How to improve efficiency of portable air conditioner AC units to cool rooms faster

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reallyMello

reallyMello

Жыл бұрын

Portable AC units aren't as efficient as window air conditioners, but this video will provide some tips to improve your portable AC efficiency so it can more effectively and quickly cool down your garage or living space in the summer to maximize your cooling and save money.
The plastic round exhaust duct from the portable AC unit builds up and re-radiates a good amount of exhaust heat back into the room so this video will show you how to insulate the duct to prevent radiant heat from escaping back into your room allowing your portable A/C unit to cool off the space faster and more efficiently.
The video will compare before and after insulating the air conditioning exhaust duct using FLIR infrared imaging to test the effectiveness.
Below are links to products used in the video. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from links marked paid.
Foil Insulation - amzn.to/46AjLov (paid)
Foil Tape - amzn.to/3Nvfeea (paid)
FLIR Heat Camera - amzn.to/46zl72u (paid)
Sleeve Insulation (maybe easier) - amzn.to/46v6YDH (paid)

Пікірлер: 157
@user-of2cr1fk6v
@user-of2cr1fk6v Ай бұрын
You have no idea how much this helped me!!!! 1 key word was all it took. I was on the verge of tears. THANK YOU!!!!
@RolandKontson
@RolandKontson Ай бұрын
Another issue is that it's removing air (also cooled) from the room. Resulting in a lower pressure, which will draw in warm air from elsewhere.
@corygardner3945
@corygardner3945 10 ай бұрын
Looking through your thermal device just confirmed my personal observation of the glass on the window conducting and transferring additional heat from the outside. Might as well insulate that from the outside. Hence making your ac not work as hard to cool down your area. I don’t think other people have that point in consideration and just totally focus on the unit for the problems. Thanks for posting this video.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 10 ай бұрын
You’re welcome!
@aethel03
@aethel03 2 ай бұрын
noticed this as well. so i also wrapped the whole exhaust with an insulator 👍 then next thing i noticed after that was solved was that the area on the window near where the exhaust was blowing was warm as well. so i stuck some wall foam stickers to cover the hole thing haha. it wasn't perfect since the foam wasnt thick (it was made for decor) but it did help. Room has been a lot cooler now 👍👍 I'm gonna add some more insulation from the outside as well when the foam insulation i ordered arrives.
@kerrymarris4260
@kerrymarris4260 2 ай бұрын
Great common sense video, I bought a huge piece of that mylar bubble wrap at a habit restore for $50. For a 6ft roll 10-12ft long, I used it mostly to cover my van, blocks the sun 100%, great for old windows, dashboard windshield cover ..
@zendell37
@zendell37 11 күн бұрын
Technology Connections has a really good video about this. I rigged up an intake and output system with my single hose unit. I had a large 12" aluminum duct that covered the intake really well. I squashed the other side a bit And made a window adapter that held both the intake and output. That dramatically increased efficiency once I was no longer sucking outside air into my conditioned space, then exhausting it outside. I further improved things by covering both hoses with some cheap blankets. Kinda quieted things down, too. Anymore I just don't feel the single hose units are worth the trouble. I have my original unit and a second one just sitting around, even in these record setting summer days.
@DANWRIGHTITIS
@DANWRIGHTITIS Жыл бұрын
Great idea. I bought a machine today - was amazed at the heat coming off the tube!! I just found an old foil backed foam ground sheet in my STASH! . I cut it into 8inch sections to make it flexible & wrapped each around the tube. Its 20¨wide so just enough to go around & affixed -with the traditional GAFFER TAPE. Foil side down & white side it to the room so don´t look too bad either!! ! Definitely makes a difference. Cheers From Madrid. It´s 2am & still 28´c outside.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Жыл бұрын
Nice job!
@Jordan-or8wu
@Jordan-or8wu Жыл бұрын
Is it humid in Madrid as well?
@DANWRIGHTITIS
@DANWRIGHTITIS Жыл бұрын
@@Jordan-or8wu Not a chance!! This month its about 25-30%. Madrid is 660m above sea level & 500km from the ocean!
@Yolanda991
@Yolanda991 6 ай бұрын
Thank you. Very helpful to me. 🎉
@j___mmdcclxxvi2125
@j___mmdcclxxvi2125 3 ай бұрын
Great idea, I have a unit that draws indoor air and with the thermistor monitoring the room air I was thinking of rigging the intake evap coil air from outside but not sure that would work.
