Portable ACs are compacted air conditioning units that can bring cool air to certain parts of your home. Unlike central AC, they can be moved from place to place just like a portable fan, ensuring lowered temperatures anywhere you need. However, despite their ranging mobility, these units are limited by their portable hoses, which can sometimes be too short to accommodate for proper ventilation. The exhaust hose for AC units is used to vent hot air and water vapor out of the unit. These byproducts that are created during the cooling process must be ducted outside of the area that is being cooled in order for the portable AC to work effectively. Depending on where your unit is situated, it might be difficult to maneuver a 5-foot exhaust-hose out of a 10-foot-tall window. However, for the well-being of your machine, using a portable-air-conditioner hose is important to removing exhaust. In this article, you will learn about all your options in relation to extending your portable-air-conditioner hose. You will also learn more about the specifics of portable-air-conditioner hoses. We will answer questions such as:
• Can I extend my portable-air-conditioner hose?
• How far can you extend the hose on a portable-air-conditioner?
• Can you bend a portable-air-conditioner hose?
• Can you connect two AC hoses together?
“Air Ventilator Orange”
“Thermoplastic Flex Medium-Duty WS”
“Wind Handler Insulated TU”
Can I Extend My Portable-Air-Conditioner Hose?
It is possible to extend your portable-air-conditioner hose. Lengthening your portable-air conditioner-hose is attainable through the use of air-conditioner hose-attachments, which can add several feet of length to portable AC hoses. First, reading over the instruction manual of your unit will let you know the specifications of the device. If you have a portable-air-conditioner exhaust-hose that is 4 feet long, and you are trying to reach a door that is 6 feet away, there is no problem in extending your hose. Many portable AC units come with ducts between 4 to 7 feet in length, depending upon the unit. Therefore, elongating your hose to, say, 9 to 10 feet should be an easy task. Even for other scenarios, extending air-conditioner exhaust-hose-work is not an impossible task with the help of hose connectors. At Ducting.com, we sell Aluminum Connectors as well as Stainless Steel Connectors. They can be used to connect two hoses with the same internal diameter. Or you can simply purchase a 12ft flexible hose. Since these hoses have excellent compression ratios and flexibility, maneuvering and installing a hose is made easy.
By utilizing connectors held in place with our Screw Clamps or Bridge Clamps, extending your portable-air-conditioner hose can be secure and efficient. These clamps are utilized to hold connectors into place, or to fasten hoses onto pipes or other equipment. If you need to secure your ducting to established furnishings or pipes, these clamps will be the perfect accessory. When it comes to hoses, different material compositions reflect different applications. For example, our SS-Flex 800 Stainless Steel hose can withstand higher temperatures than that of an Aluminum Flex 400 Hi-Temp Hoses. This concept applies to our connectors as well! Stainless Steel Connectors are more durable than Aluminum Connectors because they can withstand temperatures above 800 °F, while aluminum can only tolerate up to 400 °F. For even easier connecting, we have the J-Lock Connectors Quick-Disconnect Hose. J-Locks are perfect for applications where quick connecting and disconnecting might be necessary. Connectors and clamps are available in ID sizes from 1.5 to 24 inches. Remember, at the end of the day, it depends on your application. The type of connector, clamp, or hose you chose are all factors to consider when you are looking to extend your portable-AC hose.
If you do not want to buy connectors or clamps, consider replacing your portable-air-conditioner hose with a new, longer one. Fabric hoses are ideal for portable AC applications because of their compressibility, flexibility, and durability. At Ducting.com, our fabric hoses come in standard lengths of 12, 25, and 50 feet, depending on the model. However, if you need more precise measurements of ducting, we can easily custom-cut our hoses to any length you desire. Replacing your existing hose with a longer one is simply another way of extending your hose! If you are looking for a portable-air-conditioner hose, any hose from the Air Ventilator, Wind Handler, and Tornado Flex series (just to name a few), is highly compressible and easily flexible, making it perfect for air-ducting applications.
With these hoses’ durability to fumes, as well as protection against external abrasions, our ducts are made to last. If you choose not to use a hose extender for portable air-conditioner ducting, then can you replace your hose with a longer tube? For portable-air-conditioner applications, the answer is yes! However, if you do desire to extend your hose via connectors, Ducting.com has many types of accessories that can assist you. No matter the accessory or hosing, our products come in a range of sizes that can be matched to any of your portable-air-conditioner duct-work.
