazing 25 degrees Fahrenheit or greater depending on the room's humidity level.

A generous 7.9 gallon water reservoir means the necessity of refills are few and far between. For me that's important as it can provide a long period of constant cooling. Easy glide wheels make it a cinch to move around to where I need it and it's very cheap to run. Great value from a great mobile cooler!

NewAir AF-1000W



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You're going to love this powerful unit from NewAir that can cool any room up to 300 sq ft by as much as 25 degrees F. It has a big 5.3 gallon water tank to give you several hours of cooling before it becomes necessary to refill with water. The cooling pad incorporates a filter for clean and cool air.

The unit is on durable, easy roll casters so moving between rooms is easy. There's a 10 hour timer and easy to use remote for convenience. This model is really great value for money and running costs are super cheap too. Remember, evap coolers work best in climates with 40% humidity or less.

Hessaire MC37A 2200 CFM

I included this Hessaire MC37A 2200 CFM 3 speed evaporative cooler to my top three trio for 2016. It's relatively new to Amazon and other online stores and is already getting a lot of very good (five star) reviews from purchasers.

So what can this baby do? Well, it can cool up to 750 sq ft by 15-20 degrees in dry climates. According to the manufacturer, it has a patented axial prop that is claimed as more energy efficient and able to push cool air further. It has an oscillating fan feature for better air circulation, a timer and an auto shutoff if it runs out of water.

Note: Hessaire MC37A is currently unavailable with no projected return to the store. I've kept the review text below but I removed the link to the online store out of courtesy to my readers:



I chose these three models based on their build quality, cooling effectiveness and price. They are all on sale this year at affordable, entry-level prices with discounts you can take advantage of when you click any one of the special links situated below each image (or click the image itself).

KuulAire PACKA43 350 CFM

I've kept my review paragraphs and image of this model on the page as a comparison and in the hope that availability returns, as right now it's getting harder to find one.

Here is a good workhorse cooler that can chill a room anywhere up to 175 sq ft by up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit while staying frugal with the minuscule amount of power it consumes. A large capacity, easy fill 4 gall water reservoir means this baby can run happily for several hours before it needs refilling.

Big on features and big on convenience, this model has a remote control so you don't have to get up out of your seat to change the settings. Fully portable on easy glide wheels, it's a pleasure to move from room to room.

Please note: I have taken down the link because the product is no longer available on sale at the recommended vendor (Amazon) or other similar online stores.

Major Disadvantage

The only downside is swamp coolers are not effective in areas that already have high humidity in hot weather. In that case the evaporating cooling effect is diluted by the amount of moisture already present in the air and the net cooling effect is greatly reduced depending on the level of humidity.

It is really important that you understand, these portable vent free air coolers are NOT air conditioners without venting exhaust hose pipes and will not make cold air in a humid room. If you are not sure what the humidity level of your air is locally, you can usually find out online via Google or check with local weather stations.

Please do NOT buy one of these units if you're unsure if your air is dry enough for them to work well. You'll only end up returning it when it doesn't live up to your expectations!

Getting Maximum Efficiency from Your Evaporative Cooler

Here is a great tip: One thing you can do to ensure your evaporative air cooler keeps working at its most efficient in keeping you cool indoors is to make sure the air in the room stays dry. Here's what you need to do:

Crack a window open a little and place your cooling unit close to it. Also, crack the door open a little and you'll set up a cross draft that will take the moist air produced by the unit out of the room.

I know it defies the logic of keeping the hot air out and the cold air in as with air conditioning. But doing this will ensure the air does not get too artificially humid in the room you're cooling because of the way these machines work.

Don't worry, you'll still have a nice cool room and the air blasted out of your cooler will stay colder as long as the cross-draft is there to take away the moisture. Try it and see for yourself!

Economical Air Cooling System

This is an excellent way to fend off the heat of summer without spending a whole load of money on electricity running a power hungry AC solution. Without the need to run a refrigeration setup, evaporative cooling units are very economical to run in terms of extremely low power usage.

They are kind to the environment and are a real no-brainer for folks living in dry climates that don't like to throw money away on AC if it is not really necessary. You can read more about this money-saving aspect of these devices in other articles published here.

At the end of the day, if you live in an area of low summer humidity and need a cheap cooling solution that is really portable and can go with you from room to room without needing to be vented to the outside, you might want to take a closer look at a swamp cooler as your solution. It can make a really effective low cost way to stay cool and comfortable during the hot weather.

