Air Conditioners

Air Conditioners

Every unit here is freestanding, so cooling comes from a plug socket and a window rather than a fitted split system with an outdoor condenser, which makes them workable in rented homes and in rooms where drilling through a wall is not an option. Capacity is quoted in BTU and matching it to the room is the whole decision: 5,000 BTU suits a small bedroom, box room or home office of roughly 14 square metres, 7,000 to 9,000 BTU covers a typical double bedroom or living room up to around 28 square metres, and 12,000 to 13,000 BTU, quoted elsewhere as 2.6kW and 3.5kW, handles open-plan kitchens, conservatories and studio spaces up to about 34 square metres. Oversizing a room cools it in short bursts and leaves the air damp, while undersizing runs the compressor constantly, so the rating matters more than the badge on the front. Refrigerative units vent warm air through an exhaust hose into a window kit and several also run a dehumidifier cycle, useful in Irish bedrooms and conservatories where condensation lingers well past summer. Evaporative air coolers work differently, drawing air across a water tank of 7 or 15 litres with no hose at all, which suits a bedroom or a garage where a window kit cannot be fitted, and inverter models modulate compressor speed instead of cycling on and off, which keeps an overnight temperature steadier.

Black & Decker holds the widest range, with Smart Control units at 5,000, 7,000, 9,000 and 12,000 BTU alongside 2-in-1 air cooler and fan models carrying 7 and 15 litre tanks. Delonghi covers the Pinguino GentleJet line, including an 11,500 BTU model and a 13,000 BTU inverter version. Dimplex pairs cooling with a built-in dehumidifier on its 2.6kW and 3.5kW portables, and De Vielle adds a dual heater and air cooler for year-round use. Damp and condensation on their own are better handled by a dedicated unit from Dehumidifiers, and where a room only needs air moved rather than chilled, Desk Fans covers that.