Re:Hacking Portable Air Conditioners
by c3534l on Sunday August 02, 2020 @03:22AM
(#24027009)
I watched that immediately after buying a portable air conditioner. Thankfully, too, because I think he oversells the inefficiency and effectiveness of portable air conditioners. It's very easy to leave that video thinking you shouldn't bother with one, but the reality is that they're actually pretty damned good machines. Window-mounted units are marginally better, sure, but if that's not an option or you live a place that doesn't stay hot for very long, then they're fine, your electric bill is just a little higher. Which is fine for me because there's two months out of the year I need A/C and the alternative is a fan.
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I think you’re talking about a different device. Portable swamp coolers provide zero value in high humidity areas.
The linked video isn't the swamp cooler video (which is something TC also talked about recently).
> but the reality is that they're actually pretty damned good machines
... if you ignore the energy consumption, which is the whole point of the video.
Re:Hacking Portable Air Conditioners
by arkanciscan on Sunday August 02, 2020 @10:43AM
(#24028994)
Marginal energy consumption is ignorable
We could probably use some numbers here.
It varies by device and local conditions, but for single tube units a 50% loss in efficiency is not uncommon. In the worst case the air your sucking into the room is extremely humid and you waste a lot of energy constantly condensing water only to then heat that same air and blow it out the room.