What is the Advantage of a Pedestal Fan?

Pedestal fans are among the most popular styles of fan. What exactly gives a pedestal fan an edge over other types of fans 

The main advantage of a pedestal fan is the adjustable height and the option to adjust the osculation horizontally and  the fan itself vertically.

If you look up the definition of a pedestal, it is defined as a base or support on which a statue, obelisk, or column is mounted.

That kind of gives you an ideal of what you’re getting with a pedestal fan.

  • It is a fan that is mounted to a pedestal.
  • But in the case of a fan, the pedestal is adjustable.

    What is the advantage of a pedestal fan?

Pedestal fans have the unique advantage of being the only style of fan that you can adjust the height on.

Another unique advantage that you will only find on a pedestal fan is the ability to adjust the direction of the fan vertically.

So you can set the fan to oscillate from side to side pointing straight up or pointing straight down. You’ve got the option.

Pedestal fans come in a lot of unique styles also.

Nowadays a pedestal fan is any fan that has an adjustable stand. You could put a tower fan on an adjustable stand and call it a pedestal fan.

You will not get the ability to adjust the fan vertically, but there is a lot to be said for being able to adjust the height of a tower fan.

Pedestal fans are simply the most adjustable of any type of fan.

But they do have their disadvantages.

They are bulky. Think about it. The bigger the fan, the larger a base you will need to support the fan.

So a lot of pedestal fans are smaller fans that don’t move as much air as some other types of fans.

  The size and bulkiness of a pedestal fan make them less attractive than say a tower fan.

And though as I mentioned before, there are a number of different styles of pedestal fans available these days, but they primarily are circular fans that sit on a stand.

That means they are potentially dangerous to have around small children who can get their fingers through the blade grill.

Summary

What is the advantage of a pedestal fan?

A pedestal fan has the advantage of being the most adjustable of all types of fans.

You can adjust the height. You can adjust the direction of the fan vertically, and you can set the osculation to move from side to side all at the same time.

Pedestal fans also have one big disadvantage.

They require a large base to sit on.
The larger the fan, the larger the base that it takes to support the fan and its many oscillation and direction options.

That also means that the pedestal fan requires a stronger and heavier base as the power of the fan increases.

So what you find a lot with the big box store brands is a less powerful fan that takes a less heavier pedestal base. 

And they are typically the circular type of fan that have large enough fan grills that a baby or a toddler may be able to get their fingers into the blade.

Which Type of Fan Gives More Air?

Which type of fan gives more air?

What type of fan that gives more air is different for each situation.
Overall if you want to get the most air out of one fan, a bladeless fan or “air multiplier” will create the most airflow for one single fan.

Different needs

Finding the right fan for the right situation isn’t as cut and dry as you may think.

There are quite a variety of different styles of fans for many different purposes.

And for any situation, finding one that creates the best airflow is the central point.

Which type of fan gives more air?

Of course there is no one perfect answer because there are many types of fans that produce a huge amount of air that are made for commercial  and industrial settings.

For instance an air mover is the type of fan that delivers a powerful amount of air. Not only a lot of air but a lot of air with a lot of force behind it.

But you are not going to want to use an air mover inside of your home unless you do have a flooding problem.

The ceiling fan moves more air than a floor fan of the location where it is mounted.

You may argue that a ceiling fan would be a subpar fan if it were sitting on a table because it doesn’t blow as hard as some other types of fans.

So location is definitely one decider.

Drum fans are large floor fans that you may see in the garage or shop. They push a lot of air and are more powerful than the standard House fan but are not nearly as strong as an air mover. 

You may say they are light commercial. But definitely more powerful than a pedestal style fan.

House fans generally do not drive as much air because you don’t want that amount of air blowing on you usually when you’re going about your life at home.

Ceiling fans

The ceiling fan moves more air than a floor fan because of the location where it is mounted.

You may argue that a ceiling fan would be a subpar fan if it were sitting on a table because it doesn’t blow as hard as some other types of fans. Probably the same as a pedestal fan.

But because of how it is mounted in the center of the ceiling, one ceiling fan can give you more air than one fan of similar size blowing in one direction on the floor.

Tower fan

A tower fan is a strong fan that won’t blow you out of your seat but still give you a good amount of air.

typical tower fan has a long cylinder fan blade that creates a lot of air and fits in nicely with about any style of room in the home.

