When researching plausible portable-AC hose replacement alternatives (as all owners of portable ACs should), you might come across options labeled as a “5-inch portable-AC vent/hose” or “6-inch flexible-duct for portable-AC.” However, do these number pertain to the length of the hosework, or the diameter? And if it does pertain to diameter, what diameter hosing does your unit require? Knowing the length and diameter of your hosework is important, but first you should know the difference between inside diameter and outside diameter. Understanding your portable-AC duct-work relies heavily on knowing the inside diameter, otherwise known as ID, of your hose. The inside diameter of your hosework is important to know, as manufacturers often use this number to represent the size of the ducts they are selling. This is why when you see items such as a 5” AC exhaust-hose or a 5.5” portable-AC exhaust-hose, these numbers are referring to the inside diameter of the hose. Inside diameter is the standard by which suppliers categorize their ducting, making it easier for consumers. The outside diameter of your hose—on the other hand—is imperative to know for objects that attach to the outside of your hose. OD, also known as outside diameter, only pertains to size when your ducting is liquid-handling. However, as portable ACs only manage fumes, we do not have to wonder which diameter is being referenced. We now know that the size typically refers to ID size. However, what is hose size ID and what does it measure?
“Air Ventilator Orange”
“PVC Flexduct General Purpose Clear”
“Wind Handler”
What Is Hose Size ID?
The ID size of a hose refers to the inside diameter of the duct. Inside diameter is the distance between one point on the internal wall of a hose to another opposing, internal point. Inside diameter can also be thought of as the width of the hose. The inside diameter is one of two measurements used to determine the size of a piece of ductwork—the other being its length. When purchasing a piece of ductwork, have you ever wondered about what exactly the “size” of the hose is referring to? In fact, manufacturers categorize the size of their ducts by their ID! Whether it be a hose for a portable air-conditioner or a hose for window air-conditioner units, ducting is typically standardized by inside diameter and length. Inside diameter helps customers and suppliers understand a little bit about the volume of materials that are moving through the hosework. After all, the ID measures the inside of the ductwork, which is meant to direct and funnel air or other fumes. At Ducting.com, all of our hosework is specified by ID and length to determine the size of the ducting you are purchasing. We offer our portable-AC duct-work in a generous selection of lengths and IDs.
If you need a 6-inch portable-air-conditioner exhaust-hose, we certainly offer many portable-air-conditioner hoses with an ID of this size! Or perhaps you are looking for a more specific ID size, like a 5.9” AC-hose. Typically, it is difficult to find hoses in such precise sizes. Luckily, our portable-AC hose-work can accommodate for this. For example, any of our hoses from the Air Ventilator series would make a great portable-AC hose replacement. If you are replacing your 5.9” air-conditioner hose, the Air Ventilator Orange with an ID of 6 inches is the perfect replacement hose.
This hose features belted-cuff ends that function like—well—a belt! These ends make it so that you can tighten the hose around any fixture, even one that is 0.1 inches smaller in ID size. These cuffed ends can be cinched snugly in order to ensure that there are no gaps between the hose and to the component to which it is attached. It is not uncommon for portable air-conditioners to require a 5.9-inch air-conditioner exhaust-hose, which is a very precise size for standard hosing. This specific measurement may make it troublesome to obtain a portable-AC hose replacement composed of good-quality materials. It is a good thing that Ducting.com has you covered with a wide assortment of portable-AC duct-work that can replace anything from a 4” air-conditioner hose to a 5.9” portable-AC hose! Our ducting is available in a vast selection of sizes, materials, and applications, crafted with flexibility and durability in mind. Again, ID size is the inside diameter of a portable-AC duct and is used to classify the width of the hosework. Manufacturers list their hoses by their inside diameter, which is meant to fit over the OD of an opening. But what are OD and ID sizes?
What Are OD and ID Sizes?
