subject: Using Portable Air Conditioners In Business Settings [print this page] That same year, the first office building was air-conditioned in Kansas City, Missouri, and it became clear that Willis Carrier's invention, at the time named the "Apparatus for Treating Air," would forever change the way people live. With the advent of portable air conditioning, comfort can now be found using much less energy and space.
Since 1992, commercial buildings have been bound by minimum standards for energy efficiency. Portable air conditioning units may come in handy in older structures where the existing cooling system is obsolete or no longer efficient. The cost of renovations to fix such issues may not compare with the convenience of simply introducing a portable unit into the space, and in a number of cases window units are not allowed. Many of today's portable models are inexpensive and easy to handle.
There are several types of portable air conditioners, ranging from 6,000 to 60,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) of power. Normally, about 30,000 BTUs is enough to cool 2,000 to 2,500 square feet of space in the case of a large office setting or storeroom. These typically come with wheels attached for ease of transportation, and a single exhaust hose is included in its simplest form. The hose is easily routed through a window opening or another building orifice for exhaust. For example, a two-hose system will bring in air from the outside for cooling, then use the second hose for exhaust. There are units which can also double as a heater in cold weather, and rack-mounted units are available in buildings where space is an issue.
For commercial purposes, there are a few different models to be considered. Water-cooled units connect to an existing water source and have the advantage of needing no exhaust ducts. In larger areas, evaporative coolers can offer a cheaper alternative with an easy setup using any water source. Air-cooled units can be installed in minutes just about anywhere, generally cost less, and are presently quite popular. The added features on some models include ionizers for air purification, and an ultraviolet light to help remove biological impurities, such as bacteria and mold.
In a business setting, portable air conditioning is now making it easier than ever to efficiently keep workers comfortable without having to perform unnecessary and expensive building modifications.
