A windowless air conditioner is a self-contained unit that does not have to sit on your windowsill.
Although many experts argue that windowless air conditioners are less efficient than other units, there are number benefits of buying a windowless model.
These include the fact that this type of unit is easier to install, can clear out smoke odors, and is very good at cooling rooms that run hot and aren’t cooled adequately by another air-cooling system.
Here is an overview of the pros and cons of purchasing a windowless air conditioner.
This type of unit is definitely easier to install and is not an eyesore. Because only a single tube has to be fed out the window, this type of unit is really unobtrusive. In fact, it’s very difficult to see a unit from the outside of your home.
A windowless air conditioner can also be a good idea if you are just looking to provide additional cooling in your home may already have in place central air.
For example, it can be wise to use a windowless air conditioner in a room that doesn’t get good cooling from your central air system. Often times, a room situated on the second floor or in a particularly sunny area will have problems getting cool solely by relying on central air.
You can address this problem, however, by placing a windowless unit in this overheated room. This will help remove the warm air out of the room. It will also mean that the cooler air will flow to the rest of your home.
Windowless units also work well to control odors in your home. Since they are always drawing air from outside, a single hose unit is particularly good at removing smells, like cigar or cigarette smoke.
Moreover, a this type of air conditioner can also prevent odors from moving into other rooms in your home. This occurs because air pressure in the room with the unit is lower than air pressure in the other parts of your house. As a result, the odors will be contained.
A windowless air conditioner is actually a better system to use than central air if the goal is to contain cigarette smoke. A central unit can actually move the cigarette smoke around the entire home, while a windowless unit contains the smoke smell.
Another potential benefit of this type of unit is that, often times, these models are more cost-effective than other units.
Now the disadvantages…
Experts agree that windowless air conditioners tend to take a while to cool off your room. Some studies indicate that these units take over twice as long to cool a room when compared to window units.
Another issue with the windowless air conditioner is that they may not be particularly effective in really hot climates. Because these units are constantly pulling in air from the outside to replace the air in the room, they don’t work as well when the outdoor temperatures are extremely hot.
For example, if you live in a part of the country that has long stretches of 90° weather, a windowless unit will really struggle to keep your home cool. On the other hand, if you already have a central system in place, then this type of system can offer additional cooling in particular rooms of your house.
The other big issue with the windowless air conditioner units is that they often are more expensive to run than a window model. Because the unit is continually pulling in warm air from outside, it is not working in a particularly efficient manner. This means that the unit will have to run longer and harder to get your room cool. This, of course, will result in high electricity bills.
The final potential drawback of a windowless air conditioner is that it is only effective in one room. Because of its design, this type of unit just doesn’t have enough power to push cool air into your multiple rooms.
Because of this, researchers at Consumer Reports point out that the BTU rating on these units is often inaccurate. While some people expect the BTUs of window air conditioner to be comparable to those on a portable unit, this isn’t actually true. Rather, windowless air conditioners cool much smaller spaces for the same BTU.
If you’re still interested in buying a windowless air conditioner, keep your expectations in check.
This is not the type of unit that can keep your entire home cool during a soaring heat wave. This type of unit may also cost you part of it in electricity bills. On the other hand, if you are looking to keep a single room moderately cool or you are trying to contain the smell of cigarette smoke, then a windowless unit might be the best pick.