If we got it for him and they put it in the second bedroom (the guest room/office) they’d probably just sleep in that room on the nights they needed A/C.
That said, I spend the day researching different brands, which ones pass the CA standards (the one available on Costco doesn’t!) , weight, loudness, energy efficiency, how quickly they could be delivered, price, etc etc… and sent him a few to choose from that I thought had decent ratings, etc. And then he said the air quality seems better (at the moment!) and the (current) heat wave is over, so is being diplomatic and saying they don’t need it!! Argh.
However, it looks like the standards for air conditioners are more along the lines of efficiency (i.e. so that they work better on the same energy consumption). There is a national requirement to come into effect in 2025; California and some other states have made this future national requirement a state requirement already.
https://appliance-standards.org/product/portable-air-conditioners
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2013-BT-STD-0033-0053
Has anyone tried the GE model?
Bet DS is gonna regret turning down that A/C. Another heat wave!
Any updates/feedback @jym626 ? My 95 year old dad and his wife are sweltering this week in upstate NY, not getting enough relief from their two window AC units. We will visit in a few days, considering purchasing/installing a portable units, with exhaust hose at one of the available windows.
I hope they are ok.
A couple of things you may want to consider:
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Assuming they have a fan-forced furnace, could they turn on JUST the fan, without turning on the furnace/heat? That helps the air circulate.
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Is it possible to install an exhaust fan to vent the hot air outside? I’ve had some experience with this both in the US and Europe where we lived without A/C. It was bearable MOST of the time, but on a few days, venting the heat outside greatly cooled the temps inside. If your dad and his wife already have two a/c units, perhaps these other workarounds might help? My understanding of portable a/cs is that they very inefficient.
Hope all works out for your family.
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Both of my kids had a portable A/C in their first apartment and they definitely provided relief from the heat. A very good window A/C may work better but these portable units are very easy and quick to set up which is a big plus.
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Thanks for the quick help. While considering the options, I may have this Amazon $49 tower fan delivered to them tomorrow. They do have some clunky fans, but this may be helpful next to a chair.
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As you’re going to be on site with them, I’d consider adding or updating their current window AC units. They issue could be that they’re underpowered for their square footage, and they may also be in a poor location (e.g. on a south or west facing wall) where they can’t work effectively.
A window unit will always provide more cooling and at a better price than a portable. (The portable air conditioner’s hoses can also get extremely hot in between the unit and the window, sometimes to the point where the unit is emanating more heat into the room than the cooling it is providing.)
I would first check the BTUs of what they have, the location, and see if it would be more cost effective to replace one or both with a higher rated unit.
I ordered these recently via Prime and they’re working great:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NR1MP5V?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Also these said to be very easy to install:
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I have that exact one for my office and it works very well. I dislike a/c and prefer open windows and using this fan.
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Thanks for the advise and recommendations. I will look into window units too.
We will be onsite this week and could install another window unit (assuming there is another appropriate window available). But we won’t be there to help uninstall in the fall, and they will already be needing help (and space) for the other two.
Be sure that your parents have the floor space close to a window that will be required for a portable A/C.
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H and I have a portable floor AC in our bedroom and two of our kids at their homes/apt have one in theirs. Besides the “noise” that all portable AC units make - and obviously this one taking up a little floor space - I SO much prefer these units over the window ones. Lots of features, moves on rolling wheels (can store in a closet off season), no lifting up to fit in a window and no unsightly (to me) portable AC unit sticking out for view from the outside of the house.
There is a water tray / plug but honestly ours does not seem to collect hardly any water!
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Thanks for the feedback. We once had a portable unit at a beach rental and were surprised it worked as well as it did. The water tray aspect is a bit of a concern, so I’m glad to hear yours does not collect much water.
This is a little off topic from my question today, but it could help other folks. Has anybody put a “split” (ac/heat pump) on the wall? Some friends did that in bedrooms of a new cottage, and they worked great. I assume they are pricey but could be a good choice in new construction (?)
The heat pump idea is a good one. I think one issue is how much it heats in the winter, as I understood heat pumps generally are not very efficient in places where it gets very cold.
Also, if there is any appreciable humidity while it is hot, do NOT get an evaporative cooler. It doesn’t remove the moisture in the air like an ac can. It really only works well where the air is relatively dry.
I would be interested in hearing about ac units that have a water tray, not the hose that ejects water outside the window. The latter is not something I would want since we have screened windows that are relatively hard to completely open up.
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My folks have put mini splits in three different houses and adore them. One they added to their bedroom suite in a 1910 house that had radiators and no central air. Another house was a 2005 build which had radiant heat flooring in the PNW, and they didn’t feel a need to put AC into the entire house - just their bedroom suite again.
And then last year they added two mini splits for the main floor of their current house last summer. One in their bedroom suite and one in the main living area (the top floor is just guest rooms that are seldom used). The unit is right outside their bedroom window and it’s very quiet - not like a central air unit at all. Mini splits are pretty great!
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Also check their existing window units for lint on the screen between the slats. I just spent an hour this weekend with tweezers removing all of it from my bedroom window unit.
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We have a DeLonghi that I bought at Costco, I think, for around $300 last year. We used it to cool down our bonus room which is quite large. No drain and easy to start up. We are very happy with it.
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Mini splits are very popular for some usage. But they do take an installer to do the work. I’m not sure this is a quick DIY job.
The folks we know who have the portable AC units are very happy…mostly because before that, they had nothing at all! These are not difficult to install, or remove.
Yea, mini split would not be a DIY job. Would not work for my dad’s 1960s home, especially since he is considering a near term downsizing move. But in the parent cafe group, I could see a lot of appeal in new vacation homes etc.