@Hannelore7
@Hannelore7 Ай бұрын
Thank you. had no idea you could do this ..always was worried about safety..going to do this tomorrow.
@Seabass1206
@Seabass1206 18 күн бұрын
its warm air its not exhaust so it’s perfectly safe
@jamesarias5708
@jamesarias5708 Ай бұрын
I also had this on my flexible pipe and it helped a little. But the best thing to add to your portable AC is a stronger blower that you put at the end of the pipe to suck out the warm air within the pipes much faster. The stronger the fan, the better the efficiency will be.
@roselawrence56
@roselawrence56 13 күн бұрын
Do you have a video to show how to do it?
@Ultimate677
@Ultimate677 2 ай бұрын
Great idea, thank you
@lawlesslana
@lawlesslana 19 күн бұрын
Wow very nice, definitely investing in this setup this summer with the heat how it is already
@mareksarvas1102
@mareksarvas1102 6 күн бұрын
I sewed a sleeve for the exhaust pipe from a thick white quilted blanket. It works perfectly.
@spiritwarrior6350
@spiritwarrior6350 8 күн бұрын
THANK YOU for the WRAP idea 👏it WORKS !
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 8 күн бұрын
Nice 👍
@rachaelneslineenriquez8618
@rachaelneslineenriquez8618 Ай бұрын
There’s also the insulated sleeve you can buy and put over it! Helped mine immensely
@Paul-hl4cj
@Paul-hl4cj Ай бұрын
where can i get one the unit just came with the pipe and a plastic bag type window seal
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Ай бұрын
@Paul-hl4cj check my video description 👍
@Paul-hl4cj
@Paul-hl4cj Ай бұрын
thanks looks like the sleve is not one sise fit all but the silver role can fit any size do you have a comparison heat lost vire sleve and wrap but its still a fab idea will look for some foil wrap at homebase ty
@nosafetyswitch9378
@nosafetyswitch9378 10 ай бұрын
Fantastic, my mother uses one when the temperature gets really high and I couldn't fail but notice that the tube in the back is super hot essentially heating part of the room around it to an extend that i could feel it if ibstood behimd it... I will try your solution as I am sure it will improve the performance dramatically.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 10 ай бұрын
I noticed the same thing which is what led me to try this. Good luck.
@clintwedel5704
@clintwedel5704 Жыл бұрын
I did that a couple years ago, no FLIR so hard to prove any gains. Next thing i did was put the portable on blocks to shorten the exhaust tube as much as possible, current setup has just 6" of double thick foil/bubble insulation between the AC and window.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Жыл бұрын
Ya the FLIR was a fun way to confirm if it did anything and also verify I didn’t have any gaps/leaks in the insulation. This morning it did seem to drop the temperature faster in the garage than before. Shortening the duct was a smart idea you had too. It probably lessens air resistance for the exhaust air as another efficiency gain.
@sjoaquin1567
@sjoaquin1567 2 ай бұрын
Thanks bro just got mine gonna try this
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 2 ай бұрын
Awesome
@95ellington
@95ellington Жыл бұрын
Hey thanks man! Imma get some and do this this afternoon!
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Жыл бұрын
Great, let me know how it goes
@95ellington
@95ellington 11 ай бұрын
@@reallyMello Works great! The exhaust pipe is now no longer warm, and the room feels cooler too!
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 11 ай бұрын
@@95ellington nice! Thanks for letting me know.
@JoMcD21
@JoMcD21 12 күн бұрын
I put that exact same stuff in my window to reflect the sunlight back out. Didn't even think about using it to insulate the exhaust itself.. Here's hoping it works!
@Pack.Leader
@Pack.Leader 10 ай бұрын
I was thinking of doing this with mine. I'm using the portable unit as a last resort because my RV ac quit on me a few days ago and we are still in the middle of a heatwave in NM. I don't have the narrow roll of reflectix that you used so I am going to have to use much wider pieces and instead of wrapping and overlapping, I'll be wrapping it more like a gift. I have the metal tape so that should help. Ugh. I hate that I have to do this but we couldn't have lived had I not brought this portable thing back into our environment. Thanks for the video and info. Word to the wise: Don't buy these portable units, people. You're just throwing money out the window.
@Amc.1020
@Amc.1020 2 ай бұрын
We bought one last night to help our AC units out. For nights it’s wonderful but the humidity summer days don’t mix well with it at all. Returning it today and getting a fan to help circulate the cold air from our bedroom AC unit.
