Enjoy the cool breeze of a window-free portable AC
As a less-expensive alternative to central air conditioning and ductless systems, portable air conditioners are great for cooling small spaces. They take hot air from inside your home and push it outside through an exhaust hose that attaches to a window. But if your room has no windows, you'll need to figure out another option. Let’s explore how to vent a portable air conditioner without a window so that you can keep cool in more areas of your home.
Like many other types of air conditioners, portable AC units pull in hot air from the room and pass it over condenser coils to cool it down. Then, the unit pushes the now-cold air back out into your room while the heat exits the air conditioner through an exhaust hose. Ordinarily, that hose goes through a window opening, so the heat leaves your home.
If you don’t have a way to vent your air conditioner, the heat will stay in your home—which defeats the purpose of running the AC in the first place. It’s also just a waste of money and energy.
While using a window is the most common—and convenient—way to vent a portable AC unit, there are a few other options, as well. Here are four ways to vent your air conditioner without a window, depending on the layout of your space.
If your room has a sliding door (but not a window), you can purchase a kit to vent the AC through the door. Before buying one of these kits, though, read the product information carefully to make sure it will fit your exhaust hose and door.
Once you have the kit, installation is simple:
Open your sliding door.
Insert the vent panel into the door’s bottom track, adjusting the height until it fits snugly into the top track.
Attach the exhaust hose to your AC unit.
Connect the other end of the hose to the panel.
If there are gaps around the hose, seal them with weatherstripping.
Drop ceilings are more common in commercial buildings, but they’re also in some homes. If your house has one of these ceilings, you may be able to vent your portable air conditioner through it. Here’s how:
Remove the ceiling panel in the area where you’ll put the exhaust hose.
Create a hole in the panel for your exhaust hose. Alternatively, you can buy a kit that includes a panel with a pre-cut hole and exhaust hose.
Attach the hose to the back of your AC unit.
Insert the other end of the hose into the ceiling panel hole.
Fill any gaps with silicone sealant.
If you go this route, it’s important to monitor the humidity level in the space above your ceiling since too much humidity can lead to mold growth.
Planning to use your portable air conditioner in a laundry room? You might be able to vent it through the dryer vent—but first, you’ll want to compare the size of your exhaust hose and dryer vent. Often, exhaust hoses are larger than dryer vents, which makes it difficult to connect the two. If you can get your hose to fit, here’s how to vent the AC through the dryer vent:
Unplug the dryer, disconnect the gas supply valve (if you have a gas dryer), and remove the duct from the wall.
Attach your AC unit’s exhaust hose to the dryer vent opening.
If needed, use duct tape to secure the connection.
It’s important to note that venting your AC through a dryer vent isn’t the best option. Not only is it challenging to fit the hose into the vent, but dryer vents aren’t always capable of expelling that much hot air.
On top of that, if your dryer vent has a flap on the outside, you’ll need to replace it with a screen before connecting your portable air conditioner. Otherwise, the exhaust from your AC unit likely won’t be strong enough to blow the flap open.
Venting your portable AC through the wall is another option if the room doesn’t have a door or window. However, you’ll need to cut through your wall, which isn’t always possible—especially if the wall is thick, load-bearing, or contains wiring or plumbing. Plus, pushing hot, moist air through your walls can cause water damage.
If you’re considering this option, we recommend hiring an HVAC expert to see if venting your AC through the wall is feasible in your home. From there, you can decide if you want to cut the hole and connect the AC yourself or if you’d rather have a pro handle it.
To keep your portable AC in good shape, you’ll want to stay on top of regular maintenance. This includes:
Clean the filter once or twice per month during periods when you use the air conditioner regularly.
Drain the water tank regularly.
Wipe down the unit’s exterior with a damp cloth so that dust and dirt don’t collect and get inside.
Don’t use the air conditioner in dusty areas of your home.
Before storing your air conditioner for the season, drain it and clean the filter. Then, put it in “fan only” mode for a few hours to dry the inside. Leave it in a dry place.
If you notice any issues or your AC stops working properly, reach out to a local window AC repair company to diagnose and address the problem.
You’ll spend less money if you vent your portable air conditioner yourself instead of hiring a pro. The exact amount you’ll save will depend on which method you choose.
However, it’s best to defer to an expert if you want to cut through your walls. But it’s also a good idea to get a pro’s input if you plan to vent your AC through your ceiling or dryer vent, just to make sure it’s safe.
Yes, there are ventless portable air conditioners that don’t have exhaust hoses and don’t require venting. Instead, they have a water reservoir and cooling pad, which add moisture to the air to make it feel colder. Ventless portable AC units work best in dry climates since humid areas already have a lot of moisture in the air and can’t absorb much more.
In some cases, yes, portable air conditioners are worth buying. They’re a relatively affordable option for cooling small spaces. (On average, they cost between $100 and $500 per unit.) Plus, they’re easy to set up, and you can move them around to cool various parts of your home as needed. However, they aren’t the most efficient AC option, and they tend to be noisy.
