Are you tired of forever having to empty your portable AC unit's moisture collection tray or the mess it causes when you spill it?
Would you like to know about a solution?
A self-evaporating portable air conditioner cuts out unnecessary water collection inside the unit and negates the need for an external drain or water container.
Would you like one?
If your old unit is getting past its prime, it may be a good time to consider replacing it with a modern, efficient and convenient self-evaporating model.
So what exactly is this marvel of modern technology and how does it work?
How Does a Self Evaporating Portable AC Work?
Before I explain how it works, I think it might be a good idea to explain how a regular AC works in relation to producing excess moisture so you'll have a basic idea to take forward.
As part of the refrigeration process that produces the chilled air that is put out in the space being cooled, an AC needs to take the warm, moist air from the room and process it.
That involves extracting the heat from the air and condensing the moisture at the same time. The hot air is exhausted from the room through the unit's vent hose out a window or wall vent.
While some of the excess moisture is also exhausted along with the hot air, a percentage of it does get condensed out which needs to be collected in a tray or vessel at the base of the unit.
This vessel needs to be emptied periodically, to prevent it from overflowing. This is the job that most portable AC owners dislike doing because it can often be a hassle.
If it gets forgotten, it results in a puddle of water on the floor, which is even more hassle because it needs to be mopped up as well as the water container still needing to be emptied.
A Better Solution
That was the way of older units and still is with many cheaper models still on sale today.
However, there is a better way of dealing with the excess moisture and modern design and technology has come to the rescue of those of us that dislike needing to periodically empty a container of water.
The water removal system of several models of fully self evaporating portable air conditioner unit differs slightly, but the basics are generally the same. See:
The concept that these units are based upon is this:
The excess moisture that is condensed from the air during the refrigeration process is cycled through the cooling system to aid more efficient cooling and then either re-evaporated or misted and expelled through the unit's hot air exhaust vent.
The process literally disperses or evaporates that remaining moisture into the outside air with the hot air that is the natural by-product of the air chilling process.
What Does it Mean for the User?
Naturally if most or all of the excess moisture created in the cooling process is exhausted out of the building along with the hot air, it leaves nothing to be drained into a container.
By a process of clever deduction, I'm sure you have already figured out that it means no more emptying a fiddly water-filled container!
This is a great benefit for owners of newer portable AC's with this function. It comes with the added bonus that they are more energy efficient since they re-use the excess moisture to increase cooling efficiency and reducing the power-load to produce the same level of cooling that older units do except they use more power to achieve it.
That's a win-win for the better technology and design!