@skyusstarlet6514
@skyusstarlet6514 8 күн бұрын
Sweet Indian Clubs!!!… and, excellent job on an experiment proven worthwhile! 👍 I have pondered on this issue myself re: portable a/c’s and this seems like a pretty darn decent solution!
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 8 күн бұрын
Thanks I love my clubs
@dh2392
@dh2392 5 сағат бұрын
Flex duct. Buy flex duct the size of your vent and intake hose, or go to a HVAC company where they might sell you a short length as flex duct is generally sold in 25' lengths. You could use R4.2 or R8 flex duct. To use, cut two pieces to the lengths needed to cover your intake and vent hoses, pull out and discard the inside liner. Now pull the insulation and outside liner over the vent, and intake hoses. You can secure the ends with duct tape, panduits, or hose clamps. This is way easier than what you did here, and there are no seams in flex duct.
@charhannah4369
@charhannah4369 27 күн бұрын
Thank you so much!
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 27 күн бұрын
You’re welcome
@Paul-hl4cj
@Paul-hl4cj Ай бұрын
will try that we have only two days of heat in england but when we get it unlike other places people tell me we get humid heat others get dry heat never been to other countrys but hate to sweat like a pig so will try any thing that may help
@sherylchapman
@sherylchapman 10 ай бұрын
Can I use this Supershield Reflective White Foam Core Pipe Duct instead
@spud1
@spud1 Ай бұрын
You are right in recognizing that heat transfer from that exhaust duct to the space being cooled is one inefficiency of these portable AC units. But there is a much larger inefficiency that can be addressed. You mentioned that the AC unit pulls in cooled air from your garage to remove heat from the condenser coils and then pushes it out of the garage through that duct you are insulating. Stop and think. That cooled garage air that it is leaving through that duct to the outside has to be replaced from somewhere. Guess where the exiting cooled garage air is being replaced from? That's right, Your cooled air is being replaced by hot air from outside infiltrating into the garage through all gaps, cracks, and crevices around doors, windows, etc. The solution is to add another duct (also insulated of course) going from that inlet opening in your AC unit to a second opening in that window baffle. Ideally, you would connect the AC inlet duct to the lowest opening in the baffle, and the AC outlet duct to the highest opening in the baffle, allowing the hottest air to rise outside the window, upward and away from the lowest inlet opening, helping to minimize any potential re-circulation of hot exit air to your less hot outside air being drawn into the inlet. Hope this helps. 🙂
@One-Day-After-Another
@One-Day-After-Another 29 күн бұрын
OK here's my question.... If that's the case....how the hell do these things work so well? I mean, it sounds like you're saying the AC is sitting there running, pumping the air it just cooled out along with the hot air....creating a vacuum drawing hot outside air back in to replace what air is being exhausted out.... This sounds like a complete losing battle......so again I ask... how do these work so freaking well? I don't get it.
@spud1
@spud1 29 күн бұрын
@@One-Day-After-Another Well, it is not a "complete losing battle", just a major inefficiency that can be mitigated as I described. The magnitude of the inefficiency will vary according to your circumstances, such as the outside temperature, and location of the room in your house that you are trying to cool. I installed a portable AC in an upstairs room in my house that I am using as an office. There are also two other bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs that are not being used at all. Each of the the 4 upstairs rooms has recessed light fixtures which are by design not air tight, to keep the light fixture from overheating when incandescent bulbs are used. So they provide an air flow path to the highest/hottest part of the attic. The air in the attic when it is 95F outside, and the sun is shining, can be well over 140F. I closed the doors to the 2 bedrooms to reduce air infiltration to the office, so the portable AC would be trying to cool mostly just the office. When I hooked up the portable AC per the user manual instructions (pulling room air into the unit to cool the condenser, then ducted out the window) it did NOT do a "freaking well" job of cooling the room. Also, the 2 bedrooms that were closed off reached temps over 100F. (Thanks to the attic air and outside air being drawn in to replace the office air.) So, I added a 2nd duct (per my original comment) to bring outside air into the AC to cool the condenser. It then did a much, much better job of cooling the office. So, it boils down to just improving the efficiency of your setup wherever you can.
