You go over to the wall-mounted air conditioner and flip the switch. You wait, hear nothing, and flip the toggle up and down again. Nothing happens. This is an example of an air conditioner at its worst. It does not work to cool the air in your home or office when you need it. An ineffective air conditioner might be one that is not working, or not working properly. It might be one that does not cool areas you want reduced to a lower temperature. You can save money by selecting a portable air conditioner to cool the rooms you need cooled more effectively than a traditional permanently mounted air conditioner.

One effective way to cool a room is to have the air conditioning on only in the room you are in, rather than throughout an entire building. Focused air conditioning does the job better than cool air that is wasted because it is spread out over areas that are not in use. A portable air conditioner is a great way to put cold air exactly where you need it. Any room of your house, not to mention screened porches and garages, an apartment or a cabin can benefit from the cool air provided by a portable air conditioner. Your place of work is also a great location for an air conditioner on wheels, because it can follow you to your office or cubicle, or into a hot server room to keep all of the myriad electronic devices running at top form because they are not being stressed due to excess heat buildup.

Another reason why portable air conditioners are effective in their function is that you can select units in various sizes and with various other features, to meet your specific air conditioning needs. Small units that can cool up to 200 square feet, up to large ones suitable to 500 square feet are available. Many small air conditioners come with remote controls for ease of use. Air circulation is also improved with the use of an air conditioner. Some units also come with dehumidifiers, so you can wick the excess moisture out of the air, an important feature if you live in the humid southern region of the United States. Many of these also use the water taken in from air moisture to cool the coils in the unit, thereby increasing the unit's efficiency by this clever means. Some air conditioners are also available with ionizers and means for killing bacteria, useful functions for those suffering from asthma. By selecting a unit of the correct size and with the features you need, you will save money by buying only what you need, as well as cooling only the rooms you wish.