Do Portable Air Conditioners Need To Be Drained?(Guide)

Do Portable Air Conditioners Need To Be Drained?

Portable air conditioners are self-sufficient mobile appliances designed for cooling and work better for single rooms or small spaces.

The portable air conditioners do not need much work because they are bought with their installation kit to aid in setting it up, and they can be placed on the floor while using it.

There are portable air conditioning unit models equipped with wheels to ease movement in different rooms, making the appliance a preferred option to windows.

Portable air conditioners work by removing warm air and moisture, and at the same time, it exhausts the air outside through an exhaust hose. 

But, Do Portable Air Conditioners Need To Be Drained?

Yes, portable air conditioners need to be drained. As we all know, air conditioners do produce condensation and the same works with portable air conditioning units.

The difference comes in when it’s time to drain your portable conditioner, some will drain automatically, and some need to be drained manually; it all depends on the appliance’s model.

Portable air conditioners like Koldfront, Edgestar, and Avallon do not need to be drained manually.

They have a condensation exhaust system that removes the collected water vapor amid the dehumidifying process.

The portable AC will release the collected moisture through an exhaust hose and hot exhaust air from the portable air conditioners.

Portable air conditioners that automatically drain themselves might have a problem when it comes to highly humid conditions.

During highly humid conditions, the collected water during the dehumidifying process takes time to be exhausted and might fill the appliance’s internal water reservoir.

The portable air conditioner automatically shuts down to prevent an overflow from occurring in the internal tank when it gets to this point.

So, you must take the portable air conditioner and drain the internal tank manually. Ensure you follow the manual on how to drain the specific portable AC’s internal tank.

Why Is My LG Portable AC Blowing Water?

There have been a number of cases brought into the light by people about their portable LG air conditioning unit blowing water or leaking water.

A couple of factors led to that problem; blocked heat exchangers, faulty vents, clogged drainage, dirty filters, and maybe low freon.

So, if your portable LG air conditioner is blowing water, you must ensure the AC unit is draining enough water.

When installing your appliance, you should ensure that it’s slightly slopping and not on a leveled ground.

You can use a board or something that can make the AC slightly sloppy.The condensed water in the AC needs to flow to the drainpipe, and out of the house.

So the front grill portion should be higher than the rear portion of the AC to allow easy water flow to the drain pipe. 

If the above solution does not work, then you should check the drainage channel.

You can check the drain channel by removing the outer case and have a look at the bottom.

You should be able to see a channel running from the front side to the back of the appliance. To remove the water, you can use a turkey baster to flush out the water.

At times, the back of the air conditioning unit could be slightly deep to hold some water;

This should not be an issue because units use the water to cool by having the outside fan throw it through the condenser.

Water could sometimes be blowing through the front of the appliance because the front fan picks water and spills it through the air vent;

This happens when the condensed water is collecting faster than the appliance is draining.

So, having your portable air conditioner tilted backward will prevent an overflow through the unit’s front grille.  

How Often Should You Drain Your Portable Air Conditioner?

How often one needs to drain their portable air conditioners mostly depends on the humidity of the area.

It’s advisable to always drain your portable air conditioner after every 8 hours of use, but it does not mean that you will have to do this more often.

People who live in less humid (dry) areas will barely have to drain their portable air conditioners.

Your air conditioner will not pull moisture from the air if you live in a dry area because it’s dry air, and the appliance uses warm, humid air to cool the room.

Well, with modern portable air conditioners, the case is quite different.

The automated air conditioners automatically drain themselves through an installed exhaust vent, helping keep the room cool.

The only problem that people with automated portable air conditioners have is that they exhaust the vapor in highly humid areas.

In so doing, they might require the help of the owner in draining it manually. To break it down, here is how often you need to drain your portable air conditioner.

Suppose it does not have an automatic drainage mechanism. In that case, it takes around 8 hours before draining the AC in humid climate conditions.

2 to 4 weeks in moderate climate conditions, and rarely in dry climate areas.  

Do You Have To Drain Portable Air Conditioners? 

Yes, you have to drain your portable air conditioners. Failure to drain your portable air conditioner could lead to a few problems; 

You will start seeing mold growing in your portable air conditioner. Many people think mold cannot grow in their portable air conditioners.Well, they are wrong.

When you fail to drain your portable air conditioner, mold will start growing in it because the water in your AC’s tank creates a perfect moist environment for the growth and multiplication of mold. 

Failure to drain your portable AC’s tank could lead to the AC shutting off and never turning on ever.