@One-Day-After-Another
@One-Day-After-Another 29 күн бұрын
@@spud1 We have a hot attick single story house..and the house gets little shade.... Once during a heat wave our ac went out. someone had their portable AC in storage... I didn't even know those existed at that time... Anyway... we were desperate until our AC could get fixed... and not knowing anything about what I know now... We were shocked how well it worked.. We actually fought over it....we put it in one bedroom closed off and when you walked in that room it felt so cool...while the rest of the house was miserable... so that's what I meant by working well... It was so hot... yet even with the inefficiency it was still able to cool the room... I feel like dual hose units will start to take over instead of single hose... I've noticed this more lately.. even one of them has dual hose built into one big hose.. so it looks like single hose but it's dual..
@BobbyNewhartFace
@BobbyNewhartFace 2 ай бұрын
You have a dual hose capable unit. Connect a 2nd hose and you will see 30% efficiency gains.
@zackdawley
@zackdawley Ай бұрын
I laughed so hard when I saw it, like it's already setup for it!
@kristinlogan7509
@kristinlogan7509 Ай бұрын
I'm curious how pulling hotter air from outside (vs already cooled air from inside) would create an efficiency gain. Doesnt the unit have to work harder to cool warmer air??
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Ай бұрын
I thought the same initially but learned from commenters that the intake air is used to cool the compressor and then exhausted using the second hose in a semi-closed loop. Without the second hose it creates a bit of a vacuum drawing in air from adjacent rooms or outside. Setup this way (with two hoses) the conditioned air is recirculated without introducing air from outside the room which may be hot or humid.
@pyronic120120
@pyronic120120 Ай бұрын
@@kristinlogan7509 the oposite. the way AC systems work, the way he has it set up, you're actually warming up already cold air because his hot and cold side are not isolated. And this is essentially the biggest problem with AC systems that don't have dual hoses. Even if it's hot air from outside, the way an AC system works is that it needs to remove heat from the air inside the room not so much move the air itself. the TLDR: AC systems shouldn't remove hot air inside a room. AC system should cool the air inside the room. AC systems shouldn't move air from inside the room to the outside of the room, AC systems should MOVE HEAT from the inside of the room to the outside of the room. The hot air outside the room is still cold enough to remove heat from the refrigerant of an AC enough to continue removing heat from inside the room. By not having an intake, from outisde, you're warming up the already cool air from inside to remove heat and send it outside, but now the AC has to cool new air. This is also why opening your refirgerator doesn't cool a room. because the refrigerator is still inside the same room you're trying to cool. this is why the "recirculate air" option inside your car helps cool the inside of a car faster than not recirculating air. It's not about removing hot air. It's about removing heat from the hot air. now here's the long version. Though I'm sure you can find youtube videos on how an AC system works but here's my attempt in simplified terms: An AC system works by having what essentially is two radiators (Let's call them that to make it more simple for people to understand, I know one is called a condenser and one is called an evaporator). One of the radiators is at high pressure, and the other is a low pressure. in an ideal system, the high pressure is outside the room you're trying to cool, and the low pressure is inside the room you're trying to cool. Prior to first starting up an AC system, both the low and the high pressure is at a ambient temperature. when starting the AC, the cycle begins, the compressor begins to push the gas into the high-pressure side, think of the gas as a wet rag, the gas holds heat like a rag holds water, before wringing the cloth, water stays in the rag because there's room in the rag to hold water. gas likewise is at ambient temp when it's been sitting stagnant. However, upon moving into high pressure, all that gas is squeezed into a tighter space causing all that heat energy to be squeezed into that same space. Heat energy wants to equalize, therefore the now hot high pressure in the outside radiator is now hotter than the already hot air outside. doesn't matter if the hot air outside is hot, it's still cooler than the now compressed gas. The heat energy moves from the hotter gas, into the hot air equalizing the compressed gas temperature to match again the outside ambient hot air. When the gas is now at ambient temperature again, the hot gas moves now to the cold radiator, or the low-pressure radiator. here the gas expands and think of it as a rag that has had all the water wrung from it ready to collect more water. In this case the gas is cool enough to be able to accept more heat from the room inside trying to be cooled. but keep in mind you're not sucking the air out of the room; you’re simply moving air through the radiator inside the room and but keeping the air in the room to remove the heat from that air. once the gas has collected all the heat, it's now pushed back outside to be squeezed again and have all the heat squeezed out of it again. And thus, the cycle continues. Each time this cycle continues the cold air inside the room gets even colder because it's continously having heat energey removed from it each time you pass it through the low pressure radiator. Because you're REMOVING HEAT, not the air itself. Therefore, an AC system doesn't work by introducing cold air. It works by removing heat from the air already inside the room. However, by him not having an intake hose, he's using the already cold air to remove heat from the AC and blowing that previously cold air back out to outside the room. why would you want to intentionally warm up already cooled air. Therefore, if your AC comes with two hoses, you ALWAYS want to use both hoses. therefore, a window AC always has to have the back of it sticking outside.
