The quietest portable ACs have a decibel rating of 42 but the majority of them operate between 50 to 53 decibels. We have done the research on the portable air conditioners of 8000 to 14000 BTUs to identify those that:
- Run quietly
- Have high ratings for dependability and customer satisfaction
A portable AC, also known as a standing air conditioner or room AC, with a noise level of 40s to low 50s is quieter than the noise level you hear when you are riding in most cars and the noise should not disturb your sleep.
Actually, there are consumers who believe that the sound is white noise that can eliminate the noise of other sources and help them sleep.
What Are The Main Sources Of Noise For a New Portable Air Conditioner?
Most of the noise sources of any AC including portable air conditioners are a few in number – the fan motor and the compressor.
Here are common sources of portable air conditioner noise.
1). The compressor switching on and off: As the AC starts cooling, the compressor switches on and that tends to produce a slight buzzing or jolting sound. And when the air conditioner has done its job of cooling the air to the desired setting of the thermostat, the compressor will switch off and this too may produce a sudden noise.
When you select a portable air conditioner that is not too large to the space you wish to cool down and it has an inverter compressor, the machine may operate most or all of the time. That’s OK. It will not damage the AC.
Actually, an air conditioner compressor which operates throughout or the majority of the time will have a longer life as compared to that which switches on and off after some time and then repeats the process again and again.
2). The compressor is on: The compressor makes the AC the loudest when it is in cooling mode and the compressor is on. Others call it the compressor humming and buzzing when it is in operation. Although it is a continuous sound, it may be too loud to annoy some individuals or even wake up a light sleeper.
3). The fan running. The majority of portable ACs possess two or more fans speeds, and some of them have three. The fan speed should be set to low or medium instead of high to ensure that the noise level is kept to the minimum.
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Tips for Choosing a Quiet New Portable Air Conditioner
In the event that you need a quiet floor air conditioner, you have two good choices.
1). Choose an Inverter Portable Air Conditioner
The type of compressor is called an inverter AC. Three things are to be known about an inverter compressor portable air conditioner.
They:
- Are approximately 7-10 decibels (we have tested 1,500 portable ACs on the market) quieter than the ones with a standard compressor.
- Produce fewer abrupt jolting or buzzing sounds since the compressor is working longer- even in majority of the times in case the unit is well sized or undersized in the room.
- More efficient, thus you will have low energy bills.
- Cost more than portable air conditioners with standard compressors.
Thus, you will have to pay more initially, but less monthly on electricity. And with the additional money, you also get a quieter unit that has a compressor that does not come on and off as frequently.
2). Purchase An Evaporative Cooler Also Known As Ventless Portable Air Conditioner.
These are compressor-less units. Instead they cool the air by evaporation – the same way your skin feels cooler when the water evaporates off it on a hot day.
Evaporative coolers are cheaper than the majority of portable air conditioners. They do fairly well in dry climates, but not so good in humid climates since water does not evaporate as fast when the air is already saturated with moisture.
They are known as ventless ACs since they do not require a vent hose to release the warm and humid air in your house. Actually they will not make the room cooler on the whole, but when you sit in front of a ventless portable AC, aka an evaporative cooler, the air that the fan blows at you will be quite noticeably cooler than the air around you. They are cheap means of keeping cool in a dry climate.
Is a High BTU Portable AC Noisier?
In most cases, the bigger the portable AC, the louder it will be. However, when the units are more or less the same size and possess the same internal technology, the noise level may only rise by 1 or 2 decibels (as we have mentioned, our research team examined the specifications of 1,500 portable ac units) with every 1000 or 2000 BTU rise.
Not everything that is big is loud. As an example, LG 6000 and 7000 BTU portable ACs share the same noise level, which is very quiet 51 decibels.
Noise level really depends on the compressor type.
A small portable air conditioner that has a conventional compressor would be louder compared to a large one that has inverter technology.
How to Get the Best HVAC Prices
- Firstly, keep in mind that installation quality is always the most important thing for residential HVAC project. So never sacrifice contractor quality for a lower price.
- Secondly, remember to look up the latest rebates as we talked above.
- Thirdly, ask for at least 3 bids before you make the decision. You can click here to get 3 free estimates from your local contractors, and this estimate already takes rebates and tax credit into consideration and filter unqualified contractors automatically.
Lastly, once you chose the right contractor, remember to use the tactics from this guide: Homeowners Tactics When Negotiating with HVAC Dealer to get the final best price.