Bladeless Tower fan

A bladeless tower fan is also called an air multiplier. It has a completely different fan design then all other types of fans.

Air multipliers pull air into a fan and then redistribute it into a 360° air flow.

The direction of the air that comes from a bladeless fan creates a full room effect that you cannot get out of other fans.

Bladeless fans also lend themselves to being very efficient HEPA air purifiers.

Which type of fan gives more air?

Because of the unique design and technology of a bladeless fan, you can get more air out of one fan than any other type of House fan.

The air from a bladeless fan is distributed 360° to create a full room air flow effect.

A ceiling fan is also a fan that gives more air because of where it is located in the middle of the ceiling.

But if you are looking for a fan that you can get the most air out of for a shop or garage area, a drum fan or large commercial pedestal fan is going to be your best bet.

Finally, if you need the most air that you can get for an industrial or clean up situation, an Air Mover will provide the most power.

What Does a “Pedestal Fan” Mean?

Have you ever been to a historical museum?

If you have, then you know that It is commonplace to see the bust of a famous Greek philosopher or Roman emperor displayed on a column or podium as part of the historical attractions.

How does that have anything to do with a pedestal fan?

It is because those famous busts are actually sitting on what are called “pedestals”.

The proper definition of a pedestal is “a base or support on which a statue, obelisk, or column is mounted”

 I think you see where we’re going with this.

What does a pedestal fan mean?

A pedestal fan is a fan that is mounted on an adjustable stand. It is unique to other types of fans in that the height can be adjusted and it can be vertically tilted.

The majority of pedestal fans are circular fans that sit on stands that have a large base to support it.

They have the unique characteristic of being able to adjust the height of the fan by adjusting the stand height.

They are typically oscillating fans that can be tilted vertically as well.

Though the majority of pedestal fans are circular, that is not always the case and is not necessary to be called a pedestal fan.

Technically you could put a tower fan on top of a stand, and you would have a pedestal fan.

Which is a good idea because tower fans are height challenged but they tend to be more directional in their air flow.

Pedestal fan shortcomings

Because of the chance that a pedestal fan has a becoming top heavy, the base on a pedestal fan has to be extra large to hold the fan steady as it blows and osculates.

That means that they inherently take up a lot more space then a tower fan would.

That also means that the stronger and larger that a pedestal fan is, the heavier and larger that the base has to be to hold the fan in place.

An added benefit to having a heavier base is that the fan is less likely to move out of place when it is blowing on high.

You may find that a lot of the plastic pedestal fans that you can purchase are not very strong blowers. 

Because of their light materials, they don’t have the strength to keep a more powerful fan motor solidly in place.

Wrap Up

What does a pedestal fan mean?

A Pedestal fan is simply a fan that is mounted to an adjustable stand with a large base.

A pedestal fan brings something to the table that other fans cannot.

That is that they are height adjustable.

This is a feature you cannot find on other types of fans.

Another feature that is extra valuable on a pedestal fan is that they have a heavy base and are not as likely to move out of place as easily as say a box fan can.

It is true though, because pedestal fans have to have a large base to support the fan, they tend to be more bulky and take up more space than other types of fans.

  And the lighter the materials that a pedestal fan is made out of, the lesser the amount of airflow you can expect to get out of one.

Are Tower Fans Safe?

Fan safety has come a long way from when I was a child.

I can remember having a pedestal fan in the house when I was a kid that you could get your whole hand into the blades. 

Seems crazy. Yet that wasn’t so long ago.

And till this day, a ceiling fan is wide open for anyone to come along and get hung up in it, if they’re having to do something high up.

But when you take a look at the range of fans being offered in any big box store or Amazon, one thing is for sure, fans are made much safer than they once were.

Although there are a few that I think could stand to tighten it up a bit.

But on the other side of the coin there are some types of fans that have made safety almost a non-issue.

Are tower fans safe?

Among the safest of fans that you can purchase is a tower fan.

Why?
For starters the blade inside of a tower fan is a long cylinder with very short blades.

And the grill that covers the blades is closed off tightly enough that fingers are not easily placed inside it.

A tower fan is as close to being a bladeless fan as you can get without actually taking the blade completely out.

