So you require temporary air conditioning, that’s fine but which type do you need, or rather which type would better serve your need? Read on for an explanation of the various temporary air conditioning units that are available for hire.
There are 4 principle types of portable air conditioning with every environment potentially requiring a specific type, therefore careful consideration needs to be made in choosing the best solution.
- Exhaust Tube Air Conditioners
- Split-Type Air Conditioners (water cooled)
- Evaporative Coolers
- Ventilation Fans
Which Type Is Right For You?
The type of portable air conditioner you choose is likely depend greatly on the availability and location of a point of exhaust, commonly windows or ceiling voids, for the hot air removal.
Exhaust Tube ![]()
Air Conditioners
Air ConditionersThis type of unit provides temperature controlled air conditioning into the target area either directly from the front of the unit or using length of cold air duct. The hot air is removed via an exhaust tube through a window or void in the ceiling or wall. Typically office units can be located up to 2.5 metres from an exhaust point, while industrial type options can have exhaust tubes up to 10 metres in length. The closer the air conditioner is located the the exhaust point the more efficient the cooling will be.
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Spit-Type Air Conditioners
These units are the most efficient way to cool a room or space. They consist of two separate units, the main indoor unit and an outdoor hex box. These two units are connected together by up to 30 metres of hex line which includes a closed circuit flow and return water line, power cable and condensate removal line. The indoor unit blows out cooled air from which the heat has been removed and transfered into the water circuit. This warm water then flows through the hex line to the outdoor hex box when a fan cools it down and it returns to the indoor unit to repeat the cycle.
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Evaporative Coolers
Evaporative coolers can lower the air temperature by a few degrees through the evaporation of water. The units either have a reservoir filled or are connected to a constant water supply. The water is pumped through the cooling media in the unit, saturating it. A fan then blows air though the unit including the cooling media where evaporation takes heat energy out of the air lowering the temperature. As evaporative coolers are completely self contained they provide a viable option when there is no hot air exhaust point available.
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Electric Ventilation Fans
Ventilation Fans do not have an affect on air temperature but can provide the feeling of cooling through air movement. These fans are perfect for providing highly directional air movement meaning they are ideal for use in applications that do not require whole area conditioning, such as warehouses.
How Much Air Conditioning Do You Need?
The most important factor to consider when selecting a portable air conditioning solution is the amount of cooling duty that will be required to properly cool the area. Our Cooling Calculator can be used to work this out for you in kW and BTU. Before heading to the calculator page you will need to gather some required information:
- Rough room dimensions in feet or metres – length, width & height
- The number of people that regularly occupy the area
- The number of heat producing equipment – PCs, printers, faxes etc.
Certain extenuating circumstances will also need to be considered in order to select effective equipment. The amount of cooling duty required (measured in BTU or kW) will be impacted by several issues:
This calculator will give a good approximation of the cooling require though several factors can affect the final cooling duty required. Below are a few circumstances that should also be taken into account.
- If area is heavily shaded reduce duty requirement by 10%
- If the room receives large amounts of direct sunlight increase duty requirement by 10%
- If there are lots of windows the duty requirement will significantly increase
- The duty will also be increased for hot environments such as kitchens
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