Portable air conditioners are one among many options used to keep your home or workplace cool. Central AC can get expensive to run. Therefore, having a smaller, transportable unit that you can set up in home offices, living rooms, or bedrooms can be more beneficial. The portable AC unit brings cooling power directly to areas that need it. Consider adding a portable AC to areas such as small offices, home gyms, or sunlit rooms, which may generate more heat than other locations of your home. The portable air conditioner is generally easier to install than a window unit, as well as more effective than a portable fan. A portable AC displaces hot air from your room, pumping it outside through a portable AC exhaust hose. (There are exceptions, such thing as hoseless portable air conditioners, but that is something we will touch upon later in the article.) There are a multitude of wonderful uses for and advantages of the portable air conditioner, but it is natural to be wary. It is important to know what portable AC exhaust is, as well as if it is harmful. In this article, we will answer these questions, along with others such as:
• What comes out of air conditioner exhaust?
• Do portable ACs emit carbon monoxide?
• Are portable ACs safe?
• Do all portable air conditioners have to be vented out a window?
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What Comes Out of Air Conditioner Exhaust?
The only thing that should be coming out of your air conditioner exhaust is hot air. Before we can talk about portable air conditioning, we first want to educate you a little on air conditioning in general. An air conditioner, portable or not, works by drawing hot air from inside your home and funneling it outside. This hot air from within your home is taken into the unit then cooled by coming into contact with coils that contain coolants, which cools the hot air. This cooled air is then released back into the room within which the portable AC is situated, and the newly hot air is exhausted out of the room. This is the byproduct of all air conditioning: hot air. You should be relieved to know that your air conditioning unit is not blasting nasty chemicals out the vents of your home. There are, however, some other concerns that remain. Even though you may not need to worry about what comes out of your air conditioner, you may need to worry about what lies inside. Central air conditioners contain refrigerant, otherwise known as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), or chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). Whichever form your refrigerant may take depends on the make and model. Older models may contain Freon (another name being R-22), which has been discontinued because of its contribution to holes in the ozone layer of our planet. Newer models tend to use R-410A, otherwise known as Puron, which is a different kind of HFC that is supposed to be better for the environment. Puron also increases the performance of your air conditioner.
Despite Puron’s efficiency as a refrigerant, it is still hazardous for our planet, with air conditioners potentially losing up to 10% of their refrigerant every year. Sources may claim that R-410A is one of the least toxic refrigerants and does not have a “high” contribution to ozone depletion, but the fact remains that it is illegal to vent Puron into the atmosphere. One kilogram of Puron has around the same impact to our ozone layer as two tons of carbon dioxide. The ozone layer is imperative to our planet because of its essential task of shielding Earth from the sun’s UV radiation. With the holes tearing through our ozone because of greenhouse gases originating from hazardous chemicals, the Earth is undergoing dangerous changes in climate such as global warming. Not only are refrigerants detrimental on a macro scale, but they might also be affecting your health.
Exposure to above-recommended levels of refrigerant can cause severe issues such as respiratory illnesses, heart problems, and long-term brain damage, among many things. Symptoms can include loss of concentration, nausea, headaches, and drowsiness. If you are worried about a potential leak in your air conditioning, please do not hesitate to call an expert. However, there is no need to worry about portable air conditioners leaking refrigerant. These units contain less refrigerant than normal air conditioners and never need to be refilled. The chance of your portable AC leaking harmful amounts of refrigerant is very slim.
Do Portable ACs Emit Carbon Monoxide?
No, a portable AC-unit does not emit carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of burning fuel. Since portable air-conditioning-units do not burn fuel, they do not release carbon monoxide. Portable ACs instead use electricity as their source of energy. CO is dangerous because there is no way to detect it without a device specifically tailored for CO detection. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen and does not give off any scent (like how hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs). Even though you cannot sense CO, that does not mean that you can just ignore it. Just 45 minutes of carbon monoxide exposure can lead to headaches, dizziness, impaired vision and memory. After 1 to 2 hours, you can lose consciousness. After 2 to 3 hours, you could die. Despite these frightening statistics, there is no danger of your portable air conditioner producing CO. Nonetheless, there are fringe cases where carbon monoxide or other toxic gases are brought into an individual’s home through a portable AC. This is especially true of dual-hose AC-units, which utilize an intake hose, as well as an exhaust hose. For these units, if its intake hose sucks in toxic fumes, these substances will be brought into the room that the portable AC is trying to cool. Thus, pay attention to the place from where you draw in air using your portable-air-conditioner hose (if it is an intake hose). If this place contains a fuel-burning machine, you may be bringing carbon monoxide into your room!
Carbon-monoxide-producing devices are any appliances that burn fuel. CO is created when wood, gasoline, charcoal, propane, or other fuel are burned and do not experience full combustion reaction due to lack of oxygen. In turn, low levels of oxygen lead to more carbon monoxide formation. When more oxygen is introduced during the burning process, less CO is emitted. Why should you care? The answer remains that even if your air conditioner cannot produce CO, there are still a plethora of carbon-emitting appliances existing in your home. Devices such as stoves, fireplaces, dryers, water heaters, or anything that burns fuels all give off carbon monoxide. Do not fret, however; carbon monoxide in concentrations lower than 9 parts per million is typically safe. There is no need to jump to unnecessary conclusions about the state of carbon monoxide in your home. Carbon monoxide detectors exist in your place of residence for this very purpose: to detect and alert you to dangerous levels of CO that may affect you and your loved ones. Remember to replace the batteries on these detectors periodically to ensure your safety 24/7.