Comparing the Best Portable Air Conditioners

If you have read this article this far and feel a little downhearted because you happen to live in an area of high humidity, all is not lost. You still have the option of regular AC in a portable unit, you just don't get to share on the highly desirable savings in running costs.

There are some models that, while not as spectacularly inexpensive to run as swamp coolers, can still be economical when compared to running a larger fixed, central system in your home or office. Just so you don't feel left out of the equation, I have included two of what I consider the best and most economical to run room AC models for you to take a look at if you want:

Honeywell MN10CESWW



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This is a great 10,000 BTU portable AC that comes with a remote control, three fan speeds and an automatic timer. One of the main features of this model is its dehumidification capability that can remove as much as 79 pints from the air per day by evaporation without needing to be emptied, which is a real time and hassle saver.

What I like about this model is that it is very affordable to purchase (it's currently offered with a big discount but you'll need to grab one at the low price before they remove the deal). Running costs are average for an AC of this size but it is eco-friendly with no CFC gases and it can cool a room up to 350 sq ft bringing the temperature down to a comfortable level surprisingly fast.

It comes in pure white, black and silver or plain black to suit your tastes and has its own window venting kit that's pretty easy to install yourself. It runs fairly quietly on the low setting and only draws 9.5 amps in power.

If you want to find out more and read some of the hundreds of customer/purchaser reviews, click on the image or link below it to visit the relevant page at Amazon.com where all is revealed (including the latest discount price offer).

Whynter ARC-14S



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This is a more powerful machine and naturally costs more than the model above, but if you need greater cooling power for larger spaces, this is probably the best model in its class in terms of overall costs (including running costs). It is CFC free, so more eco-friendly than other units yet it still manages to cool rooms up to 500 sq ft with its 14,000 BTU rating.

What helps make this unit more efficient is its dual hose setup with separate intake and exhaust pipes that connect to the outside for better airflow. It also has a dehumidifying function capable or removing up to 101 pints per day that is evaporated and expelled to the outside via the exhaust hose along with the unwanted hot air.

Power consumption is surprisingly low for an AC of this power, drawing only 1250 watts (10.8 amps) max. There is a remote control and timer with auto-shutoff and auto-restart features and the stylish platinum and black finish looks good in any setting.

Remember, these last two featured units on this page are true AC models and as such must be vented to the outside via their flexible exhaust ducts. That's to allow the hot air they produce to escape to the outside and not compromise their cooling capacity inside the room.

If you happened to skip to this part of the page by mistake and missed the info about the type of free standing, portable air conditioner without exhaust hose pipe venting that you came here to see, all you need to do is scroll back up the page (or click the "TOP of PAGE" link below to read all about them!

(TOP of PAGE)

What is a Swamp Cooler?

People interested in staying cool in the hot weather can read this and learn about swamp coolers (evaporative coolers), the portable air conditioner alternative. This article looks at the differences between the two main types of air cooling devices and explains the benefits and downsides to the innovative yet simply designed swamp cooler.

There are several different types of air cooling device ranging from air conditioners to basic fans and swamp coolers come somewhere in between. Where a portable aircon unit uses a gas refrigerant and heat exchanger to produce cold air, a swamp cooler only uses plain water which it cools by evaporation. 

Economical

This makes the swamp cooler much more economical to buy and to run than its power hungry alternative, although using evaporation does have its limitations. But first, lets look at the benefits.

As long as you live in a climate that has predominantly dry heat, or a low humidity level, then a swamp cooler can effectively reduce the temperature in a room by as much as thirty degrees Fahrenheit. It does it by passing air through a damp membrane that is simply an absorbent, loose knit material that has been stretched over an open frame.

The material is kept damp thanks to the lower part being immersed in a small reservoir of plain water. This water can be chilled by adding ice cubes to help lower the air temperature further. A simple fan forces the air through the material and into the room.

There are no other moving parts to the swamp cooler (except for models that include a timer mechanism) which means that power consumption is kept very low. It also means there are fewer things that can go wrong with the device, making for better longevity and useful service.

Disadvantages

However, if you live in a damp climate, or one with high average humidity, the swamp cooler is far less effective at cooling the air. This is because for evaporative cooling to work, the air must not contain too much moisture already.

In dry climates, this is not a problem, because the swamp cooler performs two important functions. They are:

1. Cooling the air to make it more comfortable, and
2. Humidifying it, helping you to breathe easier

But when the ambient humidity is high, the air is already heavy with moisture and adding more to it will not lower its temperature by much. In fact the effectiveness of the swamp cooler in cooling the air goes down the high the humidity level is.