OD, otherwise known as outside diameter, measures the distance of one external point on the hosework to another opposing, external point. ID, also known as inside diameter, is the distance between one internal point on the hose to another opposing, internal point. OD size includes the thickness of the ducting’s walls, while the ID size excludes it. Why would you need to know the outside diameter of your hose, though, if the inside diameter is the method by which a portable-AC duct is measured? It is good to know the outside diameter of your hose so that you can accurately purchase any attachments that are meant to be placed on the outside of your duct. As these accessories are fitted over the body of your hose, it is necessary to know the hose’s outside diameter. For example, it would be ideal to know the outside diameter of your ductwork if you intend to buy clamps. Ducting.com sells clamps in order to attach together multiple hoses of the same ID size. Our screw clamps and bridge clamps are placed on the outside of a hose in order to tighten it over any fixture upon which you wish to attach your hose. These stainless-steel clamps are designed to snugly fit over your hosework and secure them over any pipe or connector. The bridge clamp is a ring of stainless-steel that is offset in order to “bridge” over the steel wire that is featured on many flexible hoses. The screw clamp, much like its namesake, is adjustable by a screw that allows you to tightly secure your hose to any fixture. For attachments such as our clamps, it is important to know the OD size of your ductwork. You want the inside diameter of these clamps to match the outside diameter size of your hose. As stated prior, ID is necessary for understanding the inner width of your ducting. If the portable-air-conditioner exhaust-hose diameter was not specified between inside or outside, customers would purchase ducting with little-to-no idea if it would fit their unit! This is why it is important to understand the difference between inside diameter and outside diameter. Inside diameter is the method by which suppliers typically classify their hosework, and is meant to fit over the outside diameter of whatever you plan to attach the hose to. You should know the outside diameter of your ducting for the purpose of hosing accessories such as clamps—objects that are meant to fit the exterior of your hosework.
Are All Portable Air-Conditioner Hoses the Same Size?
No, not all portable-air-conditioner hoses are the same size. A portable-AC duct can differ in inside diameter as well as length, depending on the unit. Portable-AC duct-work differentiates in ID and length in order to fit the specifications of their unit. A portable AC might have a 4-inch exhaust-hose for portable air-conditioner units instead of a 6-inch AC-exhaust hose. This is because having a smaller inside-diameter typically increases the amount of pressure inside of the hose. This is why a smaller unit might have a hose with a smaller inside-diameter. The limitations of your unit—predetermined by your manufacturer—are the deciding factors of the size of your portable-air-conditioner flexible exhaust-hose.
So, are all portable air-conditioner hoses the same size? No, portable-aircon. unit hose-work comes in a multitude of sizes, which can make finding a portable-air-conditioner hose replacement seem difficult. Knowing the inside diameter of your hose will make this process even more straightforward! This is why it is important to measure the inside diameter of your portable-air-conditioner air hose, so that you may acquire the specific size of hosework that you need. Portable-air-conditioner hose length also varies, with a portable-AC exhaust extension available in whatever size you require.
As mentioned prior, clamps and connectors are a great method for portable-AC vent/hose extension, with these metal attachments joining together multiple pieces of hosing. Using clamps and connectors is a fantastic way to attach two or more ducts together to form one long run of hosework. The utilization of accessories is typically a more cost-effective approach to a portable-air-conditioner ducting extension than purchasing an extra-long hose for portable-air-conditioner units. However, a long, flexible air-exhaust hose is easier to take apart and transport than a chain of hosework. For example, Ducting.com’s Air Ventilator White is an extremely flexible and compressible, PVC-coated fabric hose that makes for easy and convenient storage and transport. With this hose’s ability to compress down from, say, 25-feet to just over 2, the Air Ventilator White could be disassembled and handled with more ease than two lengths of conjoined hosing. Depending upon your applications, either method of extension tubing for portable air-conditioner units would suffice. Not all portable-AC duct-work is the same size in ID or length. The length of your hose can be altered by conducting a hose extension—you can attach multiple hoses together or simply opt for a longer, air-conditioner hose. However, it is important to know the inside diameter of your portable-AC air-duct. Knowing the ID of your hosing will allow you to easily replace your original, portable-AC hosing for better-quality ducting.
What Is the Diameter of a Portable-AC Hose?
