It's impossible to drain water out without it soaking the carpet. You just have to drain the water from its internal tank every once in awhile. The cooler uses a fan to draw warm, stale air inside the unit, and passes over pads that are moistened by water, blowing the cool air out of the unit. The evaporative cooling effect actually occurs naturally around us, sometimes on a daily basis. Learn More Accept. Despite their nickname of “swamp cooler,” evaporative coolers are actually useless in swampy, humid areas. Portable air conditioners are a smaller version of a central air unit -- only all of the parts are contained in one space, rather than most of the unit being outside. There are three ways that water is drained from a portable air conditioner: Self-Evaporating With a self-evaporating system the water is dispersed back into the air, so no drainage is required. These units will work well for you if you live in a dry climate, but portable air conditioners are more versatile and require less maintenance. This way, the moisture, which is converted into liquid form inside the unit, can drain to the outside and collect inside a container, which is often a bucket that needs to be emptied daily when the air conditioner is being used. The cool air that results from all of this is released into the immediate area, while the gas returns to the compressor and begins the cycle again. Evaporative coolers, also known as “swamp coolers,” are air cooling devices that rely on some basic science to emit cool air into a room. The 10 Best Ventless Portable Air Conditioners For 2021: Reviews & Buying Guide, Top 5 Best Smart Air Conditioners & Controllers 2021, Top 10 Through-the-Wall Air Conditioners For 2021: Reviews & Guide. If the room in which the air conditioner is installed has high humidity, the condensation inside the unit might build up faster than the unit can recycle it and send it into the outside air. While both type of cooling systems will cool a room just fine, several characteristics differentiate them from each other, especially regarding the environment they best operate in. An example of this is the chill you feel right when you step out of a pool on a hot day. I created CoolAndPortable.com to help home owners select the right portable air conditioner, cooler or air purifier for their needs & budget in just a few minutes. It then disperses, or evaporates, the remaining water into the outside air, along with the hot air that you can normally feel exiting the back of all portable air conditioners. Cool And Portable does not accept payment or merchandise in exchange for our reviews. Portable air conditioners pull the air in from the room, remove the moisture while cooling the air, and send most of the air back into the room. As part of the cooling cycle, a portable air conditioner removes moisture from the air. These units rely on fans and water to create a cool air blast that can decrease the temperature in a room by 20 degrees Fahrenheit, while decreasing the ambient air anywhere from 5-9 degrees Fahrenheit on top of that. In addition to blowing cool air into a room, air conditioners also draw the moisture out of the room air and into the air conditioning unit. He has written for regional newspapers such as "The Metro Forum" and the "West Tennessee Examiner." Air-cooled conditioners on the other hand, are ideal for humid climates. These units are also called no-drip units because the water does not drip from the rear of the unit. I know it’s supposed to spray that water over the condenser and evaporate it. The area is cooled because the air circulates on its own. A window unit, while still not ideal, is considerably more energy efficient. Whynter ARC-14SH 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air... Award Winning: 1. Portable Air Conditioners vs. Evaporative Coolers – What’s the Difference? Portable A/C’s contain the same refrigeration chemicals as their bigger cousins, and also make use of a compressor, a condenser, and evaporator to create the cooling process. Portable air conditioner with a drain near the floor. Scroll or click to accept. Under extreme conditions like this, you need to manually empty the water out of the small tray or tank located inside the self-evaporating unit. Even with normal human functions such as sweating and actions such as cooking and bathing, the interior relative humidity level goes up. This moisture is released through the exhaust hose along with hot exhaust air. What a self-evaporating unit does is simply cut out any unnecessary water collecting inside the unit or in an outside container. A self-evaporating portable air conditioner is NOT the same thing as a swamp cooler, though I doubt you're the first person to be confused by the names. They are incredibly inefficient and represent a colossal and unnecessary waste of energy. Air coolers which are evaporative are often the best substitute for air conditioning units. Water Evaporation Problem in Portable Air Conditioner: What should I do? What a self-evaporating unit does is simply cut out any unnecessary water collecting inside the unit or in an outside container. Do not get a portable air conditioner if you can prevent it. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. This eliminates the need for any proper draining system. In this guide you will learn how each type of air conditioner system works, the pros/cons of each and how to select the right one for your room. 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