Portable Aircons any good? And what to look out for?

[MJCM]

We are planning to build an "Electrical" room to store the Inverter(s) and Batteries for our Solar House Project.

 

Now I have found out that these devices like the ambient temperature to be "yen ???? "  (25c +/-).

 

The room size will be 2m x 2m with 2,5m high ceiling and will be build with 15cm AAC Blocks and will have Glass Wool insulation on top.

 

Now to bring the ambient temperature down I went a look for aircons but the smallest Wall Mounted they have is 9000 Btu but the issue still remains and that is where to place the Compressor plus the 9000 BTU is a big bit for the room.

 

So I thought of buying a portable aircon something like this

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/7-air-conditioner-natural-6000-btu-nap-8060-i271529022-s425386025.html

 

This is a 6000 BTU one.

 

I have already asked the seller and it comes with a Hose which you connect to the outside to vent the HOT air and also comes with a drainage pipe for the water.

 

This device will be run 24/7

 

Any thoughts?

[tonray]

I have no experience with these portable units but I think in the long run you'll be better off with a split inverter unit for long term reliability. The room sounds more like a 'box'..but you could always pour a small concrete pad next to it and mount the external split unit to the pad.

 

Since you are building something....why not make the 'box' a little bigger for some storage shelving, etc ?

Edited December 29, 2021 by tonray

[Cake Monster]

If you buy a Potable, and run it 24/7, your Electric Bill will be through the roof

[Gottfrid]

No, they are no good, and also far too expensive to use as an alternative to regular aircon.

[steven100]

I had a 12,000 BTU working in a bungalow which was around 35sqm ....  it worked fine,  they just take slightly longer to achieve the cooler temperature initially, however after reaching 23-24 deg it worked ok.

Thaiwatsadu are having a sale on AC's ...

 

Your electrical room cooling sounds expensive just to keep the batteries and inverter cool although your solar system can run the AC ....   I'd go with an 8,000 btu as your room is only 2x2m,  you would be drawing slightly less power than say a 9,000. ....  and do you need to run it 24/7 ?

[MJCM]

15 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

If you buy a Potable, and run it 24/7, your Electric Bill will be through the roof

No it won't because look at my first Sentence where it says "Solar House Project"

[MJCM]

4 minutes ago, steven100 said:

and do you need to run it 24/7 ?

Oke good point, so I need an Aircon that has a timer so let's says from 7am-7pm only!!

 

Thx

[MJCM]

31 minutes ago, tonray said:

Since you are building something....why not make the 'box' a little bigger for some storage shelving, etc ?

That place is not that suitable for storage, and 2m length is the max I can make it because we need access to other parts of there as well.

 

I could stretch it to Width 2,5m and Length 2m but that is about it, my wife's garden fertilizer (read stinky s...t ???? ) is also stored there and she was so kind to give me that space ????

[steven100]

5 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Oke good point, so I need an Aircon that has a timer so let's says from 7am-7pm only!!

 

Thx

or if you can't get one with a timer just buy the timer wall plug,  the one you can set . 

[MJCM]

To give you an idea of the location here a picture.

 

Where currently that DOS water tank is, there will be the "Room" located (and those blue and black tanks is where the smelly ... is located (Naam Mak))

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by MJCM

[MJCM]

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

or if you can't get one with a timer just buy the timer wall plug,  the one you can set . 

Thx,

 

I like these ones

 

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

Any thoughts?

We found they are not economical better off with a inverter 9 btu set on lowest fan setting and highest temperature setting would be my bet.

[MJCM]

7 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

We found they are not economical better off with a inverter 9 btu set on lowest fan setting and highest temperature setting would be my bet.

Thx.

 

I don't really care about the economical part of it (READ electric Usage) because it will be run from SOLAR so and thanks to @steven100 remarks I will be only running it from 7am-7pm and that is approx the time when Solar will be charging the Battery and running everything without having my PEA meter spin faster.

 

 

[bbko]

A few years back I had a business in Thailand that needed a large AC (30,000 BTUs), so we went out and bought one and they gave us a free portable unit like the one shown in the OP,  IMO that thing was worthless, nothing more that a glorified fan, did it move air? Yes if you're standing directly in front of it, did it cool down a room? Hell no. Better off spending the money and get a real AC.

[MJCM]

2 minutes ago, bbko said:

A few years back I had a business in Thailand that needed a large AC (30,000 BTUs), so we went out and bought one and they gave us a free portable unit like the one shown in the OP,  IMO that thing was worthless, nothing more that a glorified fan, did it move air? Yes if you're standing directly in front of it, did it cool down a room? Hell no. Better off spending the money and get a real AC.

Good Point, but don't forget the room (READ box) is only 2x2!

[bbko]

1 minute ago, MJCM said:

Good Point, but don't forget the room (READ box) is only 2x2!

Yes but aren't the batteries in the room going to generate heat?  That portable fan won't cool down a room, only circulate air.

[Cake Monster]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

No it won't because look at my first Sentence where it says "Solar House Project"

Misunderstood

Just substitute " Bill " for usage

[MJCM]

1 minute ago, bbko said:

Yes but aren't the batteries in the room going to generate heat?  That portable fan won't cool down a room, only circulate air.