@bounty112
@bounty112 12 күн бұрын
@@kristinlogan7509 You are still pulling in hot air from the outside, because all the air you are pumping out has to be replaced from somewhere - guess what, the only source can be from the outside hot air. If it wouldn't be replaced from outside, you would suffocate in a vacuum. This is why whenever you can, you should forget moving air and move the heat instead with a proper split AC.
@candaceblair
@candaceblair 17 күн бұрын
They also make insulated wraps on Amazon for this for about $30
@hklheman
@hklheman 8 ай бұрын
install an inline extractor fan may help .
@leea.6101
@leea.6101 21 күн бұрын
Why not get 6 inch insulated and flexible dryer vent hose.?
@Chris-pj1os
@Chris-pj1os 10 күн бұрын
I've installed a 4 inch "dryer vent" for a number of people to use as vents for portable a/c's. I just run them straight through stucco/siding, right at the height the hose exits the a/c unit. Then I install the a/c unit right up against the vent so that there is almost NO hose at all to emit heat. Dryer vents are louvered so no bugs/critters get in while not in use. A 4 inch cap is put in place on the inside of the room during the months the a/c is stored (winter). Less hose = less heat loss.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 10 күн бұрын
Makes sense but I’d probably just go the extra step and install a mini split at that point
@Chris-pj1os
@Chris-pj1os 9 күн бұрын
@@reallyMello . What size hole does the smaller mini-split require? I'm curious....I've not done one yet...
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 9 күн бұрын
Depends on the unit but much smaller since it just needs to run the refrigerant loop to the outside unit and the condensation line
@devtechsavvy7125
@devtechsavvy7125 Жыл бұрын
I added a second hose for the intake air and added thermal insulation to the exhaust hose, i also use a 12 volts fan to blow outside air in the intake hose but recently am thinking about creating a thermal insulator in the portable air con for the condensor
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Жыл бұрын
Interesting. Where are you ducting the intake in from in your setup?
@devtechsavvy7125
@devtechsavvy7125 Жыл бұрын
From the condensor intake vent
@devtechsavvy7125
@devtechsavvy7125 Жыл бұрын
I think the cold air from the evoporator coil is mixing With the Hot air from the condensor coil because of the poor insulation which seperate the two part
@rickjames1246
@rickjames1246 Жыл бұрын
@@devtechsavvy7125does using the fan to blow air into the air intake help any?
@bassman9544
@bassman9544 25 күн бұрын
i go shopping rn and try to do this too.
@Canadianboondocker
@Canadianboondocker 27 күн бұрын
Run it straight outside. No hose. Raise the unit so it can exhaust straight out with out the hose. I'm doing that in my trailer works good. One problem is these units create a negative pressure. To me they should create a positive pressure
@Pack.Leader
@Pack.Leader 10 ай бұрын
I'm curious. Do you think a heavy duty aluminum foil would have done just as well? It would probably be much easier to apply and press onto it. Maybe I'll try that before the reflectix insulation. Thanks again.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 10 ай бұрын
I don’t think it would do as well no. The airgap in the roll insulation I’m using would be more effective at preventing heat transfer then foil alone.
@LJolie-jz8go
@LJolie-jz8go 2 ай бұрын
Great idea, I will try that first, sounds like a great idea
@Rhotz-ix8ll
@Rhotz-ix8ll 2 күн бұрын
Single hose units are so inefficient it should be illegal to sell them. They just pull more ambient ( ie warm) air into the room from the vacuum created by pushing the exhaust out. That said, even on a dual hose unit the insulation would be a huge improvement so well done.
@therealthreadkilla
@therealthreadkilla 15 күн бұрын
My issue is length, the only exit I have is a considerable distance away from where I can put the A/C unit. Everywhere I read they claim to not lengthen the exhaust hose but I was thinking that if I use the standard hose and then go bigger on the extension it'll reduce back pressure and the force required to push the air thru the extended hose. What'ca think?
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 14 күн бұрын
@@therealthreadkilla adding a booster fan to the duct is maybe an idea to overcome the increased pressure from having a long run
@G0SuBunnY
@G0SuBunnY Ай бұрын
Would replacing it with a dryer tube work better since its already insulated? its 8 dollars? Also the second tube for your unit shouldn't that be connected to the outside wont that add a significant 30-40% more effective?
