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How much you need to spend depends on your cooling requirements. PACs are rated in British thermal units (BTU): one BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree. A higher rating means an air conditioner can cool a larger space, which normally means the unit itself will be larger and more expensive. A 9,000BTU unit will handle a space of approximately 45 cubic metres, while a 12,000BTU unit could go up to 90 cubic metres. Measure your room before you buy to make sure you choose an air conditioner that’s up to the job. They are generally heavy, unwieldy appliances. If you have reduced strength and/or live alone, you might need to get someone to help you set it up. As we've mentioned, an air conditioning unit is bulky, so if you live in a flat with minimal storage space, for example, then a fan would be the better solution. All of the air conditioners in the table below have been put through our rigorous tests, so you can be sure they’re effective at cooling, easy to use and energy efficient.
Split-unit air conditioners tend to be more energy efficient, but these are more expensive and have to be permanently installed by a professional. We don't test split-unit air conditioners as they're less popular in the UK. Air-conditioning units don’t get much more reasonably priced than the MeacoCool MC 7000. Suitable for rooms up to 22m² thanks to its 7,000 BTU rating, the unit includes two fan speeds, as well as dehumidifier and fan functions. It’s reasonably compact, too, measuring less than a metre tall and 35cm square. At 21kg, it’s also more realistically portable than some PACs; you can just about lug it from room to room without risking a hernia.All PACs incorporate a compressor and one or more fans, so they’re never going to be totally silent. Some are quieter than others, however: you should find the minimum and/or maximum noise pressure levels listed in the manufacturer’s specification. Watch out for sleep modes, too. These power down the compressor and reduce the speed of any fans to make the PAC’s hum a little easier to sleep through. If you really struggle with the noise, though, think about cooling the room before you go to sleep, or try using a desktop or pedestal fan instead. It’s an effective cooler, taking a 25°C room to 21°C within half an hour, and to 20°C over a further 30 minutes, after which it kept the temperature steady for another hour. Testing in the middle of a heatwave, this was sweet relief. However, take any claims of silent running with a pinch of salt; noise levels hit 52dB at full tilt, falling to 46dB once the temperature had stabilised. Power consumption can also reach 620 to 820W when the unit is working hard. It isn’t the cheapest PAC to buy or run, but if you need some serious cooling, it’s exactly what you need. Air conditioners tend to be bulky and can be heavy – they typically weigh around 30kg – so if you need to move yours around a lot, think about whether you can manage carrying it up the stairs every evening. Choose a suitable model for the size of the room Those with a lower BTU in a large space will have to work harder to cool it, which is going to use more electricity.
Keep an eye out for any refrigerant leaks If yours is blowing out warm air or is noisier than usual, this could indicate that it has a refrigerant leak. Also known as fixed air conditioners, these are comprised of two parts: a condensing unit (mounted outside) and an evaporator (mounted inside). Both parts need to be connected, so installation is far more complex compared with a portable model. How much you need to spend depends in part on the size of the room. If you want to cool a small bedroom, for example, you'd probably be better off going down the route of buying a fan – an air conditioning unit would be overkill.
Of course, you don’t want to go much bigger than you have to. Weight, size and convenience matter, and if a unit’s too big, too heavy and too difficult to set up, then you may end up avoiding using it except for a few really hot days in the summer. You need to balance the cooling power you need against how big and obtrusive a PAC can be before you’re not prepared to put up with it. Where can I put a portable air conditioner? Location. Where you're positioning the air conditioner is another consideration. You'll need to be able to move it / position it close to a window so the warm air can be expelled through a vent. Multiply the dimensions (in feet) of the room by five. So for a room measuring 15ft x 10ft x 8ft, you would calculate 15 x 10 x 8 x 5 = an air conditioner of 6,000 BTUs. Having a range of fan speeds is useful, as it affects the rate at which your room cools down (and the noise the air conditioner makes). Most models have three fan speeds and some also have a fan-only mode, which has no cooling effect and simply circulates the air within the room. You could also look at the claimed energy class. Air conditioner manufacturers are obliged to self-certify their energy class, from A to G. However, we conduct our own expert tests according to the European Standard BS EN 14511:2013. Often, we find the claimed and actual energy class to be different. Can you buy an eco air conditioner?
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