Evaporative Cooler Vs. Portable Air Conditioner

The Facts

• According to the Consumer Energy Center, an evaporative cooler is a large fan with moist pads in front of it. The fans pull hot air from outside through the moist pads. Evaporation causes the hot air to cool as it passes through the pads, and then the unit circulates the cool air via a blower. A portable air conditioner pulls hot air through a set of cooling coils, which in turn makes cool air. An evaporative cooler adds humidity to the air, while a portable air conditioner removes humidity from the air.

Warning

• A portable air conditioner is convenient, but Consumer Reports found that the cooling is often inefficient. It's likely that a portable until will cool at less than half it's cooling capacity. One problem is that a portable unit uses an exhaust hose that you must attach to a window. If hot, humid air from outside leaks back into the room, then the unit must cool and dehumidify it again. It's like filtering dirty water from a bathtub, replacing it with clean water and then having the same dirty water come back in again. Consumer Reports recommends a portable air conditioner only if a window unit or central air isn't an option.

Considerations

• The Home Depot reports that an evaporative cooler isn't suitable for humid climates, and doesn't work well during rainy seasons. The unit also isn't as easy to control as an air conditioner, and can use up to 10 gallons of water in one hour. However, Sylvan reports that, based on the model, a portable air conditioner usually has a bucket that you must periodically empty. The exception is a certain model of portable air conditioner that automatically evaporates the moisture when it exhausts the hot air.

Types

• Several types of evaporative cooler are available. A portable evaporative cooler is similar to a portable air conditioner in size. The portable type can usually cool up to 300 square feet. A mobile evaporative cooler is larger than a portable unit, and cools larger spaces such as garages or warehouses. A window or through-the-wall evaporative cooler can cool several rooms, much like a window or through-the-wall air conditioner. A down discharge or side discharge evaporative cooler can cool an entire home. The difference between the two is that a down discharge unit goes on the roof and a side discharge unit goes on the side of a building.