Question then, can a 9000 BTU Daikin Inverter be run from only a 10amp Breaker?. Or is that stretching it. I am worried about the initial Startup only.

 

I could get a higher amp breaker in but that would mean running a NEW bigger cable from our Garage (where the outdoor fuse box is) to the shed (distance 50 meter+)

[MJCM]

4 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Misunderstood

Just substitute " Bill " for usage

Oke, but I already suspect that when we get the Solar and Batteries our usage will go up definitely and our PEA bill will go down.

 

SWMBO already wants a 2HP Pump for here garden instead of the current 1HP ????

[MJCM]

I went to check what aircon I need for my 2x2 meter Box (ceiling 2.7m) and this is what came out

 

 

(Minimum size is 9m2 555555555555555)

[cooked]

Many confuse portable air conditioners with swamp coolers. I presume that this is not the case.

A portable A/C needs an outlet, which tends to make it less portable, opening the door wouldn't be a good idea, right?

[MJCM]

2 minutes ago, cooked said:

Many confuse portable air conditioners with swamp coolers. I presume that this is not the case.

A portable A/C needs an outlet, which tends to make it less portable, opening the door wouldn't be a good idea, right?

There is a hose with it for the Hot Air to vent out!! See the link in the OP.

 

It also has a Water drainage hose (or you can use the Built-in Water collector but that needs regular emptying)

[sometimewoodworker]

49 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Question then, can a 9000 BTU Daikin Inverter be run from only a 10amp Breaker?. Or is that stretching it. I am worried about the initial Startup only.

 

I could get a higher amp breaker in but that would mean running a NEW bigger cable from our Garage (where the outdoor fuse box is) to the shed (distance 50 meter+)

Don’t forget that the common breaker used here is a type C so inrush on startup is not a problem and a 10A is almost certainly no problem.

[MJCM]

1 minute ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Don’t forget that the common breaker used here is a type C so inrush on startup is not a problem and a 10A is almost certainly no problem.

I believe every word you say!

 

If it matters it's one of these (build in RCBO)

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/schneider-rcbo-1p-10a-6ka-30ma-qo110c06rcbo30-square-d-i1906552415-s6004256971.html

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

Thx.

 

I don't really care about the economical part of it (READ electric Usage) because it will be run from SOLAR so and thanks to @steven100 remarks I will be only running it from 7am-7pm and that is approx the time when Solar will be charging the Battery and running everything without having my PEA meter spin faster.

We gave away the plastic hoses crumbled it an expensive unit to buy in the first place.

I thought it would be handy being labeled portable but it's far from being portable and getting rid of the draining water was a pain. 

 

Please yourself of course but I would strongly advise everyone not to buy one. 

[MJCM]

Thx @Kwasaki

 

The term portable for me means NO installation required, just plug it in and it should work. Only drill a hole in the wall for the pipe with the VENT. (It will stay in it's place and not be moved.)

 

Re: Draining Water, according to the seller it comes with a Hose to drain the water automatically or it can self store the water in the device itself but that needs emptying ever so often, so the latter we are not going to use.

 

No decision has been made yet as the building off the "Box" hasn't even started yet.

 

We are in the so called "Planning Stage"

Edited December 29, 2021 by MJCM

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

Thx @Kwasaki

 

The term portable for me means NO installation required, just plug it in and it should work. Only drill a hole in the wall for the pipe with the VENT. (It will stay in it's place and not be moved.)

 

Re: Draining Water, according to the seller it comes with a Hose to drain the water automatically or it can self store the water in the device itself but that needs emptying ever so often, so the latter we are not going to use.

 

No decision has been made yet as the building off the "Box" hasn't even started yet.

 

We are in the so called "Planning Stage"

Drilling a hole for a air-con is smaller. ????????

[MJCM]

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Drilling a hole for a air-con is smaller. ????????

The only advantage of getting a REAL aircon (regarding installation) is that I don't have to do the work doing the installation. (Usually included with buying the Aircon)  ????

 

With that Portable one I just leave the door open a bit (55555555555555)

[Muhendis]

Don't forget that inverters/charge controllers and batteries give off heat. In your small electrical cubicle this will make a significant difference to the ambient temperature. I have a similar arrangement and the portable air conditioner I tried is simply not man enough for the job. Until I get round to installing a split AC unit I am running with a half decent ventilation fan which at least gets rid of most of the equipment heat. 

 

Another idea I am toying with is a peltier effect cooling unit. https://www.thermoelectric.com/2010/pr/ac/tm/outdoors-mil.htm

These can be quite big and not so cheap but on a par with a split AC unit. They can be got from Aliexpress. If anyone has experience with them I would be interested to hear.

[MJCM]

Thx @Muhendis

 

Our plan is now that at first we will close ONLY one side of the Shed off so that the Solar guys can safely work and install the Inverter(s) and Batteries and after they finished we going to have a think on big the room actual is going to be and what cooling we are going to use (Wall aircon or Portable)

 

Even if we buy a Portable Aircon and it doesn't work my BIL will gladly come and pick it up and use it in his house ????

 

And another thing even that the shed has those corrugated steel roofing sheets, it's actually not that hot in there, but that is maybe because it has lots of shade and good airflow.

 

But indeed the Batteries and the Inverter will produce heat.!! (mustn't forget that)