In previous articles, we talked about portable or stand-alone air conditioning systems, their main advantages, disadvantages, and if they are more convenient than fixed equipment with the required installation. In case you already have one of these floor air conditioners at home or if you are thinking about acquiring one, today we will see some tips to improve their performance and functionality quickly and easily.
Place the air conditioner on a carpet
Noise is one of the main drawbacks of portable equipment and one way to help reduce the low frequency is to place it on a carpet or insulating surface. This means that every time the compressor jumps, the unwanted vibrations are not transmitted directly to the ground but are partially damped.
Whenever possible, we should try to avoid placing the equipment right in the corners of a room. In this position, they will produce low frequency standing waves that will further increase the noise of the device. It is also convenient that they are well shod so that they do not vibrate constantly.
The shorter the tube the better
One of the main inefficiencies of this type of air conditioners is the tube responsible for expelling the hot air outside the room. They are usually made of plastic, without insulation, and emit a part of the hotness into the room, heating the area that we want to cool.
Usually, they are extensible tubes with some flexibility to facilitate their placement in any type of window, but whenever we can, we should try to use the smallest possible length to minimize the radiant surface area of heat inside the room. In addition, we must try to have the least possible bends, since every time it is bent, it is an obstacle for the air outlet and that will worsen the performance of the equipment.
Do not install the AC in front of a door or window
By constantly having to expel air from the room to the outside, a pressure difference is created producing incoming currents towards it, which come from the rooms or corridors that surround it. To prevent these currents from entering the air from outside or from another warm room, try not to place the portable A/C directly in front of a door that is not well insulated or in front of an uninsulated window.
It is easy to check by placing your hand on the slit of the poorly insulated door or window. A continuous stream of hot air that comes from outside the room will avoid reaching the desired temperature and will constantly make the compressor work, increasing its noise. This is a problem that is solved with the models that include a double connection tube with the outside (which on the other hand are not very common to find in stores), one that takes the air out and another that picks it up inside, not expelling the air from the room constantly towards the street.
Check AC filters frequently
It may seem obvious, but a dirty filter in these types of devices can cause the air outlet to clog and the efficiency of the equipment to decrease considerably. It is advisable to check and clean the filters at least once each season or more frequently if we live in a region with a lot of dust.
We also must monitor the internal containers where the device stores the condensation water to prevent the growth of mold, corrosion or that it overflows.
