The summer weather just won’t let up this year. I’m used to feeling temperatures hover in the high 80s most days in the climate I live in, but getting into the 100s in the afternoons is something I am not used to. I am not from the desert and these feel like desert temperatures. My reaction to our air conditioner going out last week came as no surprise to my wife, as she has heard me nervously rant about the HVAC system on several occasions. We were lucky enough to score an appointment with a heating and cooling repair company for that same week, but the real trouble came when the technician inspected the system and determined that several coils needed replacing. The only problem is that my coils are not stocked by any company in the area and would need to be ordered, which could take weeks. I broke down and bought a portable air conditioner that same day. They have wheels and are about the same size as a large dehumidifier. A major advantage they have over window units is that you can place a portable AC anywhere in your house as long as the air exhaust hose can reach an external window. This means that you can make them work with your existing furniture setup in your house and aren’t forced to rearrange everything before you can finally get it turned on. You could theoretically run it at different locations in your living room depending on the time of day. You could also pivot the machine in different angles to control where the air flow is directed. Although it isn’t a replacement for my central air conditioner, this portable unit is a lifesaver and ideal for situations like this.
The different types of thermostats