Anybody ever used a portable air conditioning unit while renting a cabin on vacation? If so, what’s been your experience with it?
We bought a 8000 BTU unit that is supposed to be good for 200SF. I’ll be happy if it keeps the cabin 5-10 degrees cooler than the outside daytime air temp.
Yea, just used one this past July 4th weekend. Was a lifesaver for both human and dogs. Kept the cabin at 72-74 degrees. This is the unit we had
IMG_20210703_082045822-scaled.jpg
Yea, just used one this past July 4th weekend. Was a lifesaver for both human and dogs. Kept the cabin at 72-74 degrees. This is the unit we had
Nice. That’s good to hear. I don’t think we’ll need to use ours the entire trip, but there’s a couple days that are supposed to be near 90 and on those days it would be helpful.
Do you know what the specs are on that unit? How many BTU and the space (square footage) its rated for?
I use one at my in-laws cabin, it does a great job removing the humidity and getting the night time temps down for good sleeping, but it is a bit loud in the small bedroom, louder than a window unit.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
Yea, just used one this past July 4th weekend. Was a lifesaver for both human and dogs. Kept the cabin at 72-74 degrees. This is the unit we hadNice. That’s good to hear. I don’t think we’ll need to use ours the entire trip, but there’s a couple days that are supposed to be near 90 and on those days it would be helpful.
Do you know what the specs are on that unit? How many BTU and the space (square footage) its rated for?
no i dont sorry………..all i was told was it is a $600.00 unit brand new and the kid paid $250.00 for it. it was a used unit.
the cabin i believe is somewhere around 36 X 36, and is pretty much wide open…not rooms that gets closed off by door. hope that helps!!!!!
One thing with the portable A/C units is that because they’re a closed unit and are constantly expelling air from inside to outside, you need to be extra diligent in keeping doors closed as much as possible, otherwise you’ll just be pulling in warm air from the outside to replace the air you’re expelling.
We do not have forced air in our house and used to have window AC units which mostly have been swapped out for Portable units. I am very pleased with them and they work extremely well. Since many of my windows are sliders, the window AC units required a frame to be built around them which was a PITA. Now the portable units are much more friendly and you can easily open the windows when it gets cool.
One thing with the portable A/C units is that because they’re a closed unit and are constantly expelling air from inside to outside, you need to be extra diligent in keeping doors closed as much as possible, otherwise you’ll just be pulling in warm air from the outside to replace the air you’re expelling.
this unit has a flex hose for the exhaust you put in a window. any extra open space in the window we stuffed with towels!!!!
we are eagerly awaiting the next electric bill for the cabin to see what that unit did for power use, but its not like we will use it every time up there. we have a really good idea what the electric use is gnerally so it will be interesting to see.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>waldo9190 wrote:</div>
One thing with the portable A/C units is that because they’re a closed unit and are constantly expelling air from inside to outside, you need to be extra diligent in keeping doors closed as much as possible, otherwise you’ll just be pulling in warm air from the outside to replace the air you’re expelling.this unit has a flex hose for the exhaust you put in a window. any extra open space in the window we stuffed with towels!!!!
I think that he meant if you are merely cooling a single room, the room with the portable AC unit will get warm air filtering in from outside that room making it harder to cool which is true. Typically we close off bedrooms, but we have 4 portable AC units in our house. 1 downstairs living room, 1 upstairs living room and 2 upstairs bedrooms. The doors to the bedrooms are generally closed.
gotcha!!!!!! 
we have baseboard electric in the house so no forced air. we have a wall unit with the compressor outside. also has a heat mode thats good down to about 35 degrees.
we just had to replace the old one to the tune of $4500.00. this one really does a good job, so if anyone is looking for a replacement i recommend a DAIKIN. AIR Maxx did it out of st cloud/rockville.
yea i’m putting in a plug for them…….they were exceptional to deal with!!
I have been using a portable unit for several years. It is a two hose unit that pulls air in one hose and expels from the other. It doesn’t work as well as a window unit but we have casement windows that don’t easily accommodate a window unit. I’d buy another just like it if needed.
The make/model:
Whynter 14,000 BTU model ARC-14SH
We have one up at our cabin. Only use it when the heat/humidity are at their extreme, and only use it when we sleep. Like others have said, it is very loud and we close off all doors where possible so we are only cooling the area where we are sleeping.
It does work if you do like I say above. If you are thinking of using it all day and throughout the entire cabin I’d have to say it won’t really do much.
I used one during a summer when I rented a deluxe fish house at Hunters Point as an intern for the DNR. All the windows were rollout ones so I couldn’t put a window unit in there. I bought one of those free standing units with the flexible hose for exhaust. I ran the exhaust out the floor through one of ice hole coverings. That sucker really must have used up a lot of electricity because the cord was very thick. I turned that fish house into a meat locker. It was frosty in there lol.
we have baseboard electric in the house so no forced air. we have a wall unit with the compressor outside. also has a heat mode thats good down to about 35 degrees.
we just had to replace the old one to the tune of $4500.00. this one really does a good job, so if anyone is looking for a replacement i recommend a DAIKIN. AIR Maxx did it out of st cloud/rockville.
yea i’m putting in a plug for them…….they were exceptional to deal with!!
We have the same setup as you regarding baseboard heat. That’s a good price! I had a guy quote me last year for 1 condensor and 3 mini split units to the tune of North of $8000 and that was without doing the electrical! I might have to check into your guys. Thanks for the tip! I would really like to go that route, but at the price I was quoted I couldnt justify it. Now the price you had, HELL YEAH!
