Portable air conditioner units have become increasingly popular over the last decade, and it’s not hard to see why. For starters, there are easy to install and their cooling abilities improve drastically in each subsequent generation.
When hunting for the proper portable AC for your home, there’s one major point customers need to take into consideration, and that is whether to get a single-hose or a dual-hose model. In this brief guide, we will go over the differences between these two and what advantages they offer.
What Purpose does the Hose Serve?
If you’re unfamiliar with portable ACs, we first need to identify the purpose of these hoses.
Every portable air conditioner unit draws in and expels air. It exhausts heated air through the hose to the outdoors or to another part of your home where it will not tamper with the AC’s cooling effects. Because more heated air is produced than cooled air, the exhaust must be working optimally to maintain the desired cooling temperature.
Single-Hose Portable ACs
The main difference between single- and dual-hose portable AC units, other than the number of hoses, is the source of air used to cool down a room.
A single-hose model takes warm air from a room and chills it through a system of chilled coils. This system does not cool 100% of the air, and it produces condensation—both of which are shot out of the exhaust hose.
As a result, this creates negative air pressure which is replenished by air flowing through cracks around windows and doors. The process of chilling warm air, shooting out heated air, and taking in more warm air is repeated ad infinitum as long as the machine is turned on. However, this process forces the motor to work overtime so frequent maintenance is necessary.
Advantages
– Great for small rooms (check BTU rating)
– Cheaper upfront and operating costs
– Increased portability due to fewer hoses
Dual-Hose Portable ACs
The problem with negative pressure is that if a room is sealed off completely, the AC unit is rendered completely pointless. This issue is solved by the dual-hose setup.
Instead of drawing in ambient air, a dual-hose AC has a dedicated intake hose that sucks in air from a specific place (typically from the outdoors).
The intake sends air through a similar cooling process and immediately removes heated air and moisture through the exhaust hose. Additionally, the intake cools the compressor and motor down significantly to allow the unit to work longer and harder.
Since at least two fans (intake and out-take) are working simultaneously, it can be more expensive to operate. On top of that, these units require a healthier budget to purchase, but the return is better and quicker cooling.
Advantages
– No negative air pressure means quicker cooling
– Better option for larger rooms (again, check BTU rating)
– Enhanced filtration
Related Portable Air Conditioner Articles
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Single And Comparison Articles
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Whynter ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner
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Info Articles
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Conclusion
There you have it, folks: our quick guide on the differences between single- and dual-hose portable air conditioners. In a nutshell, single-hose models are cheaper to purchase and work best in smaller rooms but are nowhere near as efficient as their dual-hose counterparts.
Our Recommended Portable Air Conditioners
Last update on 2023-06-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
| Best of the Best! | For Large Spaces | Budget Pick |
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| Whynter ARC-14S | hOmeLabs | BLACK+DECKER BPACT08WT |
| • 14,000 BTU • up to 500 sq ft • 16 x 19 x 35.5 in • 80 Lbs | • 12-14,000 BTU • up to 600 sq ft • 17.9 x 15 x 30.7 in • 72.3 Lbs | • 8,000 BTU • up to 150 sq ft • 16.5 x 11.5 x 26 in • 52.9 Lbs |
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Based on experience with the conditioning of air in cars and homes, it is a proven fact that when a system uses ambient air laden with humidity and heat as a primary source, the system is burdened by this scenario or any air source that is full of heat and humidity. Yet, if a system picks up air from a cooler source like a room that has air already conditioned, ‘recirculated air,’ this system works more efficiently. To prove this, just move the air control on your car A/C unit from recirculating to fresh air. You will immediately notice a decrease in the cooling effect. Why? Because you are now drawing in heat-laden humid air that reduces the efficiency of the unit. Same for a window unit that offers a fresh air blend. When fresh air is blended, the cooling is reduced. This goes for central A/C systems too. The recirculation of interior air, which has already been conditioned will always be a better choice for cooling efficiency and reduce wear and tear upon compressor systems.