Do Portable ACs Need to be Vented?

At My Home Climate, we strive to provide you with the answers to all your air comfort questions. Today, we’re going to answer a common question: Do portable air conditioners need to be vented?

One of the many advantages to purchasing a portable air conditioner is its easy mobility. Portable ACs don’t require any permanent installation, which means they can be moved from room to room, helping you save on household energy costs. They do, however, typically require venting to the outside. But why is venting so important?

Portable air conditioners extract hot air from the room, and if you want to effectively cool your space, this hot air needs to be released outside. While portable ACs can be vented through a door, wall, or ceiling, they are most frequently vented through windows.

Most portable air conditioners can be installed quickly and easily with the help of included window kits. However, you can also find kits that are specifically created for sliding doors to vent out air. Universal window seals or Plexiglas can be utilized to vent portable ACs through casement windows. You can even vent the unit through a pet door provided you’ve tightly sealed the area around the exhaust hose to prevent warm air from leaking back into your room.

You can read some simple tips for installing a portable air conditioner here.

While it isn’t unsafe to run your portable AC without venting, it is counterproductive. You should only operate it without an exhaust hose in dehumidifier mode; however, this will only heat the room up, not cool it down.

Any questions?

My Home Climate is your source for home comfort products and air cooling solutions. If you have any feedback or questions you’d like us to address, please get in touch with us at info@myhomeclimate.com, where you can suggest topics for our next Air Comfort Answers blog. We’d love to hear from you!