For people who live in hot climates with high humidity, using an air conditioning unit is really the only viable way to chill the air effectively. Please read our articles and reviews on portable air conditioners to find one that suits your needs.

Are You Lucky?

If you do happen to live in a hot, dry climate then you are one of the lucky ones who will benefit greatly from using a swamp cooler to keep you cool in preference to an air conditioner.

You will get a high level of cooling for far less cost in terms of power usage. Also, the purchase price of evaporative coolers is far lower than comparable portable aircon units, so you win in both departments!

How to Keep Cool Cheaply When Its Hot

There is nothing quite like being able to sit indoors on a blisteringly hot day and enjoy a cool blast of air from a portable air cooling unit while relaxing with a book or in front of the TV. This small pleasure can become an absolute necessity if you work from home and spend several hours each day at a desk working on a computer or laptop.

Having a means to keep cool indoors when it's getting crazy hot outside is something that many people take for granted. But not everyone has the means or the budget to be able to afford the cost of buying and running a big portable air conditioning unit in their home office or in their sitting room or bedroom.

Let's face it, the power hungry aircon units will eat up your electricity supply in order to blast out that beautifully cold air and you will end up paying dearly for the privilege at the end of the month. However, there is a much cheaper air cooling solution that can be every bit as effective, as long as you live in the right kind of place.

Swamp Coolers

Instead of the power hogging portable air conditioner, why not look into buying a swamp cooler, or evaporative air cooler to give it the right name? As long as you live in a hot dry climate, then these units can cool the air as effectively as their electricity hogging cousins while using only a fraction of the power to do it.

The only caveat is that you have low humidity for these things to work at their best. If you have high humidity, then you're out of luck. That's because a swamp cooler cools by evaporation and it needs dry air to create a cooling effect.

Real Life

I have a friend who lives in Denver, Colorado and his home office is kept beautifully cool by a single swamp cooler that he paid less than a hundred bucks for, brand new. It uses only slightly more power than a regular fan, which is almost nothing and there is no need to vent it to the outside because swamp coolers don't produce any hot exhaust air.

That means you can take one of these units and move it from room to room in your as you need it without the hassle of feeding a flexible exhaust pipe out a nearby window, as you would have to with a regular but not vent free portable air conditioner. How incredibly convenient is that!

So if you live in an area with low average humidity when it gets hot, you really should consider one of these amazing swamp coolers for your home. You'd be throwing a lot of money away otherwise!

A Portable Air Conditioner for Economy and Coolness

The intense heat that we experience during the hot summer months may seem like a long way away right now but they will soon be upon us and then having a ventless portable air conditioner in the home will suddenly make a lot of sense.

So maybe now is the time to start thinking about adding one of these useful and versatile units to your shopping list for the coming summer.

If you need some ideas, here is a look at them and their benefits.

I've seen all the kinds of portable air conditioners I've been interested in for the last few years. It is usual enough to be unaware of how to prevent rooms getting too hot. I'll try to let you down easy, but I wanted to write a post that is focused on how to cope with really hot weather.

Cost Effective Cooling

The recipe for a cost effective way to keep cool successfully is to use a device that uses the minimum amount of electricity for the maximum output of cold air under the right atmospheric circumstances.

It's worth seeking out the best highly portable and easy to move around units that come with great deals. Every little matter from cost, to power consumption must be covered.

Here are some of many advantages of portable coolers over whole house air conditioning types. In this article, I'm going to give you a few tips to help you with cooling individual rooms using the best portable evaporative coolers that are available these days.

I am quite happy to mention economical and portable climate control in that context. Cooling only those individual rooms that are occupied has many advantages over whole house air conditioning.

Through this medium, people notice quality over economy with no need for permanent installation. Many still think that there is a reason to demonstrate those advantages, when really its all about how well they are at cooling individual rooms.

Aside from the ecomomy factor, there are also atmospheric conditions that are not suitable for evaporative cooling devices, mainly high humidity. In these conditions, you would really need a traditional cooling solution. One such solutio0n is a fully self evaporating portable air conditioner that combines powerful cooling with added efficiency to reduce running costs.

Getting over the concept of coping with really hot weather, at the very least its something you might want to jump into it as soon as you possibly can. So, what do I mean by a really hot and humid day?

Hot Outside, Cool Inside

It won't be too fancy, but it's a good place to start with wanting the simple pleasures of staying cool inside when its gotten really hot outside. Cooling individual rooms can work out a more economical solution to using a big HVAC system in your home.

Of course it all depends on your individual circumstances and you may want to know how to cool a room with no windows, for example. It may be the other detail you shouldn't notice if it was anything like a serious problem. yet, in reality, it is simple and most folks already know this. When achieved, your use of portable units for cooling individual rooms is a definite benefit.

