What Is a Stand-Alone Air Conditioner?

Placement

• A portable air conditioner should be placed near both a window and a power outlet. The power outlet is necessary to power the unit, and the window should support the exhaust hose installation of the stand-alone unit, if necessary. A portable air conditioner features four casters on the bottom, so that it can be easily moved, and some units feature a handle on the top to aid in transporting the device. The unit is designed for small windows or oddly shaped windows that are unable to accommodate a larger window unit. Should you need to, you can easily uninstall a stand-alone unit and move it to a new room or building.

Control Panel

• The control panel of a stand-alone unit is much like the interface of an air-conditioner window unit. Some units feature a "Mode" button, which allows the user to cycle through the different modes, such as "Cool," "Fan" and "Dry." The "Dry" button isn't normally found on window units and is more specific to a stand-alone model. The "Dry" or "Dehumidifier" button causes the unit to remove moisture from the air. The "Fan" or "Fan Speed" button allows you to cycle through the different fan-speed options.

Exhaust Hose

• When moisture is removed from the air by the stand-alone air conditioner, it is evaporated and expelled via the exhaust hose, which connects at the back of the unit and the window. The exhaust hose doesn't need to be connected when the unit is in simple "Fan" mode. Keep the exhaust hose as straight as possible, so that airflow isn't restricted. Should the unit experience restriction within the exhaust hose, the unit might shut down. The same goes for leaks within the exhaust hose.

Drain Pan

• During the dehumidifying mode, moisture from the air that doesn't evaporate accumulates within the internal drain pan or tank. The unit features an indicator on the interface, which signals to you when the drain pan is full and needs to be emptied. When the indicator activates, the "Dry" cycle or "Cooling" cycle stops working, but the fan continues to blow. On the back of the unit, there's a drain cap that prevents the drain pan from leaking. Unscrew the drain cap over a drainage area, drain the fluid from inside the drain pan, screw the cap back on and plug the unit back in.