Is It Good to Have a Quiet Portable AC with You This Summer?

If you don’t have a central AC to help you through Lorain’s warm summers, a quiet portable AC can keep you just as comfortable without too much distracting noise.

Cooling Where You Need It

Quiet portable ACs are ideal if you live in an apartment where you can’t install a window air conditioner or you just don’t want to go through the hassle. Installing a window unit requires altering the window frame, but a portable unit’s ventilation hose uses an adapter that doesn’t require any changes to the window. This also makes them easy to move from place to place.

A quiet portable AC can cool your RV or camper to make your summer travels more enjoyable. A portable unit in your workshop or office helps you work more comfortably and efficiently. Even if you have central AC, a portable unit allows for better spot cooling.

Quiet Is Relative

An appliance marketed as a quiet portable AC might not be as quiet as you expect. In a central AC system, the compressor is outdoors where you don’t hear it. In a portable unit, both the fan and the compressor are indoors and making noise whenever the unit is running. While the fan produces the continuous sound of flowing air, the compressor produces a buzzing noise that some find irritating. Setting the unit to the highest speed helps drown out the compressor noise. The noise level rises and falls as the unit cycles on and off and that, too, can be annoying for some.

Most portable ACs run at between 55 and 60 decibels — or around as loud as a modern box fan or a normal conversation. That’s a little noisier than most window units. The quietest models can run at 40 decibels — or around the same noise level as a library — but only when running at the lowest setting. Lower-capacity units aren’t much quieter than high-capacity ones, so focus on the unit’s listed noise level rather than its size.

For tips on choosing an efficient and quiet portable AC, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning from anywhere around Lorain.