Portable Air Conditioners are one of our most popular sellers, however we only really specialise in the big, industrial and commercial portable air conditioners. Currently we get a lot of non-converting traffic on people searching for portable air conditioners, but why?
One theory is that the people searching are actually looking for the smaller, cheaper plastic portable ac units which are imported from China and sold in the likes of B & Q and Focus.
These units can retail for as little as £150 or less, and they do work, we used to carry a stock of these units and sell and hire them - however the market appears to have died. The question is why? The answer I'm guessing is the massive influx of cheap foreign units which are sold with very little margin making it a market not worth being in.
Are these units worth having? Surely they're no good if that's the price?
Well, yes and no. If you want some cheap cooling in a bedroom or living room then they're not bad and they're definately cheap - but a twin duct would be far better, because it draws fresh air in, and cools it as well. Cost wise we're going to be looking at closer to £1000 but it will perform far better. For shops, offices and commercial environments it's all down to capacity. If you run any AC unit in a room too big for it to cool or with too much heat gain for it to cool - it is only ever going to spot cool and never lower the temperature. It may even damage the machine.
In these instances, an MCM or an MCWCS unit is a better option. Of course if it's a 6' x 6' office with a desk and and a single worker - then the £150 plastic, chinese option is probably going to be perfectly effective and should perform adequately.
Showing posts with label portable air conditioners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label portable air conditioners. Show all posts
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Portable Air Conditioner or Fixed Air Conditioner?
The first question to consider when looking for air conditioning, is whether to purchase a fixed air conditioner or a portable air conditioner.
For rented properties or offices, you must consult the landlord and get permission to have a fixed system fitted. The fitting requires some destructive work and brings certain legislation and documentation into play which is ever increasing. I won't list the rules and regulations here, as they are changing constantly and getting tighter and more rigorous as time goes by. Even if you own the building the on-going cost of meeting current legislation is a valid concern.
If the landlord is happy to have it fitted then the next consideration is whether or not the cost is justified. It is possible to move air conditioning systems, however it is expensive, it can cost more than the purchase of the equipment in extreme cases.
The advantages of fixed systems is that they tend to take up no floor space, whether you choose a ceiling cassette or a wall mount. They can be quieter and more efficient. With a portable air conditioner you can get some heat radiated back into the room from the exhaust pipe. You may also have a tank which needs regular emptying as air conditioners pull water out of the air drying as well - this water has to be removed. Some units have the facility to use a hose or similar to pipe the water directly out in the same way that a fixed unit does.
Another critical issue with fixed systems is the location of the outoor unit. These can be a little unsightly and on the fronts of buildings, planning permission may be required, on a busy high street an outdoor unit on the front of the building is unlikely to be passed. An alternative is a monobloc fixed air conditioner which uses an intake and exhaust vent and works in a similar way to a monobloc portable - these require no outdoor unit so may be a good choice where outdoor unit location is a problem.
A key advantage of portable air conditioners is flexibility, you can purchase one to use to cool workers in the office - then transfer it to the server room if one of the fixed units fails. You cam move premises without de-comissioning and re-comissioning the unit, and a new one can be purchased and swapped in if a critical unit fails.
For rented properties or offices, you must consult the landlord and get permission to have a fixed system fitted. The fitting requires some destructive work and brings certain legislation and documentation into play which is ever increasing. I won't list the rules and regulations here, as they are changing constantly and getting tighter and more rigorous as time goes by. Even if you own the building the on-going cost of meeting current legislation is a valid concern.
If the landlord is happy to have it fitted then the next consideration is whether or not the cost is justified. It is possible to move air conditioning systems, however it is expensive, it can cost more than the purchase of the equipment in extreme cases.
The advantages of fixed systems is that they tend to take up no floor space, whether you choose a ceiling cassette or a wall mount. They can be quieter and more efficient. With a portable air conditioner you can get some heat radiated back into the room from the exhaust pipe. You may also have a tank which needs regular emptying as air conditioners pull water out of the air drying as well - this water has to be removed. Some units have the facility to use a hose or similar to pipe the water directly out in the same way that a fixed unit does.
Another critical issue with fixed systems is the location of the outoor unit. These can be a little unsightly and on the fronts of buildings, planning permission may be required, on a busy high street an outdoor unit on the front of the building is unlikely to be passed. An alternative is a monobloc fixed air conditioner which uses an intake and exhaust vent and works in a similar way to a monobloc portable - these require no outdoor unit so may be a good choice where outdoor unit location is a problem.
A key advantage of portable air conditioners is flexibility, you can purchase one to use to cool workers in the office - then transfer it to the server room if one of the fixed units fails. You cam move premises without de-comissioning and re-comissioning the unit, and a new one can be purchased and swapped in if a critical unit fails.
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