Commercial portable air conditioners are a great way to get ventilation into a room if installing a traditional air conditioning unit is just not possible. If, for instance, you have an area without windows where a window unit could be installed, and there is no central air available, a portable cooling unit can do a great job of keeping the room at just the right temperature.

Pricing and costs of portable air conditioners depend on different factors, including the size of the unit, the brand, and the extent of a model's cooling capacity. Here are some other features to be on the lookout for:

1. Portable air conditioners with the capacity for at least 9000 BTUs.

2. Units that are self-evaporating or have a water pump built in.

3. Whether you need a freestanding or rack-mounted air conditioner.

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Choose portable air conditioning units for small rooms

To get the maximum efficiency out of any portable cooling unit, make sure the size of the unit matches the size of the room. For example, if a unit has the capacity of 880 watts, it will work best for a room that is approximately 320 square feet. Portable units for smaller rooms cost $350 to $600.

I recommend: Air Conditioner America provides many models of portable A/C units designed for rooms under 500 square feet. Pure n Natural also offers many models of portable air conditioners for small rooms, including those that can also function as a humidifier.

Find a portable air conditioner for business that can handle larger rooms

Larger areas in commercial or industrial buildings will need larger portable air conditioning units so that the whole area is still getting the cooling that it needs. Typically these units for larger rooms cover 500 square feet and up, and cost $500 to $700.

I recommend: QualityMatters.com provides many portable models for large areas, including products that can also function as a dehumidifier, heater and fan. Air & Water also provides various models of portable A/C units for areas 5,000 square feet and above.

Consider rack-mounted air conditioners to use less space

Rack-mounted air conditioners are portable A/C units you can attach to walls or to cabinets to free up space on the floor. Rack-mounted air conditioners are typically smaller sized units, but can still cool 300 to 400 square foot rooms. Rack-mounted units are not cheap; the $4000 to $6000 price tag includes the unit, rack mounts and professional installation.

I recommend: Kooltronic offers standard rack-mounted air conditioning units, and can customize your rack-mounted cooling unit to meet your specifications. McLean Cooling Technology gives you many options for your rack mounted unit, including side- and top-mounted units.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose portable cooling units that have a self-evaporating feature, otherwise you will have to dump water that collects in the unit on a daily basis.

Portable air conditioners can be a business lifesaver. If your company air conditioner breaks down during the sizzling summer months, it can cause production to lag and can send customers rushing for the exits. But portable air conditioning systems do more than simply fill in during times of crisis.

Portable air conditioning units can be used for numerous business purposes, whether you have an industrial warehouse, a retail store or an office. For instance, portable spot coolers can provide the following solutions:

1. Portable air conditioners can be used to cool computer rooms that need to be kept at very cool temperatures. Using portable air conditioning systems allows you to cool the computer room while keeping the remainder of your office space at a comfortable temperature.
2. Modular air conditioners can be used for remote job sites, such as construction trailers.
3. Portable air conditioners can be used during seasonal times when additional cooling capacity is called for.

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Figure out what capacity of portable air conditioners you need

Like all air conditioning systems, portable air conditioners are measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units), a universal measure of heating and cooling. The square footage of the room or rooms you want to cool will determine how many BTUs are required to do the job.

I recommend: Go to ACDirect to figure out how many BTUs your portable air conditioners will require. For a chart that helps you calculate BTUs by square footage, visit Abt Electronics.

Modular air conditioners provide multiple cooling solutions

Modular air conditioners provide a variety of space-saving alternatives for small hot spots. They can be mounted on shelves or hung from the ceiling. Some modular air conditioners can be stacked to add BTU capacity. Other types of modular air conditioners are used to cool modular rooms and buildings with quick wall installations.

I recommend: Modular air conditioners like the CoolCube 10 are designed to cool small areas that pack a lot of heat, such as wiring closets, and to cool hot spots within large data or computer rooms. Fedders Corporation makes commercial modular air conditioners that can be wall-mounted in modular rooms.

Large portable spot coolers come through in emergencies

You never know when a storm, blackout or temporary power outage will affect your business and your air conditioning systems. You can minimize the inconvenience by renting portable spot coolers or portable air conditioning units and having backup generators to power them.

I recommend: Spot Coolers provides 24-hour emergency service, seven days a week nationwide for temporary and emergency portable air conditioners. They also sell new and used portable air conditioners for non-emergency permanent solutions to cool your business. Topp Portable Air provides a variety of sizes of portable air conditioners for rent nationwide.

Purchase portable air conditioners for permanent cooling solutions

Even the best-built offices can have climate issues. The temperature can be five or 10 degrees different depending on which room you're in and the sun exposure during that time of day. This can make some employees warm while others shiver in front of their computers. Portable air conditioners can provide better climate control by spot cooling hot spots and leaving the thermostat alone in other parts of the office.