Those stand-up models with the ducts that go to the window are great. Ours, in particular, is an LG ad we keep it in the cabin bedroom. That, along with an window unit in the upstairs loft kept our cabin very comfortable even after shoe-horning about 15 people in it for sleeping in last weekend’s heat. Just be diligent about keeping doors shut, as others have mentioned.
As far as portability goes, they are, but they’re not exactly small. So if packing space is an issue, it might be tough to bring it along.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
we have baseboard electric in the house so no forced air. we have a wall unit with the compressor outside. also has a heat mode thats good down to about 35 degrees.we just had to replace the old one to the tune of $4500.00. this one really does a good job, so if anyone is looking for a replacement i recommend a DAIKIN. AIR Maxx did it out of st cloud/rockville.
yea i’m putting in a plug for them…….they were exceptional to deal with!!
We have the same setup as you regarding baseboard heat. That’s a good price! I had a guy quote me last year for 1 condensor and 3 mini split units to the tune of North of $8000 and that was without doing the electrical! I might have to check into your guys. Thanks for the tip! I would really like to go that route, but at the price I was quoted I couldnt justify it. Now the price you had, HELL YEAH!
we DON’T have any mini splits, they told me those would be $1000.00 a piece extra.
I have been using a portable unit for several years. It is a two hose unit that pulls air in one hose and expels from the other. It doesn’t work as well as a window unit but we have casement windows that don’t easily accommodate a window unit. I’d buy another just like it if needed.
The make/model:
Whynter 14,000 BTU model ARC-14SH
Those ones with the 2 pipes work better since they are sucking the hot humid air one one side and pushing it out the other tube instead of a single pipe which sucks in all the hot air from outside into the room your trying to cool
we DON’T have any mini splits, they told me those would be $1000.00 a piece extra.
How is a wall unit different from a mini split? Aren’t they one in the same?
Those ones with the 2 pipes work better since they are sucking the hot humid air one one side and pushing it out the other tube instead of a single pipe which sucks in all the hot air from outside into the room your trying to cool
You have it backwards. That’s not at all how the single tube units work. They take the air from INSIDE the room vs sucking outside air in and cooling it. There is a filter on the front of the unit where its intaking the air. I proved this by placing a paper towel in front of one of my portable AC units and it sucked it in and held it there.
The single tube units are better since they are using the air inside versus the muggy hot air outside.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Coletrain27 wrote:</div>
Those ones with the 2 pipes work better since they are sucking the hot humid air one one side and pushing it out the other tube instead of a single pipe which sucks in all the hot air from outside into the room your trying to coolYou have it backwards. That’s not at all how the single tube units work. They take the air from INSIDE the room vs sucking outside air in and cooling it. There is a filter on the front of the unit where its intaking the air. I proved this by placing a paper towel in front of one of my portable AC units and it sucked it in and held it there.
The single tube units are better since they are using the air inside versus the muggy hot air outside.
That’s what I said… they are sucking the air from inside the room vs sucking it through the intake pipe from outside…there is only so much air in a room and ultimately with a single pipe system the air is getting sucked into the room you are trying to cool to makeup for all the exhaust going out.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
we DON’T have any mini splits, they told me those would be $1000.00 a piece extra.How is a wall unit different from a mini split? Aren’t they one in the same?
maybe I’m confused but as I understood it was the Minny split meant more than 1 “head” inside the house.
Mini split units have the condenser outside and evaporater and fan inside
This is the inside unit.
IMG_20210708_122332601-scaled.jpg
Outside unit.
IMG_20210708_122407863_HDR.jpg
Yes that’s a mini split. Some have one evaporator inside and some have 2. And The condenser is mounted outside
That’s what I said… they are sucking the air from inside the room vs sucking it through the intake pipe from outside…there is only so much air in a room and ultimately with a single pipe system the air is getting sucked into the room you are trying to cool to makeup for all the exhaust going out.
Oh, I see what you meant by them being better now. The one tube ones will be far more efficient however since they are reusing the inside air, but I get your point about the 2 tube units now regarding the air being sucked INTO the room from adjoining rooms with the door open.
maybe I’m confused but as I understood it was the Minny split meant more than 1 “head” inside the house.
Mini split just means the condensor and the wall unit are separate. A mini split may have 1 or more wall units (heads). So, I guess based on the $1000 per additional head, it would still be far cheaper than I was quoted. I am still going to check into the place you referenced.
I also thought where they wanted to install the condensor was dumb vs where I thought it would be easiest. I wanted it right next to the meter and outside the wall of utility room and have ducting go through soffit or through floor joists vs they wanted to put it on the side of the house and run all ducting etc around to the side. Seemed dumb to me.
with that unit i posted the picture of, Air Maxx said, and did the paperwork for, you just have a little info to fill out, we will be getting a $600.00 rebate from Xcel, if that’s your power supplier. ALSO the federal government will , through your tax return, either reduce what you owe, or if you get a refund increase or decrease that by $300.00. that fed thing is effect through 2021 as i understand it!!!!!
Glenn does yours heat also?
Wow, good info here and I appreciate everyone sharing.
We plan to keep the bedroom doors closed and the bathroom door closed too such that the only room being cooled is the main cabin living area. This is the unit we have. Hoping it helps so the job.
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