With the arrival of sunny days, many of us want to bring a little freshness to our interior. The portable air conditioner is a practical and space-saving way to achieve this, at a reduced cost while avoiding installation work. However, given the large number of models on the market, finding the right device for you can be complex. Here are our tips for making the right choice and the prices to expect.
What are the different types of portable air conditioners?
The mobile air conditioner is an interesting device that can cool one or more rooms in the house, or even heat some of them in the case of a reversible model. To operate, it captures the calories present in the air (heat) and condenses them or rejects them to the outside depending on the model. If it is reversible, it also serves as an auxiliary heater. The term mobile means that it can be moved from one room to another without difficulty and its installation does not require any work. It should nevertheless be noted that there are fixed models.
There are two types of mobile air conditioners: monoblocs and splits.
The monobloc mobile air conditioner
This mobile model is the most common. It consists of a single air-conditioning unit, as its name suggests. Practical and not bulky, it works by means of a flexible duct which allows it to reject hot air to the outside through a window or a half-open door or even an exhaust vent fitted in the a wall. It is simple to use, inexpensive and practical, but it is somewhat noisy.
It comes in a single-hose version and a double-hose version. The latter is more efficient, since it renews the air better and consumes less energy thanks to a suction pipe and an evacuating pipe.
Count 300 to 1,000 euros for this model.
The mobile split air conditioner
This model consists of two separate units: an outdoor unit consisting of a compressor and a condenser, and an indoor unit consisting of an evaporator and a control console. This model is more expensive, but it is also more discreet in terms of noise and volume. On the other hand, it is more difficult to move, because the two units must remain connected and the outdoor unit is often noisy, which can disturb nearby neighbors.
Plan a budget of 800 to 2,000 euros for this mobile air conditioner.
How to choose your portable air conditioner?
To make the right choice of air conditioner, you will need to take into account several important criteria.
The power
It is essential to adapt the power of the mobile air conditioner to the area of the room to be cooled. Indeed, if you opt for a small, undersized model, the device would operate at overspeed, would be worn out prematurely and would cause your energy consumption to explode for a mixed result. Conversely, a device that is too powerful would be forced to operate at underspeed and would wear out just as much.
It is estimated that the power required is around 100 Watts per square meter in a classic room, that is to say with a ceiling height of 2.50 meters. You will therefore need a device with a power of 100 to 2,000 Watts up to 20 m², 2,000 to 4,000 Watts between 20 and 40 m², 4,000 to 6,000 Watts for 40 to 60 m², etc.
Performance indicators
To be sure of buying a solid, efficient and durable mobile air conditioner, you will need to take into account several indicators.
- Its overall energy class : this is rated like any household appliance and oscillates in terms of energy consumption between A (very economical) and G (very energy-intensive) or between A+++ and D depending on the class.
- Its cooling capacity : it is indicated in kW/h and must respect the volume of the room to be cooled.
- Energy consumption per hour of air conditioning.
- Seasonal cooling efficiency (SEER) : this is rated between A+++ and B depending on the performance of the device over the period of use.
- The sound level : this point is important, because a noisy device can be difficult to bear on a daily basis.
- The Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) : it defines the performance of reversible models when operating in heating mode, according to a classification from A+++ to A.
- The calorific power : it concerns reversible models.
- Energy consumption per heating hour.
Comfort and options
There is a whole range of devices and the comfort evolves according to the options chosen. Some are highly recommended for more enjoyable everyday use.
- A programmer : this option is very practical for establishing a set temperature or for programming a start-up or shutdown of the appliance. It allows the user to manage the device remotely (including outside the home) and to make significant energy savings since it does not operate at a loss.
- The remote control : practical for controlling the device remotely (from home), it saves you having to move to make each adjustment.
- Purifying filters : you can install filters on your portable air conditioner to purify your ambient air. The activated carbon filter captures bad odors and the electrostatic filter sucks up dust.
- L’option silence : offered on several models, this silence or night option reduces the power of the appliance gradually and thus reduces the sound volume.