Who else wants to have a portable air conditioner? I can see several hands waving in the air ? mine included. Such units can certainly help a lot when it comes to improving the hot and humid temperature of the room, and make working within that space more tolerable. With so many available portable air conditioner units in the market these days, we need to choose the right make and model. It's like choosing a car really. Some units suit us better, while others only prove to be something which we wish we can trade off in the hurry ? at least before its value depreciates further.

And since we are already in the subject of depreciation, the one mistake that most of us do when choosing air condition units is that we look at the price tag and nothing else. Of course, the price is important, but so is getting value for your money.

So what do we need to do before we actually buy a portable air conditioner unit? Here are some things to consider.

1. Space. How much space can we really allocate to the prospective portable air conditioner unit? Although most machines of this type are relatively small in structure, this does not mean that we can cram any unit into any available space. For one thing, a portable air conditioner must have access to circulating air for its condenser to work. Most units have accessories that allow the accumulated moisture from the condensation process flow out. So if you are thinking of placing your unit in a very small room, you could at least place it near the window and remove nearby objects that can hamper air from freely flowing to the machine.

2. Another concern about the actual intended space is its measurement. Naturally, a larger room would need a more powerful machine, while a smaller room could be easily fitted with smaller units with lesser thermal units. Thermal units are the measurement count that defines the amount to energy it would take for a machine to change the temperature of the room: the smaller the units, the smaller its capacity for cooling.

3. Speaking of windows and accumulated moisture, another thing you should look out for is the type of venting that your prospective portable air conditioner has. Most machines come with venting hoses or tubes which can be easily passed out of a window. However, there are some machines that would need more than that. There are the drip models that have condensation trays which should be cleared every day or every other day. At the very least, try to see if the type of venting the machine has will actually fit your window. If it doesn't, you could try the drip models or the split type portable air conditioner units. These alternatives are great in case your intended space does not have a window in the first place.

4. Depending on the general temperature in your location, a dehumidifier may be an option you can forego. This can save you a few dollars when it comes to buying a unit. However, if your locale seems to be a breeding ground for mold and mildew; and condensation levels usually go very high at certain times of the year, an air condition unit with dehumidifier options is a great investment.