2. Close the Door

Portable air conditioners work best in closed spaces. Be sure to keep the door closed if you’re using it in a bedroom or basement, so excess warm air is not being introduced and the cool air can continue to circulate. For open floor plans, like kitchens and living rooms, we recommend you take into account the entire combined space when calculating the square footage.

Further, try placing the portable air conditioner in a corner of the room that doesn’t get any direct sunlight. It has to be by a window to vent, but if possible, choose the coolest corner of the room so the unit doesn’t overheat.

3. Get An Early Start

Turn on the portable air conditioner a few hours before you need it. It’s more effective and energy efficient to turn it on during the early morning or late afternoon hours, when the temperature is cooler. The portable air conditioner won’t have to work as hard to cool the room down. A lot of portable air conditioners have a timer feature that you can program to turn on/off at the times you need.

One of our favorite portable air conditioning units with a programmable timer is the Koldfront PAC1401W. With 14,000 BTU’s of cooling power, this unit is compact, powerful and packed with a whole host of features. Because it also doubles as a 70-pint dehumidifier, it is one of the most popular units amongst consumers as a whole.

Take advantage of one its many special features, including setting the programmable timer so your unit turns on at a time of your choosing and your home will be cool by the time you get home from work.