I recommend: Kwikool Portable Cooling Systems offers unitary and split portable air conditioning units that can be used in computer rooms, office space or warehouses. Air & Water offers small portable air conditioners up to 16,000 BTUs that are perfect for office spaces.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Some portable air conditioners need to be vented. Ask before you buy if they have a vent or exhaust hose. If so, they are not as easy to move around from area to area.
• •  Before you buy portable spot coolers, determine the unit's electricity requirements. Most offices are only equipped with 110/120 volt outlets.
• •  Ask dealers to provide you with the sound output of portable air conditioning units. If you are using the unit in an office, you'll need to make sure it is quiet enough to work and talk without excess noise. Most office-friendly portable air conditioning units are less than 47 dB and make white noise.

Portable air conditioners come in handy for a variety of situations. No matter what the space, a portable A/C can handle the job. A portable air conditioner for business lets you provide cooling in areas where you cannot install central air or a window unit. For businesses, this will keep employees comfortable during work hours. And because these machines are portable, you can move them anywhere.

But to get the most out of portable A/C units, you will need to know how to properly use and implement the appliance into your business. Using portable air conditioners in a commercial setting will present you with important choices, such as:

1. Whether the unit should be a rack-mounted air conditioner.

2. The number of BTUs the air conditioner uses.

3. Whether you need a self-evaporating system or a cheaper model that requires you to remove water daily.

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Choose the right size commercial portable air conditioners for your space

Portable air conditioners come in many different sizes to provide the right amount of cooling power for different sized areas. For larger areas, choose a unit with 10,000 BTUs. Less than 10,000 BTUs is probably best for areas that are under 400 square feet.

I recommend: Air Conditioning Helper provides a comprehensive guide to help you choose the size for your portable air conditioner. Air & Water provides an interactive tool that allows you to specify a room size in order to find the right unit.

Find the right portable air conditioning units for the job

Because there are many different situations where A/C cooling is called for, there are many types of portable air conditioning units available. Besides the variation in sizes, portable air conditioners come in different types, such models for indoor areas, outdoor areas and event functions.

I recommend: Freecom details the different types of portable cooling to give you a better idea of what type of portable unit you will need. If you have more questions, you may be able to find your answer in the frequently asked questions section on portable A/C units from Sylvane.

Get professional installation instructions for you portable cooling unit

Because many portable air conditioner units are just plug in and go, there is little need for professional installation. But to get everything done properly, including switching the unit to different modes (fanning, dehumidifying, etc.), make sure to read the instructions that come with the unit, or check out professional instructions online.

I recommend: Compact Appliance gives some general installation instructions that anyone with any portable unit should follow. And if you need to know how to turn your portable unit from a heating/fanning appliance to a cooling and dehumidifying unit, follow the instructions at Airpure for installing the venting kit.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you choose rack-mounted air conditioners for your portable cooling needs, make sure you have a professional install the rack mount so it's secure and safe for people to be around.

These days, portable air conditioners are getting a lot of attention from small to mid-sized businesses. Small retail spaces in particular use portable air conditioners to provide comfort for customers in hot weather, and the great thing about these devices is that they can throw a lot of cold air without the hassle of installing them in windows or throughout a building. A business looking at utilizing portable air conditions for a space can get better informed with a look at some of the most common terms for portable AC types and features.

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BTUs

BTUs, or British Thermal Units, are measurements of temperature change for heating or cooling. These are important for figuring out the cooling capacity of a portable air conditioner.

I recommend: Find out about BTUs and what they measure at WiseGeek. Read more about BTU rating for air conditioners at Essortment.

Spot coolers

A spot cooler is a term for any small air conditioning unit that cools a specific small area. With new technology for these precision devices, they are now present in a lot of small retail spaces and other areas.

I recommend: Find out more about spot coolers at WiseGeek.

Server cooler

A server cooler is an air conditioning unit, either portable or permanently installed, that cools a server setup. Many data centers and servers are located in specific 'server closets' or other closed areas to keep them cool and away from other elements.

I recommend: Find out more about server coolers at Air & Water.

Self-evaporating AC

Where lots of traditional air conditioners had condensation trays and other gear for dispensing water that accumulated, some newer models include self-evaporating features. Self-evaporating AC is when the unit takes care of dispersing condensation on its own, making maintenance less labor-intensive.

I recommend: Find out about self-evaporating AC models (point 17 under "features") at HouseHoldChoice.

Venting

Portable air conditioners each have their own venting requirements. Venting means getting the resulting hot air away from the areas that need to be cooled.

I recommend: Find out about venting for portable air conditioners at A.J Madison's Guide.

Dehumidifier

If humidity is part of the climate equation a business is trying to change in a space, a dehumidifier can help. These machines take moisture out of the air.

I recommend: Get a definition and much more info on the dehumidifier at How Stuff Works.