Feature
up quickly with an installation kit. These models contain wheels,
which facilitates with moving them to different rooms.”
The portable AC dates back to the 1940s, invented by
American Robert Sherman. According to Swana, this was to
meet the growing demand for household AC units.
“Most portable air conditioners are broken down into two
categories based on their configuration as single hose or dual
hose,” Swana shares.
Single-hose AC units use the same hose as both intake and
exhaust for air. While single-hose units will still cool the space
you're using them in, they will have to work harder to do so,
meaning they are not as efficient as a dual-hose air conditioner.
On the plus side, they tend to be cheaper and are a perfectly
adequate solution for smaller rooms, such as a small bedroom or
studio apartment.
Dual-hose AC units have one intake hose and one exhaust
hose. Because you have to separate the two hoses, these types
of portable air conditioners are usually more energy efficient,
generally cooling a room approximately 40% quicker than single-
hose units, and they are the preferred choice if you're looking to
cool a larger room.
“Another popular portable unit is an air cooler which uses ice
or cooled water to provide the thermal energy that is used to
cool the air. These units use a technology known as evaporative
cooling,” Swana says.
TYPES OF EQUIPMENT
“There are various types of equipment, chillers, air handlers,
packaged air conditioners, dehumidifiers, fans, heat exchangers,
cooling towers and water pumps. The list can be endless on what
equipment can be portable,” Makgatho says.
Clark Michel from American-based company, Atlas Sales &
Rentals says the market has three main types:
• Air-cooled portable air conditioners, which exhaust hot
air through ductwork. Air-cooled portable air conditioners
are the most commonly used equipment because they can
be installed almost anywhere, usually in minutes. They are
preferred over water-cooled units where water leakage, no
matter how unlikely, would be catastrophic (e.g., in rooms
that house computer servers).
• Water-cooled portable air conditioners, which connect
to an external water source. They are best suited for
use in facilities with central cooling towers or chiller
systems or where the municipal water supply is plentiful
and economical. Water-cooled systems do not require
exhaust ducts, so they often are specified when there is
no convenient way to exhaust hot air out of a room
(e.g., in restaurants).
Continued on page 31
www.hvacronline.co.za
RACA Journal I February 2020
29