Air Conditioning V Air Cooler
It's hot, so you're looking to cool down. A regular fan doesn't blow away your sweat, so you decide to go for more heavy-duty equipment: You want to buy either an air conditioner or air cooler. Suddenly, you begin to doubt. What is actually the difference between a portable air conditioner and an air cooler?
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Below, we'll explain what kind of cooling you may expect
from a portable air conditioner Vs an air cooler.
Air Conditioner: (Cooling from refrigerant)
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On a portable air conditioner, you can set the desired room temperature yourself. The air conditioner will then do its job until it reaches this temperature.
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Choose a portable air conditioner if:
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1. You want to reduce the room temperature by more than 6 degrees.
2. You have the option of moving the exhaust hose outside.
3. In addition to cooling, you also want to increase comfort from reduced humidity.
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A portable air conditioner cools the air using a compressor and refrigerant.
The very cold refrigerant passes through a cooling coil, your room's warmer air passes through this coil and the refrigerant process absorbs the heat.
The air that has now passed through this process is now significantly cooler (up to 12 Deg C lower). The warmer refrigerant is then compressed and the heat is removed by another coil, this hot energy is then exhausted outside via a plastic duct. A portable air conditioner has wheels, allowing you to move it into another room easily. In addition to that, an air conditioner also works as a dehumidifier. Cold air contains less water/moisture than hot air. When the moisture is removed it makes you feel less sticky and this gives you a feeling of even greater comfort.
Air Cooler: (Cooling from cold water or ice)
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On an air cooler, you can't set the desired temperature. You can adjust the fan speed.
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Choose an air cooler if:
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1. You want to reduce the room temperature by 3 degrees Celsius for up to 1hr.
2. You're looking for slightly more cooling than a fan offers.
3. You want to add humidity/moisture to the space.
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An air cooler looks like an air conditioner, but it is a completely different product, as it does not use a compressor or refrigerant, it instead uses cold water/ice. You fill tap water into a tank coil, your rooms warmer air blows through this water tank coil.
Dependant on how cold the water you filled up your tank with, the air (up to 3 Deg C lower) is then blown into the room. You will then need to replace the water as it will quickly warm up. Because of this, the room temperature (barely) drops more than 1 or 2 Degrees. This feeling will last longer if you use Ice and water, as it can take up to 1 hour to melt. Please complete the "discount Test" to understand more about the difference between real air conditioning and a fan.