There are two principal kinds of stand-alone air conditioners. One is a moveable unit that sometimes sits on the ground and is supplied with a hose that ventilates sizzling air out of a window or opening, much like a conventional window AC. Items of this sort typically additionally operate as dehumidifiers, pulling warmth and moisture from the air, compressing it with the inner motor, after which recirculating cooler, drier air into the house. They’re higher suited to humid climates, and have a tendency to value round $300-500.
When you’ve ever shopped for an AC unit earlier than, you’re in all probability acquainted with BTUs (british thermal items), the unit of measure for an air conditioner’s cooling energy. Beginning round 2020, some producers of moveable air conditioners began itemizing two different BTU ratings, one from ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) and one called SACC (seasonally adjusted cooling capacity).
Historically, the BTU rating that you just’d see on the unit’s packaging got here from ASHRAE, and was the results of testing the unit’s efficiency in excellent environmental circumstances (and extra prone to end in peak efficiency). The newer SACC ranking takes extra variables under consideration to duplicate the real-life surroundings that an AC unit may inhabit, and creates an common efficiency rating based mostly on quite a lot of temperature and humidity ranges. (FYI: This up to date ranking system solely applies to moveable AC items, and we’ve included the SACC ranking for every system except in any other case famous.)
The evaporative or “swamp” cooler, alternatively, is one other sort of moveable cooling system that features a bit in a different way. These items are lined with moisture-soaked membranes that add humidity to the encompassing air. They use an inside fan and tank of chilly water and ice to ship chilly, moist air right into a room. In line with the U.S. Geological Survey, they work finest in dryer areas with decrease humidity and better warmth, particularly the West, Southwest and Pacific Northwest. These are typically cheaper than moveable hose-vented items, usually starting from $40-$120, although costs can fluctuate vastly. Effectivity for these units is often measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute) though you’ll typically see BTU rankings for these units, too.