The inside diameter of a portable-AC hose will differ depending on the unit, but portable-air-conditioner vent/hose diameter will typically range from 4-inches to 6-inches. Of course, there are exceptions. There is no singular answer to the question, “What is the diameter of a portable-AC hose?” as ductwork diameter varies depending on the unit. It is like asking, “What is the height of a teenage boy?” There are many answers, many of which can be correct. However, the only way to correctly determine the inside diameter of your own portable-AC duct is to measure it yourself or locate the measurement in your user’s manual. The inside diameter of a portable-air-con. hose can be taken using a ruler. Simply align the end of your ruler on the internal wall of your portable-aircon. exhaust pipe and notate the distance to a point on the other side of the interior wall. This will be the inside diameter of your hosework. However, suppose your portable AC can only support a 6.1-inch-ID hose. Because the hoses from Ducting.com are flexible and compressible, they also exhibit hose-ID tolerance. ID tolerance can accommodate for slight differences in diameter. For example, the PVC Flexduct (General Purpose) Clear has an ID tolerance of plus 0.125 inches for hoses with an ID size under 8 inches. This means that this 6” portable-air-conditioner exhaust hose can be stretched up to 6.125 inches! A PVC Flexduct Clear with an ID size of 6 inches would be able to replace a 6.1-inch AC-hose because of its incredible ID tolerance. If you wanted to radically increase the inside diameter of your hosework in order to fit your portable AC, again, the belted cuff-ends featured on Ducting.com’s Air Ventilator hoses can accommodate such a task. These belted ends can be tightened over an opening with a smaller ID size than the hosework, allowing you to increase the ID of your ducting. This means that you can replace your 4.5-inch air-conditioner exhaust hose with a 5-inch air-conditioner hose from the Air Ventilator series. The belted cuff-ends allow you to secure your 5” ID hose onto the 4.5” ID opening of your portable AC. If you wanted to decrease the ID of your ducts, we also offer hosework in special ends—such as the funnel cuff—that can accomplish this. The funnel ends allow you to decrease the inside diameter of your hosework up to 2 inches—drastically reducing the diameter.
This means that you could use a 4-inch ID hose with funnel cuffs to replace your 6-inch portable-AC duct. With Ducting.com’s specialty ends for our hosing, you can sufficiently alter the diameter of your portable-AC duct-work, meaning that your 5-inch hose for air-conditioner units does not have to stay as such. This does further complicate the answer to the question, “What is the diameter of a portable-AC hose?” but it does increase your number of options! Inside diameter ranges for a portable-air-conditioner exhaust hose—6-inch ID to 4-inch ID is typical, but there are exceptions to this.
There is no definitive number to encapsulate the range of inside diameters that portable-AC duct-work can come in. However, we can say that units with a 4-inch air-conditioner hose are just as common as those with a 5-inch portable-AC hose, or a 6-inch portable-AC vent/hose. There are even units that use a 5.9-inch portable-air-conditioner hose as well! ID size is used to determine the width of the portable-air-conditioner hose/portable exhaust-vent, while length is the other term of measurement. Both of these numbers combined dictate the size of a flexible, portable-AC exhaust-hose. Outside diameter is another method of measurement, though this typically pertains to accessories that adhere to the exterior of your hosework. When OD is used in accordance to duct size, this is typically a sign that it is a liquid-handling hose, which a portable-air-conditioner with a hose does not require. It is still vital to know the OD of your hosing, however, if you want extension hoses for portable-air-conditioners. Connectors and clamps that attach multiple lengths of hosework together are a viable method for extending portable-air-conditioner hose-work. You can also just opt to replace your hose with an extra-long one as well. Knowing the inside diameter of your portable-AC duct is a centric part of understanding your ductwork. Yes, knowing your outside diameter and length are important features as well, but knowing the ID size of your portable-AC air-pipe allows you to alter, elongate, or replace your hosework. These are essential parts of owning a portable-AC unit, and knowing the specifications of your portable air-conditioner with pipe-work will aid the care and wellness of your unit.