How Far Can You Extend the Hose on a Portable Air Conditioner?
Practically, you can extend the hose on a portable air conditioner as far as you need. The length to which you can extend your portable-AC exhaust-hose safely will depend on your specific unit. The maximum length for the typical portable-AC exhaust-pipe depends on the unit. There are even rare units that can house an extra-long, AC vent-hose up to 25 feet long. Reading up on your portable AC is the easiest way to figure out how long you can extend your hose. The most important consideration to keep in mind while extending portable-AC exhaust-hose work is back pressure, which can negatively affect your unit. Back pressure is the opposing force of the desired path of material through ducting and can cause your unit to operate inefficiently. The amount of back pressure exerted upon your portable AC will depend on specifications such as the power of the unit, as well as the make and model. One way you can deter back pressure while expanding your hose is by increasing the internal diameter. You can increase hose diameter by connecting hoses of different diameters with special connectors. You can also increase internal diameter by, perhaps, ¼ of an inch—depending on the hose tolerance of your exhaust hose. At Ducting.com, our portable-air-conditioner hoses are flexible and compactable, ideal for long-lasting air-ventilation. They feature a variety of hose ID tolerances, which allow for them to be fitted over slightly larger or smaller openings. The amount of tolerance will depend on the specific hose. For example, the Air Ventilator Black Flexible Ducting has an ID tolerance of up to 0.125 inches for hoses below a 12” ID, and up to 0.25 inches for hoses above a 12” ID.
If you were to purchase a 6” ID Air Ventilator Black, you would be able to fit it onto another hose or pipe that is 6.125, or even 5.8.75 inches in diameter. Connecting the Air Ventilator Black to a larger-ID-sized hose would allow you to gradually increase the diameter of your ductwork to account for back pressure. You will also need to ensure that the ends of your ducting can accommodate for a sealed fit. For example, the Air Ventilator Black features a belted cuffed end that can be cinched onto pipes, hoses, or machinery without leaving any gaps. A belted cuffed end, among other types of fitted ends, would permit for the diameter of the hosing to increase while ensuring a tight seal.
At Ducting.com, our US-made fabric hoses can be custom-fitted with enlarged cuffs to accommodate the connection of larger-ID-sized hoses. For example, our Tornado Flex Insulated AD Insulated Hose is a polyester fabric hose coated in PVC that features an insulated barrier that protects temperatures for air applications. The Tornado Flex Insulated AD is ideal for ducting air at high and low temperatures, and can be customized on length, color, ID size, and end finishes. The Tornado Flex can be fitted with enlarged cuffs, which can connect a hose with a larger ID size of up to 2 inches bigger. This is ideal for combating back pressure in your portable AC unit by gradually expanding the size of the hose diameter. The Tornado Flex Insulated AD can also be made to customized lengths, ensuring that you will not exceed the maximum amount of feet typical for a productive portable air conditioner. These enlarged cuffs can turn the diameter of your 4-inch air-conditioner hose into a 6-inch air-conditioner hose without any attachments!
Can You Bend a Portable-Air-Conditioner Hose?
Yes, you can bend a portable-air-conditioner hose. You can manipulate flexible duct for portable-air-conditioner hosing, so long as you do not bend your portable-air-conditioner hose beyond its minimum bend-radius. A hose’s bend radius represents how much you can bend your hose while its maintaining structure, strength, and functionality. This is the minimum amount of looped diameter you can bend a hose without causing injury to it. Refraining from flexing your hose beyond its minimum bend radius will allow you to keep the integrity of your portable-air-conditioner exhaust-hose. Exceeding the minimum bend radius of your hose can cause excess stress, leading to cracks, leaks, or end separation. Damage to the hose for a portable-air-conditioner can also include kinking, which can create obstacles in your ducting that inhibit air flow. Cracks, leaks, or punctures will also permit air to escape the hosing, reducing pressure inside and decreasing efficiency. Bending past the bend radius can also cause your portable AC ductwork to pull away from the unit and decrease the productivity because of all the air that is being lost. These are all situations where overbending your hose will result in problems exhausting your portable AC. This is especially the case with portable air conditioner hoses. The hoses that come with most portable AC units are made from less-durable materials—not meant to last. They are typically not built to withstand constant flexing, nor support the extending of your ductwork. Unlike these hoses, ducting from Ducting.com is made to withstand the harshest applications. At Ducting.com, all of our portable-air-conditioner hoses are extremely flexible and durable, allowing for tight bend radii.
