Dual Hose Air Conditioner Vs Single Hose: Portable AC Unit Efficiency
The hottest day in Oklahoma history was in June of 1936 when temperatures rose to an unbelievable 107 degrees. If that ever happens again and you don’t have a nice icy breeze coming from your AC, you’ll be sorry.
There are a lot of reasons why you may not currently have home an AC, maybe your apartment doesn’t include central air, or perhaps you’re balking at the cost of installing and running a traditional model.
This is where portable air conditioners come in, offering customers an easy to use, flexible, and cost-efficient way to beat the heat. There are a lot of models on the market to choose from, and you’ll notice that most portable ACs come in two varieties, commonly referred to as either a single hose and dual hose air conditioner.
So, how do you know what kind of AC unit is for you?
In this guide, we’ll go over how the two most common types of portable air conditioners stack up against one another.
So, What’s the Difference?
Let’s take a second to go over the basic mechanics of portable air conditioners. The way that any portable AC unit works is by drawing hot air in, running it through a coolant system, and then pushing hot air out of the room.
A single-hose system pulls in stagnant indoor air and then pushes the exhaust out through the hose.
A dual-hose system draws in fresh air from outside through one hose and pushes exhaust through the other.
Single Hose vs. Double: The Real Cost of Coolness
When it comes to the price of your portable air conditioner, it can run the gamut. Portable units are becoming more and more popular, leaving you with endless buying options. Single hose air conditioners are often more pocket-friendly than the dual hose models. In general, a single hose air conditioner will cost a few hundred dollars cheaper than dual hose air conditioners. But there’s more to consider than just the cost of the unit upfront.
The Drawbacks of Single Hose Systems
Single hose air conditioners are less expensive for a reason. Compared to the dual hose system, the single hose is significantly less efficient. This can lead to unexpected costs from higher utility bills, to replacement filters.
The most common cause of these issues is the mechanics of the single hose model. A single-hose system functions by constantly pushing exhaust out of the room, while also pulling in and cooling more air from your living space. This means that your AC will actually be drawing hot air into your room from any cracks or gaps in windows or doors, and working twice as hard to cool it.
Single hose models also draw in significantly more unfiltered air filled with dust and other allergens, which can lead to the need for frequent filter replacements. This plus the inefficiency of the cooling system can wind up costing you more in electricity and maintenance costs.
The Fan Favorite: A Dual Hose Air Conditioner
A single-hose air conditioner can be useful in smaller spaces, and in some cases, is more cost-efficient than a dual-hose model. In most situations though, the dual hose system is the clear winner. Dual hose air conditioners are vastly more efficient; they work faster using less energy to cool larger spaces.
How to Stay Cool If Something Goes Wrong
The one thing worse than not having air conditioning on a sweltering summer day? Having a broken air conditioner on a sweltering summer day. Here at Americare, we specialize in repairing any shape, size, and model of air conditioner.
Air conditioner maintenance is our number one tip to avoiding an unwanted indoor heatwave. We’re happy to make sure everything’s good to go so you can stay chill this summer, all you need to do is get in touch!