Air Conditioners

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dpg1961

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Need to buy a couple new A/C units soon. Been looking at the newer portable type that sit in the room and are vented by hoses out the window. Would like to hear from people who have experiences with this type and also traditional window units. Which do you like and why? Dislikes?? Thanks.
 
I have a friend that has one of those new ones and it works great. In my opinion it really boils down to asthetics. If you have the room inside, I think the new ones are more attractive than having the back of a window unit sticking out of your window.
I have a couple of window units though and they are on the back of my house where no-one can see them and they are great. Cheap too, I bought one for a smaller bedroom for 150 at lowes, and it came with a remote control.
 
In my building I require that any tenants installing air conditioners install a portable air conditioner rather than a window unit. That's because I've had tenants drive screws into window sills and PVC window frames in order to get the window unit tilted properly to drain to the outside.

In my view, the portable units have the advantage that you can fashion your baffle to fit more tightly over a window than you can with a window unit. That's because you merely have to fit a duct into a baffle of your own design, so you have complete freedom to design that baffle to be both leak proof, and unlikely to damage the landlord's property when it's installed and removed.

Also, residential walls are much thinner than the 18 inch thick concrete block/ brick veneer walls on an apartment block, so balancing an 80 pound air conditioner on a 4 or 5 inch thick wall is just a problematic proposition right from the get go. If a cat jumps onto the top of the air conditioner, you could have an 80 pound air conditioner falling onto unsuspecting pedestrians below, and that might cause a stir.

The portable units are a little more expensive, but they eliminate that balancing act and the compulsion to drive screws into the window frames and window sills to get a window unit that's as heavy as sin oriented properly in the window opening.
 
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My brother's been using this newer portable type for almost a year already and he's happy with it. I have heard good reviews about it from friends also.
 

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