Don't laugh - looking for input on those mini-cube "a/c" units

[Monty]

Long story short: Trying to help a relative who doesn't want to rearrange everything to fit a regular a/c unit in a window.  That won't change.

I've seen several of these wonder cubes (generally less than 12"x12"x12") via internet searches & almost all claim they can cool a decent sized room in a short amount of time.  Funny thing is, there'll almost always be an accompanying ratings survey of the "top 5 models" with theirs coming in first for power, efficiency etc.

Wish I could find a real info source that would tell me objectively what these things can and can't do.  

Edited June 1, 2021 by Monty

[Dave Van]

My house does not have any A/C. We had 3 days above 90 last year so don't feel the need. 

But I saw a video on these small units and thought for $100 worth it for the few hot nights we have. 

What I saw is they are small 'swamp coolers' which really only perform in areas that are bone dry......AZ and the like. In high humidity areas they can make you feel hotter......start with that.

[cobraman]

I just got one of those this past week for my wife's home office. We have central air but she keeps the door closed and it doesn't cool off to good in that room. The one we bought works ok but not great just another one that works off water. 3 speed, mist and wait for it ......  different color lights !  Just what you need in a cooler ? She is happy with it but has it about two feet from where she sits. I think you are able to put ice cubes in it for better cooling. This helped so it was worth the little bit of money we spent.

[youpey]

4 minutes ago, cobraman said:

I just got one of those this past week for my wife's home office. We have central air but she keeps the door closed and it doesn't cool off to good in that room. The one we bought works ok but not great just another one that works off water. 3 speed, mist and wait for it ......  different color lights !  Just what you need in a cooler ? She is happy with it but has it about two feet from where she sits. I think you are able to put ice cubes in it for better cooling. This helped so it was worth the little bit of money we spent.

sounds like a humidifier

[bobthehobbyguy]

Check out consumer reports.

Here is a short video on portable airconditioners.

https://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/home-garden/energy-efficiency/6173734875001/why-not-to-buy-a-portable-air-conditioner/

[peteski]

If it is too good to be truer, it usually is.  Those things are swamp coolers which will not work in humid environment.  Even in dry air, these have almost zero cooling BTU rating. Well, they probably never mention any such ratings in the first place.  I live in area that gets hot and muggy in the summer and I roll my eyes whenever I see those "as seen on TV" ads.  Dumb, dunb, dumb!

You might look into a portable AC unit.  Those are floor standing devices (usually on coasters) and have 1 or 2 flexible ducts that go to a nearby window.  I prefer the one with 2 ducts (but those are harder to find).  Unlike the silly devices in TV ads, these actually work (I know - I own one).

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/g21286604/best-portable-air-conditioner/

https://www.consumerreports.org/portable-air-conditioners/best-portable-air-conditioners-from-consumer-reports-tests/

https://www.gearhungry.com/best-portable-air-conditioner/

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by peteski

[89AKurt]

I live in AZ.  I tried a small swamp cooler, it was worthless.  I have what Peter posted, works much better.

[Bills72sj]

You simply cannot defy the laws of physics. To remove heat energy from the air in the room, that energy has to get transferred elsewhere. A miniature swamp cooler can take some of the air's heat energy and vaporize water from a liquid to a vapor. However, the energy is not actually leaving the room. Once the humidity climbs to a certain level, that is all the cooling that you'll get.

One other note: Fans cool people (because they can sweat), they do NOT cool rooms. If the room is sealed up tight, a fan will actually slightly HEAT a room due to the energy imparted into the air molecules by the spinning blades and the inefficiency of the motor converting some of the incoming electricity into heat. If you are not in a room, turn off the fan. (Open windows to a cooler outdoor environment is another story)

[youpey]

9 hours ago, peteski said:

If it is too good to be truer, it usually is.  Those things are swamp coolers which will not work in humid environment.  Even in dry air, these have almost zero cooling BTU rating. Well, they probably never mention any such ratings in the first place.  I live in area that gets hot and muggy in the summer and I roll my eyes whenever I see those "as seen on TV" ads.  Dumb, dunb, dumb!

You might look into a portable AC unit.  Those are floor standing devices (usually on coasters) and have 1 or 2 flexible ducts that go to a nearby window.  I prefer the one with 2 ducts (but those are harder to find).  Unlike the silly devices in TV ads, these actually work (I know - I own one).

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/g21286604/best-portable-air-conditioner/

https://www.consumerreports.org/portable-air-conditioners/best-portable-air-conditioners-from-consumer-reports-tests/

https://www.gearhungry.com/best-portable-air-conditioner/

 

I used to have one like this. It was not too big but it did require a window for exhaust. 

I dont remember the btu on the one i had, but we went on vacation to west Virginia in july or August. We rented a house to share with the in laws. Of course since we were arriving after everyone else we were given the room upstairs with no ac.

We brought the ac with us as a just in case it was too hot.  it made all the difference. it was 100 each day we were there and that ac was able to cool off connecting rooms to a normal temperature. 

I wouldn't trust any ac unit that doesn't require an outside exhaust. 

One like the one i quoted is the way to go, if you can vent it

Also tbe one we had would vent the water with the exhaust. it had a built in bucket to drain, but it needed draining just 1 time for the entire summer. it had wheels so we would just move it put, pull the plug and let it drain for a couple of minutes and good to go

Edited June 1, 2021 by youpey

[stavanzer]

To add my 2 cents.

Either a Swamp or an A/C needs to vent to the outside. Hot Air and/or Water have to leave the room the unit operates in. For spot Cooling, I'd choose a small portable A/C unit like the ones Pete linked to. The tiny units being advertised online right now, are simply "catch-penny-engines", designed to take your money and leave you with another piece of useless junk to clutter your garage.

There are solutions to your problem. Bur sadly, they will not be as cheap or as easy as shown on the internet. But, it is a common problem, and there proven ways to handle it.

As far as the Window A/C problem, I've lived with both the window unit & the portable stand type. The upright portables are much harder to live with. Tripping over them was the worst part. No matter where you put them, they will always be in the way. IMHO, the window is the way to go.

Best of luck, Monty. It is good of you to offer to help.