If your Portable Air Conditioner is not blowing cold air please check the following: check that the unit temperature setting is lower than the room temperature; check that the fan is blowing warm air from the back of the unit; check that you hear the compressor kick on after start up (could be a 3 minutes delay);
Some models rely on a refrigerant to cool the air, while others use water and ice to provide cooling. If your unit uses refrigerant, you won't need to add anything extra to the device. However, if you have a model that uses water and ice, you will need to add ice to the water tank.
Cool Mode. This is the setting most of us associate with air conditioners. In this mode, your air conditioner turns on the compressor and pushes cold air into the room.
As soon as the outside temperature rises above 70°F, that room is uncomfortably hot. Skip wasting energy on whole-house AC and just hook up a portable unit to that one stuffy room. 71°F does the trick for your home. It takes the edge off the heat without pushing the energy bill too high.
In most cases, yes. Not only is continuous use better for the health of your unit, but it won't cost you any excess energy. Most AC units will automatically turn themselves off once the room is at the desired temperature, but this isn't the same as shutting the unit down entirely.
What Temperature Should You Set Your Thermostat When It's 100 Degrees? A good rule of thumb is during the hottest days when the dial reaches 100 degrees it is best to set your AC to somewhere between 75 and 80 degrees.
Most people know that turning up the thermostat on their air conditioner to a higher temperature will result in cooler air blowing from the vents. However, there is a point at which increasing the temperature any further does not make the air cooler – it just uses more energy and costs more money.
The AC unit will run continuously until it reaches your desired temperature. Therefore, turning your thermostat down 10 degrees will NOT cool your home any faster than turning it down by five degrees.
The Difference Between Dry Mode and Cool Mode
Dry mode in the AC takes care of the humidity levels in the room. Cool mode, on the other hand, is usually the default mode of air conditioners, cooling the room by removing heat—not moisture—from the air.
While it may seem counterintuitive to keep your portable AC unit away from sunny and warm rooms, the heat of the sun can cause your unit to overwork. An overworked unit will lead to a shorter lifespan.
There are many reasons your AC might not be cooling your home properly. The solution could be as easy as flipping a switch on your thermostat, cleaning a dirty air filter, or clearing debris away from your outdoor unit. There are also more complex problems that may need the help of a professional.
Low or Leaking Refrigerant
If there is a leakage in the coils or refrigerant lines, the refrigerant level in the cooling unit will decrease, resulting in warm air blowing from your vents or even reduced cooling performance. Over time, the refrigerant leaks can lead to low refrigerant levels.
In our air conditioner tests, we measure how long it takes a portable air conditioner to lower the temperature in the test chamber from 90° F to 85° F. It takes at least 20 minutes—and often much longer. By comparison, the best window air conditioners can cool the room by 10° F in about 15 minutes or less.
The primary reason for an AC not cooling below 75 degrees is a dirty air filter. The air filter traps unwanted elements like dust, dirt, and debris, ensuring they don't reach the evaporator coil. In doing so, they may block the filter, causing your AC unit to malfunction.
Ideally, your AC should run for 15 minutes on nice, warm days. Only on those rare triple-digit temperature days should your air conditioner be running almost all the time. If your AC isn't following this pattern, you could have a problem.
Finding Your Ideal Temperature
The ultimate answer to, “How cold is too cold?” may be 68 degrees, but to maintain home comfort without wasting energy, keep your thermostat between 72 and 78 degrees.
Let the unit run long enough to reach the set temperature, then place a refrigerator thermometer inside one of your A/C's air ducts for ten minutes. Afterward, chart the temperature reading. After that, find the A/C unit's return air duct and use the refrigerator thermometer to get the temperature inside there as well.
Most air conditioners have a maximum temperature limit of around 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the outside temperature may never reach 115 degrees, your unit may get this hot if it is in direct sunlight and is working hard to keep your home cool.
As we said, an air conditioner should run for about fifteen minutes- if your ac runs all day long, especially on hot days, it's time for some maintenance! This is bad for your air conditioner and bad for your electricity bills. That's why we recommend an annual tune-up to keep your AC in tip-top shape.
We'd actually suggest keeping your home's thermostat in between 72 degrees and 76 degrees to make things as simple and straightforward as possible for your home. It's a reasonable temperature that will keep you cool without overworking your AC.
So, a safe setting is 75 degrees. However, this is only necessary when you're in your home. If you're like most, you are gone during the day. When gone, you can set your thermostat anywhere from 76 to 78.
The cons of mobile air conditioning are:
Noise levels are quite high; Not energy efficient; Not a good choice for large rooms; Once the air conditioner cooling pipe is brought out the window, it is quite likely that you do not want to move it, so as not to spoil the installation.