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Ай бұрын
They typically aren’t insulated to the same degree and you need to be careful on opening diameters. Connecting a second tube would help in my case as well yes.
@mazdafiero112
@mazdafiero112 2 ай бұрын
Hell I've used old blackout curtains, wrapped it around mine and then used the foil tape. No heat excape at all.
@blaizes.4951
@blaizes.4951 28 күн бұрын
They actually make insulated hoses and also have a sleeve foe the hose. Much easier
@blueheelerservicedog
@blueheelerservicedog 12 күн бұрын
why cant you use the duct for a dryer vent. It is the same size I think
@ddymnm
@ddymnm 6 сағат бұрын
For Dual systems both hoses go outside. Also, your door doesn't look insulated. These two things matter a lot.
@LubaLuba1
@LubaLuba1 Ай бұрын
Can I use anything else instead of R22 for my portable?
@kushsmoke187
@kushsmoke187 9 күн бұрын
So cute
@YellowPineappleHoyas
@YellowPineappleHoyas 10 күн бұрын
How did you make the thing for the window??
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 10 күн бұрын
I cut rigid foam insulation from the hardware store to make that
@pmaint1
@pmaint1 7 ай бұрын
I bought a new unit and it wasn't cooling the room at all so I did the same thing you sid however I wrapped with a few large towels and duct taped it and rhat didn't work. The towels don't get very warm but the unit atill blows warmish air. I think I bought a turd.
@Indiaexpress
@Indiaexpress 10 ай бұрын
Just random thought in mind...can the hot exhaust air be used to cook food or the least heat a pan of water ? 😇
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 10 ай бұрын
That’s kind of the concept behind hybrid water heaters sort of in reverse. They use the a compressor to heat the water and actually exhaust cold air-which is nice because it helps cool down my garage a little.
@algee8415
@algee8415 Ай бұрын
Make exhaust hose as short as possible.
@crazyboutgames2000
@crazyboutgames2000 3 ай бұрын
I'm trying to find information on leaving the plug out with the drain hose in a bucket. I tried it just now on mine the last couple days and oh my God the water that comes out
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 3 ай бұрын
Mine is supposed to self evaporate with the exhaust air but there have been a couple rare times I’ve needed to drain via the plug
@jessc4328
@jessc4328 2 ай бұрын
I have mine elevated up on an old solid end table and have the tubing Into a deep bucket so water runs out
@user-ey1xv1jr7e
@user-ey1xv1jr7e Ай бұрын
Bought portable a/c unit last year and had it draining into a really big plastic round storage tub. Dumping the accumulated water out twice a day was annoying. Looked at getting small aquarium style pump with long tubing to drain the water possibly out the window. Window screens in my home are pretty old. When I can afford a new window mount a/c unit or a mini split I plan to upgrade. But for most of last summer & again this summer…. cut a small hole in window screen & attached a hose to the drain at the back of portable a/c unit. Put the a/c unit on an old end table (it’s solid heavy wood), and put the water drain hose out the hole in window screen. That window is just off of my concrete front porch and the water from a/c drain now waters the flowerbed adjacent to porch, under that window. Mine isn’t the prettiest diy insulation job around the window air hose vent & the a/c water drain. But it’s a temporary solution until can save up for home improvement.
@davidrios7217
@davidrios7217 11 ай бұрын
You are supposed to use a second hose to use the outside air to cool your evaporator instead of inside air. That way you wouldn’t use the air you just cooled to cool the evaporator.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 11 ай бұрын
That is optional and depends on how hot the air is outside the room relative to the inside. If the inside air is 85 F and the outside is 95 F and humid it wouldn't make sense to use the intake duct (as in my case). As Whynter explains it on their FAQ page, "A dual hose portable air conditioner will cool a room faster and will help minimize negative air pressure situations in the room. If the outside temperature is much higher or more humid than the room, you can cover the intake hose with the included cover, and it will function as a single hose unit."
@recoveryguru
@recoveryguru 11 ай бұрын
The inefficiency of a one vent portable AC or not using the intake hose on a dual, causes air from the outside to be sucked in from all the tiny gaps in the house. When you push air outside the air has to flow in from somewhere to equalize the pressure. A dual hose system makes a closed loop of the outside air flow when hooked up properly. Which is more efficient than causing a constant flow of outside air coming into your house.
