Maintaining Your Portable Air Conditioner

When you need supplemental cooling or you cannot install traditional air conditioners because of impracticality or cost, a portable air conditioner is a great solution. Portable air conditioners can be moved from room to room. They do not require permanent installation. All you need to do to make sure the portable air conditioner works properly is vent it through a window or wall.

The maintenance on portable air conditioners is almost as easy as the set up and operation. Of course, to operate a portable air conditioner the initial venting must be done. This means venting the exhaust hose with a venting kit. This usually comes included with the portable air conditioner when it is purchased and can be slid into a window. If venting through a window is not possible, then venting through a wall or drop ceiling is also acceptable. This helps the portable air conditioner with the cooling process.

Water drainage is also an important component of portable air conditioner maintenance. Portable air conditioners cool and remove water from the air. They use some of the water to cool the unit. This makes the entire process of cooling more efficient. Portable air conditioners deal with excess water in various ways. Some of them collect the water into buckets that need to be emptied regularly. The amount of water in the bucket depends on the climate conditioner and the amount of time the portable air conditioner is in operation. Some units use a self-evaporating technology so that most of the excess water is expended with the hot air discharge. Most air conditioners can support a drain hose so that water can be drained continuously. There are also condensate pumps that move the drained water through a hose that is directed outside or to a drain pump located inside.

Another important factor to consider when performing maintenance on your air conditioner is cleaning and/or replacing air filters. There are washable filters that remove particulates from the air. Some portable air conditioners even have built-in air purifiers that include ionizers for particles and carbon filters for odors and gas control. To maintain an allergy-free, healthy, breathable environment and a properly functioning unit, filters need to be cleaned and changed regularly. Depending on use, you will need to change or clean the filters on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. For washable filters simply slide the filter out, immerse it in warm water with mild detergent and rinse thoroughly before putting it back into the unit. Carbon filters will need to be replaced according to the manufacturer's directions (usually every few months or so.

The housing of your portable air conditioner needs to be cleaned as well. If the air conditioner is clean, the air volume increases. To clean the housing of your unit, wipe the surface with a soft, damp cloth after you have turned the unit off. You should never use abrasive chemicals or detergents because this can result in scratches and damage to the portable air conditioner housing. It is also important to keep the unit out of direct sunlight because this can change the surface color of the unit's body.

As for off season storage, you need to properly store your portable air conditioner when it is not needed to make sure it works with maximum cooling efficiency when it is needed again. To store properly, you'll need to turn off and unplug the portable air conditioner. Next, you should drain all of the condensate water from the water container. Then, to dry the interior of the unit, turn it on fan mode for several minutes. You should then clean the filters, wrap the cord around the cord hooks and pack the unit in its original carton if possible. Make sure you store it in a dry location. Some portable air conditioners have built-in heaters and can be used year-round. You should still maintain these like any other units. Maintaining your portable air conditioners keeps your house allergy free and your unit working properly. Start caring about your portable air conditioner today!

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