Self Evaporating Portable Air Conditioner

A big advantage of a self evaporating portable air conditioner is that it can reduce maintenance while increasing operational efficiency when compared to regular portable units.



An AC that self evaporates its condensation instead of allowing it dribble into an ever-filling container is a smart choice if you are looking to replace your old AC.

Let's see how these coolers work. First, let's get an understanding of how a regular portable AC keeps you cool when it is hot.

How an Air Conditioner Works

Understanding the workings of a portable AC is vital. Here's how the AC works to cool you in the heat.

Cool Air

Air conditioners make chilled air using a refrigeration process that is similar to your refrigerator. It transfers heat to each coil, so that one coil cools down while the other heats.

The chilled coils cool off the air. After that, the cold air is blown into the room to cool down. The heated coils generate hot air and moisture. This is removed through the chilled.

Hot Air

The hot and humid air is emitted to the outdoors through pipes or ducts. Portable units make use of one or two vent hoses that connect the unit to a window or wall opening.

Some of the humidity is expelled, although some moisture condenses on cold coils.

An air conditioner's condensed moisture forms large drops, which then drip into the catchment tank at the bottom. This catchment tank should be drained once it has filled up.

It is possible for a sensor to fail to empty a tray entirely, which could cause the unit not to turn on until it is empty. The auto will shut off.

A Portable AC that Self-Evaporates

Generally, the greater the cooling power of conventional air conditioners, the greater the excess condensation.

However, it is possible to increase the cooling efficiency of the device by making use of the excess condensation to help to cool the condenser coils.

The cooling coils absorb more heat from the evaporated water vapour. It is circulated by exhaust ducts to the outside, and not allowed to condense into a tray.

This is, in a nutshell, what self-evaporating air conditioners do in expelling the excess moisture as vapor to the outside.

Pros and Cons of Self-Evaporating AC

There are some benefits as well as some downsides to owning and operating a portable self-evaporating air conditioning device.

Let's take a look at these pros and cons:

Pros

One of their main benefits is the fact that you don't need to drain or empty a water tray. This tedious task may be familiar to you.

Emptying a full water tank can be frustrating and difficult to carry out.

In most cases, the portable unit needs to lifted onto a crate or table to allow the water drain into buckets. Gravity is the only way water can be drained from the tray into a bucket.

AC units can also turn off when there's too much water in the tank. This will leave you without cooling, causing the temperature to rise to uncomfortable levels.

Self-evaporating AC units do away with this task by evacuating the excess moisture that would otherwise condense and fill the tray.

A second advantage to vaporizing air conditioners is that they are more efficient than traditional ones. They require less energy for cooling the same volume of air, thanks to the re-use of the moisture to help cool the coils.

The result is lower household energy use and this is reflected in visibly reduced electricity bills.

Cons

What are the downsides to these air cooling devices?

These units come with a disadvantage, which is the higher purchase price when compared to a regular portable AC.

It is possible to see the small added cost of buying one of these units as a disadvantage. However, the added cost is quickly offset by lower operating costs due to higher efficiency and economics.

Another disadvantage is the limited choice of models from different manufacturers. However, the models currently available are generally of good quality and represent good value for money.

High Humidity

The unit could encounter a slight problem in areas with high humidity. When the humidity is very high, the ability of the unit to evaporate and expel water is reduced and some condensate will end up in the tank.

In such a situation, there is a water tray for holding this excess condensate, which also acts as the repository for moisture removed from the air when the unit is in dehumidification mode.

As with any other portable air conditioner, the container will need to be emptied as soon as it becomes full.

To avoid this happening, it is a good idea to keep the room's humidity low. It is possible to avoid it in unventilated bathroom or kitchens where steam from hot baths, hot showers and/or boiling large amounts of water in the cooking area.

To reduce humidity in humid places, ventilation fans can be installed. The fan will blow the humid air through the outlet before the conditioner has to deal with it.

Conclusion

A portable air conditioner unit is is an ideal solution for keeping you cool when there is other form of cooling, such as central AC, mini-split AC or window units.

For whatever reason, the building you are living in may not have central air installed and as often happens in apartment buildings, there could be restrictions on tenants installing window AC units.

For the best efficiency and cost-effectiveness as well as reduced maintenance, a self-evaporating portable air conditioner is the best choice of appliance in this class.

Resources:

https://airconergy.com/air-conditioning/self-evaporating-portable-air-conditioner.php
https://hvacr.blob.core.windows.net/self-evaporating-portable-air-conditioner

Video: The video below looks at an evaporative AC compared to draining a normal portable AC:

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