Portable Air Conditioners are becoming increasingly popular because of the flexibility of being able to relocate them and the economy of running costs. There are three important points one must consider while selecting a unit for cooling:

•    Cooling Capacity of Portable Air Conditioner
•    Venting or Exhaust System of the unit
•    Gadgetry and Size of the unit

It is important that you select a portable air conditioner that is powerful enough for the room size. Units are rated in BTU (British Thermal Unit) which is a measure of cooling capacity of the unit. As per the rough estimation, one square feet of an area requires 30 BTU for cooling.

For a flat measuring 250 – 300 sq. ft. select a portable air conditioner unit of 7000 BTU capacity.
If more than two people are going to occupy the space, add 600 BTU per additional person to the cooling capacity of portable air conditioner.

A portable air conditioner has to drain out condensation created by cooling humid air and vent out heat. Some units have a drip tray or bucket where water is collected and is required to be emptied regularly. Some units vent out the hot air and evaporate condensed water through an exhaust hose.

Portable air conditioners are preferred because of their small size. While buying check the dimensions of the unit and make sure that unit will fit in the space that you have planned for it.

Modern portable air conditioners are available with multi features like remote control, timers, sleep function, heater and de-humidifier. Select the one that has the features that you need.