A windowless air conditioner is a self-contained unit that doesn’t have to sit on the windowsill.
Although many experts argue that windowless air conditioners are less efficient than other units, there are numerous benefits to buying a windowless model.
These include the fact that this type of unit is easier to install, can eliminate smoke odors, and is great for cooling rooms that are heated and not cooled properly with another air-cooled system.
Here’s an overview of the pros and cons of buying a windowless air conditioner.
This type of unit is definitely easier to install and is not an eyesore. Because only a single tube needs to be pulled out the window, this type of unit is truly unobtrusive. In fact, it is very difficult to see a unit from outside your home.
A windowless air conditioner can also be a good idea if you are just looking to provide additional cooling in your home, you may already have central air installed.
For example, it may be wise to use a windowless air conditioner in a room that does not have good cooling from its central air system. Often times, a room located on the second floor or in a particularly sunny area will have trouble cooling solely by relying on central air conditioning.
However, you can address this problem by placing a windowless unit in this overheated room. This will help remove hot air from the room. It will also mean that cooler air will flow into the rest of your home.
Windowless units also work well for controlling odors in your home. Since they always draw air from outside, a single hose unit is particularly good at removing odors, such as cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke.
In addition, this type of air conditioning can also prevent odors from moving to other rooms in your home. This occurs because the air pressure in the room with the unit is lower than the air pressure in the other parts of your home. As a result, odors will be contained.
A windowless air conditioner is actually a better system than central air if the goal is to contain cigarette smoke. A central unit can move cigarette smoke throughout the house, while a windowless unit contains the smell of smoke.
Another potential benefit of this type of unit is that these models are often more profitable than other units.
Now the downsides …
Experts agree that windowless air conditioners tend to take a while to cool the room. Some studies indicate that these units take twice as long to cool a room compared to window units.
Another problem with windowless air conditioning is that they may not be particularly effective in really hot climates. Because these units are constantly drawing in air from outside to replace the air in the room, they do not perform as well when the outside temperatures are extremely high.
For example, if you live in a part of the country that has long periods of 90 ° weather, a windowless unit will really have a hard time keeping your home cool. On the other hand, if you already have a central system installed, this type of system can offer additional cooling in private rooms in your home.
The other big problem with windowless air conditioning units is that they are often more expensive to operate than a window model. Because the unit is continually sucking in warm air from outside, it is not operating particularly efficiently. This means that the unit will have to run longer and harder for your room to cool down. This, of course, will result in high electricity bills.
The last potential downside to a windowless air conditioner is that it is only effective in one room. Due to its design, this type of unit simply does not have enough power to push cool air into its multiple rooms.
Because of this, Consumer Reports researchers note that the BTU rating on these units is often inaccurate. While some people expect the window air conditioner BTUs to be comparable to a portable unit, this is not really true. Rather, windowless air conditioners cool much smaller spaces for the same BTU.
If you are still interested in buying a windowless air conditioner, control your expectations.
This is not the type of unit that can keep your entire home cool during a blistering heat wave. This type of unit can also cost you a cut in your electricity bills. On the other hand, if you are looking to keep a single room moderately cool or are trying to contain the smell of cigarette smoke, then a windowless unit might be the best option.