As our PVC ducting hoses are some of our most flexible and durable portable-air-conditioner vent-hose, they can be placed in hard-to-reach areas. If you require a hose that can circumvent obstacles in your home while also maintaining its structure, the PVC Flexduct (General Purpose) Blue is made of lightweight PVC plastic with a steel-wire-helix reinforcement. This allows the duct to retain function even whilst flexing. The extreme flexibility of the PVC Flexduct (General Purpose) Blue—as well as any of our portable-air-conditioner hoses—makes them easily maneuverable due to their tight minimum bend radii.
Can You Connect Two AC Hoses Together?
Yes, you can connect two AC hoses together through the use of hose connectors! Connectors are a simple, economical way to extend portable-air-conditioner vent-work. Utilizing connectors to join two or more hoses together can prove cost-efficient in some cases, especially you already own two hoses of the same ID. If you plan on extending your portable-air-conditioner hose by connecting two lengths of ducting together, we have a large selection of connectors available at Ducting.com. As mentioned prior, the Aluminum Connectors and Stainless Steel Connectors are durable and affordable accessories that can join together two hoses of the same internal diameter. Our Aluminum Connectors are flexible and lightweight, perfect for general, ambient-air applications operating within temperatures of up to 400 °F. While the Aluminum Connectors exhibit good resistance to heat and corrosion, Stainless Steel Connectors can withstand temperatures of up to 800 °F, as well as exhibit better resistances to corrosion and outdoor environments. Both connectors feature a raised lip to prevent the hose clamps from slipping off the hose. With the Aluminum and Stainless Steel Connectors, you can securely attach your portable hose to other ductwork, making it possible to create longer lengths of hosing.
Our Screw Clamps and Bridge Clamps are made to connect your hose to another fixture, whether that be a piece of machinery or even one of our connectors. Our clamps are made from durable stainless steel, which is very resistant to chemicals, heat, and other damages that might affect the surface of the hose. The Bridge Clamps are metal bands that are offset in such a way that they effortlessly fit over the wear-strips or corrugations of hoses. This allows for a tight and secure connection. Our Screw Clamps are also composed of stainless steel, which is a highly durable and temperature-resistant material. They are designed to fasten your hose onto a connector, pipe, or any piece of equipment. Merely tighten or loosen the screw in order to adjust the size of the clamp. The J-Lock Connectors are made from resistant stainless steel and are ideal to use in situations where you might have to connect or disconnect the connector quickly and easily. They are excellent for temporary applications, as they do not have to be separated from the hose to unclamp it.
J-Lock Connectors are perfect for mobile, on-the-go duct connections. All of our accessories, from clamps to connectors, are available in a range of ID sizes. As the portable-air-conditioner hose is, on average, 5 inches in diameter, our attachments are available in ID sizes of 4 through 6 inches. Of course, we offer our attachments in other sizes as well. It all depends on your application. With durable materials and affordable pricing, our hose-connecting accessories are ideal portable-air-conditioner, duct-connector attachments.
In this article, you have learned that the optimal way to extend your portable-air-conditioner hose depends on your specific unit. With your new knowledge and insight on extending portable hoses, there should be no reason why you cannot do so yourself. Elongating your portable-air-conditioner exhaust-hose is possible with hose connectors and clamps that can join together two hoses of the same ID size. Connecting two existing hoses together via clamp and connector will create a longer exhaust hose that can satisfy your venting requirements. If purchasing hose attachments is not your preferred method, another way of “elongating” your portable AC hose would be to simply replace it with a long portable-AC-hose. Portable-air-conditioner hoses at Ducting.com typically come in standard lengths of 12, 25, and 50 feet—as well as in varying ID sizes—and can be suited to fit in any application you might desire. We will also customize the length of any type of hose; if you require an 8-foot PVC hose, we can happily customize our ducting to your specifications. There are plenty of ways for you to circumvent your portable AC issues. If your portable AC hose is too short to properly ventilate your unit, or perhaps if you cannot maintain a completely straight path for your ducting, extending your ducting is just one option among many. It is possible to extend your hose, as long as you remain educated on the portable-hose essentials, such as minimum bend radii and the various hose-accessories at your disposal.