What Type of Portable Air Conditioner Should I Choose?

Tank

• Search for portable air conditioners that do not feature a water tank that you have to empty. When a portable air conditioner functions, it produces an accumulation of moisture in a drain tank. Some conditioners use the water to keep the unit's condenser coils from becoming too hot, and then the moisture evaporates and is released through the unit's exhaust duct. This is the type of unit you should purchase, as other conditioners do not use the accumulated water, so you have to empty the drain tank at least one to two times daily.

Hoses

• Look for portable air conditioners that have two hoses rather than just one hose. One of the two hoses should draw in air from outside to keep the unit's condenser coils cool. Meanwhile, the other hose is supposed to take this no-longer-needed air back outside. This two-hose system is similar to the system of a window air conditioner unit and thus enables a conditioner to more effectively live up to its claimed cooling capacity standard. Units with one hose, on the other hand, have to both draw in outside air and exhaust it back outside, and they tend to have a lower energy-efficiency ratio.

Unit Size

• Purchase a unit with about 7,500 British Thermal Units (BTUs) -- a measure of cooling capacity -- if the room you are trying to cool is about 150 square feet. Bump this BTU amount to 9,000, 10,000 and 12,000 for room sizes of 200, 250 and 350 square feet respectively, according to ConsumerSearch.com. Also, choose a unit with a higher BTU rating than suggested for your square footage area if you live in a hot climate.

Other Tips

• Search for portable air conditioner units that feature wheels to help you move the unit more easily. Handles, digital controls and louvers -- angled slats through which air flows -- that oscillate also should be on your checklist when shopping for these units. Because portable air conditioners do not put out as much air as window units, try to find a portable air conditioner that also offers a multidirectional airflow feature.