Many portable air conditioners have a built-in float switch that turns off the AC should the water reservoir tank get filled up with water.

Usually, when the AC tank is full, there will be an alarm to alert the owner to drain it. 

Lastly, if your portable AC’s water tank is full, the condensate water will overflow.

The water will overflow, especially if the float switch has stopped working, but it’s not a problem for the appliance, although the overflowing water could cause some damage to your home.

It’s advisable always to have your portable air conditioning unit drained entirely, especially if you live in a highly humid area. 

What Causes A Portable Air Conditioner To Leak Water? 

Like any other home appliance, portable air conditioners also need regular maintenance to have a longer life span.

The primary function of an AC is to keep the room cool, while the secondary function is to dehumidify the room, and the condensed water will require to be disposed of somewhere.

At times, the portable air conditioner can develop a problem and start leaking water. Here are some of the reasons why your portable AC leaks water;

Suppose your float switch is not working. If you have a manual-drain air conditioner, it would be advisable to always keep track of the water quantity in the AC’s tank.

If the tank is full of water, the float switch should detect it and switch off the AC to prevent an overflow.

The float switch might fail to detect the water levels if; the AC is slanted and on the raised side, allowing water to overflow.

So, you have to ensure the appliance is on level ground or the slopped side is the one with the float switch to detect the water levels easily.

The float switch might also fail to work if it is being blocked by dirt or grime. 

A faulty hose drain attached to the AC could cause water leaks. Portable air conditioners can have a drain hose pipe installed to work as a drainage path.

If the drain hose is clogged, it will not release water, so the water will accumulate in the AC and leak when the tank is full.

Secondly, if the drain hose is loosely attached to the portable AC’s drain spout or the drain pipe could have cracked at the mouth.

If that be the case, you can cut the cracked part if the hose pipe is long enough and reattach it.

For a loose drain pipe, you can use a zip-tie to tighten the grip to the drain spout.

Can You Put A Portable Air Conditioner On The Carpet?

Yes, you can put a portable air conditioner on a carpet. It’s not recommendable to put your portable AC on the carpet as this will make it hard to move it.

The wheels of the AC will have trouble moving through a carpet as it can get stuck.

Another issue is that when your portable is leaking, the water will drain in the carpet, and it might be hard to notice until it’s quite late.

The carpet might get a dump, and if the dump area comes into contact with a naked wire, it could lead to electrocution or a fire outbreak.

A portable AC needs to be put on the floor, somewhere close to an electrical outlet and an outside window. 

Does Blast Portable AC Work?

No, a portable blast AC does not work. It works more like an air cooler and not an air conditioner, as the name says because it uses evaporation as a cooling technique.

It uses a little energy because it absorbs cool air and warms it, and cools the area it gets into direct contact.

A blast portable is not as big as other air conditioners, so it cannot cool a whole room, but it works well for specific purposes and in a limited space area.

The appliance is preferred because of its fair price, and it’s small hence portable enough.

The compactness of the blast portable air conditioning unit makes it easy to carry around.

And it has a battery that can be charged using a type C charger, or you could plug it in an energy outlet and use it from there.

A blast portable air conditioner is best used for personal comfort during the most humid seasons. 

There have been various opinions on whether the blast portable AC should be considered an air conditioner or an air cooler.

It works using the evaporation technique to cool down a room, and it blows air that acts as a coolant for the area as the water evaporates.

If the humidity is higher, the case will be different because the water will not evaporate quite efficiently.

So basically, the appliance only works for a few minutes, then the room gets filled with humid air make it all wet and sweaty. 

Conclusion  

A portable air conditioner is a self-sufficient portable home appliance designed for cooling individual rooms.

They are placed on floors next to an outside window and an electrical outlet.

Many portable air conditioning units do have wheels which makes moving them around the house accessible, and some also have an automatic drain system.

Portable air conditioners with an automatic drain system work without supervision.

They will drain the condensed water through a drain pipe attached to the drain spout of the portable air conditioner.

We have heard of cases where portable air conditioners leak; these are usually due to poor maintenance of the AC or a crack in the drainpipe.

The portable AC’s float switch does not work or is too raised to detect water levels the AC’s tank.

It’s advisable always to drain your portable air conditioner, especially those that need to be manually drained.

A float switch alerts the owner when the water tank in the portable AC is full by making an alarming sound; this sound should remind you to drain the AC.

A portable air conditioner comes in handy when you want to move to different rooms, but they all do not have ACs, so you can move around with your portable AC.