If you are still concerned about the existing levels of CO inside your home, employ these tips to help regulate emissions. Do not run devices such as cars, charcoal barbecues, gas stoves, or generators inside of your home. Make sure stoves and other gas appliances are properly ventilated, funneling fumes outside. Make sure your water heater, heating system, and chimney are services and cleaned by a professional yearly to ensure they are working appropriately. There is no need to worry about carbon monoxide in your home once you know how to prevent and protect yourself and your loved ones.
Are Portable ACs Safe?
Portable air conditioners are perfectly safe to use as long as they are installed properly and as instructed. Whether it is by instruction manual or manufacture guide, these are typically the best guidelines to follow when assembling your portable AC unit. Exercise some caution while browsing the internet for tips and advice on portable air conditioning. Forums like Reddit or reviewers on Amazon may not be as trustworthy as articles from fact-checked sources. In this vein, we do not recommend you go against product instruction, like with a do-it-yourself (DIY) portable air conditioner exhaust hose, venting out of a dryer vent, or any sort of creative, yet radical tactic. Otherwise, portable ACs can be safe to use. They do not emit carbon monoxide, and while they do contain refrigerants, they do not leak significant levels of Freon or Puron. You can be rest assured that portable air conditioners do not pollute the air with toxic chemicals, therefore ensuring the safety of your home. Another great feature of portable air conditioners is that they have self-timers. It is more common than not that these units feature a self-timer that allows you to run the air conditioning throughout the night without worrying about having to turn it off. Examples include units that have a 24-hour timer, as well as a sleep mode, that can all be activated by a smartphone application or any cloud device like Alexa or Google Home. With an automatic shut-off in place, you do not have to worry about your portable air conditioner running constantly and proving itself a fire hazard. You will also save yourself the energy and electricity, which will show on your next utility bill.
With portable air conditioning, there is always fire safety to keep in mind, as there is with all electronics. In fact, the third leading cause of all house fires are ones caused by electrical distribution systems, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International. With correct installation, periodic maintenance, and a couple of tips on electrical fire safety, there is no reason to doubt the safety of your portable air conditioner. Do not place your unit on carpets or rugs, as this can hinder ventilation and decrease efficiency. You want to ensure that your portable AC exhaust vent does not experience any blockage, as this can cause your unit to overheat in its attempts to work harder.
Also, remember to unplug the appliance whenever it is not in use for long periods of time. Leaving devices plugged in for extended amounts of time can cause them to overheat or spark, leading to disaster. Use surge protectors, surge protected outlets, or extension cords with surge protection. Surge protectors guard your electronics from sudden power spikes or surges that might otherwise damage them. Malfunctioning equipment is no small matter when little accessories like surge protectors, or little actions like unplugging appliances can have a big positive impact on your home.
Do All Portable Air Conditioners Have to Be Vented Out a Window?
No, not all portable ACs have to be vented out of a window! Venting your AC out of a window is one of the more popular methods for safely circulating your AC’s exhaust. Portable AC units these days even include a portable AC window vent kit! However, if your air conditioner hose is too short to reach the window, or if you perhaps want to place your portable AC in a room with no windows, then you have other options. In order to properly ventilate your air conditioner, make sure that the portable AC exhaust is being transported outside. In other words, leading the exhaust hose through an opening will suffice. Of course, there are exceptions. We do not suggest throwing your hoses in just any opening. Examples of proper portable AC venting options include venting through doors, walls, ceilings, into attics or garages. An example of poor AC venting is through a dryer vent. This is not a good idea, as dryer vents generally have a diameter of 4 inches, and the portable AC hose usually has a diameter of 5 inches, which will result in an incomplete air seal. By creating a tight seal around the entrance and exit of the hose, air will not escape as it conducts the flow of particles. This is important to the efficiency of the unit, as an incomplete air seal will cause production to decrease, making the air conditioner work harder.
If you are limited on venting options, there is always the ventless portable air conditioner! The ventless AC, otherwise known as the evaporative cooler or the swamp cooler, mists water in the air in order to cool down the temperature of a room. This requires no hoses or ducts, essentially making it a hoseless portable air conditioner. Ventless ACs take in hot air, which will cross over a cooling pad inside the unit, cooling it and flooding it with water vapor that is then pumped back into the room. This causes your home to fill with cold, moist air, permitting you to combat hot temperatures. Because the ventless AC uses water to cool the air, instead of refrigerant and coils like regular ACs, there is no need to vent out hot exhaust air. Therefore, ventless ACs do not have to be vented out a window! One of the main downsides to ventless ACs, however, is because the units are constantly pumping moisture into the air, they are poor choices for areas with lots of humidity.
When humidity is high, there is a pressure gradient that cannot be exceeded. For ventless ACs that are consistently adding moisture to the air, they cannot continue to pump water vapor into a gradient that is already full. This can amount to your unit exhibiting lowered efficiency rates. Too much humidity in your home can also make you sick from potential respiratory infections, as it creates excess moisture and may even promote the growth of mold. If you live in humid climates, skip the ventless AC and opt for a regular portable one.
Throughout this article, we have learned about the potential dangers of air conditioner refrigerant, carbon monoxide, and the possible cause of respiratory illnesses in your home. Even with all this negative information, there is still a silver lining. Portable air conditioners cannot produce carbon monoxide, nor leak refrigerant in significant levels, so there is no need to worry about your unit causing unforeseen damage to your health. You and your loved ones can sleep safely knowing that your portable air conditioning unit will not run all night thanks to self-timers, therefore eliminating potential fire hazards. Do not worry about urban myths such as portable AC exhaust and portable AC carbon monoxide poisoning, as these questions are just fearmongering speculation. Hopefully, you have learned a little bit more about the technology that exists in your home and how you might protect and defend your families against dangers such as electrical fires or refrigerant leaks.