@recoveryguru
@recoveryguru 11 ай бұрын
@@reallyMello I don't think you understand. The air conditioned air has a different intake. It's a closed loop. If you properly use the dual vent then the outside air is second closed loop, like a central AC. The way you have it setup will cause outside air to get sucked into your house, losing efficiency. Using both vents will lower the humidity more too.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 11 ай бұрын
@recoveryguru For it to be a closed loop it would need to be recirculating the same air. When you are dumping out exhaust air through the window you have created an open loop that, as you state, needs replacement intake air from somewhere, either the surrounding spaces or the optional second duct connected to the outside--but that is fresh air, not a closed loop, not recirculating. So in situations where that input fresh air is significantly more hot and humid than the space you are conditioning there isn't a benefit of using the second hose. In cases where the intake air is milder or less humid, yes. A central A/C is a closed loop because it recirculates the inside air and transfers the heat out via the coolant loop to the outside compressor that is cooled off with the compressor fan using the outside air vs the compressor being housed in the same space as with portal units where you need to duct out that waste air which needs replacement air from somewhere.
@recoveryguru
@recoveryguru 11 ай бұрын
@@reallyMello I guess I used the wrong terminology. I mean the inside and outside air are are kept separate in a dual system. You run an AC when it's cooler outside? 😲
@tanzinah583
@tanzinah583 11 күн бұрын
Does this hurt the pipe at all? Like the plastic melting?
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 11 күн бұрын
Nope
@DDj11
@DDj11 9 ай бұрын
does the hose have to go outside for heating?
@ltstup
@ltstup 3 ай бұрын
Exhaust yes. Intake no.
@mmabennyj
@mmabennyj 2 ай бұрын
Yea
@BigSed55
@BigSed55 6 ай бұрын
Just put the air con on a table shorten the hose and shove it near the window a lot easier
@dillon4813
@dillon4813 5 ай бұрын
thats what I did. It helps but hose is still releasing a lot of heat. im insulating mine for this summer.
@Thesocialgarage
@Thesocialgarage 5 ай бұрын
They sell insulated double wall ducting, its not expensive.
@The_Real_Grand_Nagus
@The_Real_Grand_Nagus 11 күн бұрын
I don't know that you're getting an accurate reading off of that reflective surface. If you touch it with your hand does it feel warmer than the ambient temperature? Either way, I'm still disappointed with the efficiency losses compared to a window unit.
@realcartoongirl
@realcartoongirl 9 ай бұрын
why didnt you connect the second hose?
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 9 ай бұрын
I misunderstood what the advantage was supposed to be of the second hose at the time.
@MHdollrevievs
@MHdollrevievs Ай бұрын
@@reallyMello We have a Media Duo the 2 hoses in one plus an inverter and it cools our bedroom down to a meat locker in just half an hour. The hose doesn't get hot because it draws in outside air and no pressure drop in the bedroom.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Ай бұрын
That’s great!
@denisebrock6882
@denisebrock6882 Ай бұрын
​@@MHdollrevievswhere did you buy it? I'm not seeing dual hose model.
@MHdollrevievs
@MHdollrevievs Ай бұрын
@@denisebrock6882 We live in Canada and we bought ours a Media duo at Home Hardware August 23 as they had them on sale, It cools our bedroom to a meat locker. Media makes several models for different manufacturers the Dandy version sold at Costco is basically the same unit.
@sheepdog-kp9hb
@sheepdog-kp9hb 2 ай бұрын
Try moving the unit ckoser to window. Never run hose vertically
@mick8888V
@mick8888V Ай бұрын
Why shouldn't you run hose vertically? Doesn't heat rise? Excuse me if a silly question. I agree with the shortest root to the window exhaust.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Ай бұрын
I’m with you Mick, I get shortest route is preferred but I don’t get why a vertical run is a problem since heat rises unless you just want to avoid 90 degree bends which would make sense since that would add resistance to flow
@kevin.afton_
@kevin.afton_ Жыл бұрын
But you are still sucking the air from the room and pushing it outside, hence creating vacuum. Thus the hot air from outside will enter through the walls to equilibrate the vacuum. Thats why this system cannot work.
@reallyMello
@reallyMello Жыл бұрын
While I agree that leaking in of outside air from the vacuum they create lowers the efficiency when compared to sealed recirculating systems that doesn't mean they "cannot work". It's fair to say they wouldn't reach the efficiency of a window unit, mini-split, or central A/C that recirculate the air without creating a vacuum. However, when a portable unit is what you have to work with insulating the exhaust duct, as shown here, is a way of helping improve the efficiency of the given system as well as keeping the duct short. The vacuum aspect is an important consideration though so thank you for mentioning it.