Prevent rooms getting too hot in the first place by taking a look outside at ways in which you can shade the house from the direct rays of the sun.

Before you take another step in the direction of going to purchase a new room air conditioning unit, you need to know all the salient points in regard to their advantages and disadvantages

Okay, you might think that you've bitten off more than you can chew when buying a big expensive unit. But its worth it to know all there is to know about these things before you jump in and buy one!

Different Kinds of Air Conditioning

If there is one thing that is a necessity these days in the hot summer temperatures is a way of keeping cool indoors, especially at night when you are trying to sleep. If you live in a hot climate of have very hot summers, you will know how hard it can be trying to get to sleep when you are sweating in excessive heat. The solution for many is an air conditioning system of some kind. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the more usual options for keeping cool inside when its hot outside.

Whole House Coolers

Whole house systems are large and expensive both to purchase and install as well as to run. The running costs of large systems has reached such heights as to deter many from co0nsidering this option.

Smaller individual room fixed air conditioning units are more popular because you only need to fit as many units as you really need. Bedrooms and the living room are the main recipients of these units which fix to an external wall in the room and connect to a venting unit on the outside wall. These units still cost money to run and if you have several units running at the same time, the power consumption can be considerable.

Portable Coolers

You can also buy individual portable air conditioners which as mobile units that you can move from room to room as you go. These represent a lower fuel usage because you only run one or two units at any one time depending upon how many people live in your home and how many rooms are occupied at the same time.

Here is an excellent article that is well worth reading up on how to save money on air conditioning. The article details the many benefits, uses and provides a wealth of resources if this type of air cooler interests you.

Evaporation Coolers

You can also get evaporating cooling units which extract moisture from the air in a room and reuse it to cool the air that it blows out. These are cheaper still to run and they do not have any harmful CFC refrigerant gasses to worry about.

Whichever kind of system you end up choosing to go with, you need to evaluate the overall costs of buying, installing and running your system from year to year, You will have to factor in the regular increase in the cost of power as prices are never going to go down!

Sunpentown SF-609 Evaporative Air Cooler Review

If you're looking for a powerful portable air cooling solution that won't cost you the earth, this is it. Swamp coolers are perfect for people living in areas with low humidity as they provide you with a cool air solution that uses far less power than its equivalent air conditioning unit at a price that will pleasantly surprise you.

Important: Before you buy this unit, you need to be aware that if you live in a high humidity climate, the effectiveness of this cooler is greatly reduced.

If you don't know what an evaporative air cooler is or how it works, then please read our article: What is a Swamp Cooler? which covers the basics and highlights where they work best and where they don't. In short, they do not work well and even not at all in humid conditions.

So if the place that you live has humidity levels above 50% or so, I would advise you to choose an air conditioner instead of an evaporative cooler.

Benefits:

This great air cooler is extremely powerful for its size and for the cost when compared to portable air conditioners. It has three running speeds, remote control operation, an ionizer for helping to purify the air with a nylon and photocatalystic filter and comes with a large 2.5 gallon (10 liter) water reservoir.

It is highly portable and lightweight to make it easy to move from room to room and there is no need to vent to the outside. This unit does not produce hot exhaust air, unlike equivalent air conditioners.

That means you can put it wherever you need it, switch it on and enjoy a blast of cold air that is capable of reducing the air temperature by as much as 30 degrees!

 The Sunpentown SF-609 is quiet when running and has settings for direct cooling and a "swing" setting to move cold air out in multiple directions for a wider spray. The large water holder means you don't have to refill it more than once a day.

Cleaning and Maintenance

As long as you read the instructions before you get started, you will have no problems keeping things running smoothly and keeping the unit clean. It's important to remember that when cleaning the wick that you do not use water and that you do it in direct sunlight.

If you follow the maker's instructions you will have no problems with bad odors as some people complain about because they didn't follow the instructions!

Want to Buy the Sunpentown SF-609 Evaporative Air Cooler?

After checking around several online stores, it became pretty obvious that the best place to buy this unit from in terms of price, after sales service and free shipping is Amazon. Please Note: THis model is currently unavailable and as a courtesy to my readers I have removed the live link to the product page.

This unit does what it says it will do, which is to cool the air in dry, hot climates. It comes ready assembled so you don't have any hassle--just add water, plug it in and enjoy!

PS: I know that button above says "Buy Now", but you can click it just to take a look to find out more. Naturally, you do not have to buy it if you don't want to!