@donovanhill7367
@donovanhill7367 11 ай бұрын
@@reallyMello I literally taped a cardboard box over the condenser coil intake and routed a 6" duct from outside into the box improve efficiency. It works a LOT better this way and can cool a larger space.
@giuseppegius6175
@giuseppegius6175 11 ай бұрын
@@donovanhill7367 I think all these units should have 2 air tubes. It's incredible no company producing these ACs has ever thought to that solution. EDIT: I just discovered they invented them and are called "dual hose" but I don't find them here in italy.
@giuseppegius6175
@giuseppegius6175 11 ай бұрын
you got it, these units are flawed by design. In the past there were portable split systems on the market, with external condenser, now they are very rare and cost at least 5 times these with tube, I think they were much much better
@NatureLoverReturns
@NatureLoverReturns 2 ай бұрын
I wrapped/taped a towel around my vent hose. But I find that it won't stay attached to the unit and keeps coming apart....very annoying.
@wfobaby9116
@wfobaby9116 13 күн бұрын
No, Mini split - yes.
@anthonyviola9400
@anthonyviola9400 11 ай бұрын
I am not sure why my unit creates so much water that I have to empty a pail of water from the unit every couple of hours?
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 11 ай бұрын
Sounds like there is a lot of humidity in the space you are conditioning
@noway8233
@noway8233 11 ай бұрын
Amient Humidity
@corygardner3945
@corygardner3945 10 ай бұрын
Try cleaning your filters.
@CheMathiewNgayihiAbbe
@CheMathiewNgayihiAbbe 6 ай бұрын
What happens if I use only the upper drain port?
@CheMathiewNgayihiAbbe
@CheMathiewNgayihiAbbe 6 ай бұрын
How about pvc pipes replacement
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 6 ай бұрын
PVC wouldn’t insulate by itself either and would make it harder to connect to a portable unit
@letsbehonest4221
@letsbehonest4221 10 ай бұрын
I dont think the warm outlet makes much of a difference..
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 10 ай бұрын
It did for me. Very noticeable especially when working closer to the unit. It will depend on how long your duct is as well.
@letsbehonest4221
@letsbehonest4221 10 ай бұрын
@@reallyMello fair enough..👍
@user-kj9fd5db9i
@user-kj9fd5db9i 15 күн бұрын
It would have been a lot easier with wider insulation
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 15 күн бұрын
@@user-kj9fd5db9i not with the angles I had to work with at the time
@user-kj9fd5db9i
@user-kj9fd5db9i 13 күн бұрын
@@reallyMello oh that makes sense 😊
@codycreager4428
@codycreager4428 2 ай бұрын
Just use dryer duct my guy
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 2 ай бұрын
That’s maybe an option if it’s matching diameter but they aren’t typically as well insulated either
@rtel123
@rtel123 6 күн бұрын
Interesting observation, but the heat coming thru the skin of the pipe is the least of your worries with a SINGLE HOSE unit. One of the two hoses in a TWO hose unit takes warm outside air and cools the condenser which is much hotter, and blows the hotter air back outside. The indoor intake just takes the room air and keeps cooling it more and more and putting it back into the room. A single hose unit takes the air to cool the condenser FROM THE ROOM, (air your just paid to cool) and pushes it outside. That creates a vacuum in the room, and the replacement air has to come from outside, usually past the weatherstrip in the window because it is half open. Very energy inefficient! These single hose units should be outlawed! It costs almost nothing more to add a hose for the intake of the condenser cooler, and indeed, they only cost about 10% more.
@brianwt1
@brianwt1 3 күн бұрын
I just wish they don’t use soooooooooooo much electricity my last bill was $500.
@saidul02
@saidul02 24 күн бұрын
here i spent £40 for 2 extra hoose
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 24 күн бұрын
Ya the hoses are a bit pricey relative the DiY approach but have a cleaner look if it’s going somewhere that may matter more I suppose. The efficiency gain of an insulated hose or the foil roll will pay itself back eventually.
@Jagster7k
@Jagster7k 21 күн бұрын
Why don’t you just get a window ac. It will be far more efficient!
@reallyMello
@reallyMello 21 күн бұрын
In my case the unit was free so making the best use of it. Second, when the window is a slider instead of single/double hung your options are limited.
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