But there is a type of tower fan that does just that.

A Bladeless fan, although not quite as tall as a regular tower fan, still qualifies for the tower fan moniker.

Bladeless fans are just what they sound like, a fan that does not have any type of fan blade at all.

The fan looks more like a circular tube attached to the top of a tower heater.

It is completely safe for anyone including babies, toddlers, or pets.

A bladeless fan is not only much safer than a regular fan, it is also much more efficient and much quieter than a standard fan.

The system behind a bladeless fan operates by pulling air into a base that redistributes the air 360° around the circular tube that I mentioned before.

This creates air flow around the entire room at one time instead of being directional or semi-directional oscillating.

Bladeless fans also make one of the best air purifiers you can purchase.

Since the design of a bladeless fan dictates that air moves through the fan, it’s a very logical step to pull the air through a HEPA and Carbon filter in the process.

A better, more efficient fan that also serves as one of the best air purifiers.

are bladebless tower fans safeSummary

Are tower fans safe?

Tower fans are among the safest fans that you can purchase.

They have a closed off grill that makes getting your hands or worse your children’s hands into the blade almost impossible.

The cylinder shape of the blade apparatus makes the need for long blades obsolete. And able to do less damage to something were to get into them.

But easily the safest type of fan that is also a type of tower fan is bladeless fan because it does not have any blade that you can get your hand into at all.

Pedestal fan vs Tower fan

Pedestal fan vs Tower fan Overview

Pedestal fans advantages

  • Air flow is directional both horizontally and vertically
  • Can be purchased as fold away units that can be stored easily.

Pedestal fan disadvantages

  • They have a large base so they take up more room than a tower fan.
  • Traditional circular fans that are more open and less safe for children.

Tower fan advantages

  • Blades are hidden and are very safe even for small children
  • Create a larger area of wind because of the length of the fan.
  • Smaller and easier to store.
  • Lend themselves more to being combined with a heater and an air purifier.

Tower fan disadvantages

  • Are not adjustable vertically.
  • Do not create as much air flow above the 40 inch height Mark.

A fan is one of those products that doesn’t seem too exciting to go on about really.

Everybody uses a fan from time to time and they are kind of just in the backdrop until you need to turn it on.

But if you haven’t taken any time to look at what’s been going on in the fan world lately,

  you may be shocked or at least surprised by the amount of innovation that has been happening out there.

I’m probably just old, but some of these new styles of fans are really cool. Pun intended.

And I might get a little long-winded talking about them. Haha

Pedestal fans

A Pedestal is a word that describes the column that a statue sits on in the art world. It’s also called a plinth. Imagine a bust of George Washington sitting on a Roman style column. That’s a pedestal.

In the fan world, it’s an elongated adjustable stand that gives you the ability to raise a fan up and down vertically.

For instance, a cyclone pedestal fan by Lasko can raise up and down anywhere from 38″ up to 54 and a half inches.

Which is pretty much the norm.

The typical pedestal fan is a circular fan on top of a stand that oscillates 90° horizontally.

And it has the added advantage of being adjustable up and down vertically about 30° so that the fan direction can be targeted even further.

Pedestal fans, because of their adjustability, are very useful and convenient.

But they do have a huge built-in disadvantage in that the larger the fan blade size, the larger the base at the bottom of the pedestal has to be to support the fan.

So naturally they are going to pick up a little more space.

But this is where some of the innovation I was talking about earlier is starting to shine through in the market.

Lately when you think about a pedestal fan, a circular fan on top of a stand with a large circular base is what comes to mind.

But technically as long as there’s a pedestal to place the fan on top of,

You can use a variety of different styles of fans on top of a Stand and still call it a pedestal fan.

For example take a look at the Everdure pedestal fan.

This fan has a look that resembles portable lighting on a Hollywood TV set.

The canister design looks really sharp but it also encloses the blades so that getting your fingers into the fan blades becomes impossible.

Very cool.

It also creates a more slender fan design that uses less space.

Fold away pedestal fan

Another cool innovation in pedestal fans is the ability to fold the fan up and use it as a travel fan.

  • Tripole is an example of such a fan.

And its fold away position only takes up 12″ x 6.5″.

No more having the fan in the middle of the floor because there is nowhere to put it.

The adjustability on this fan is insane.

It oscillates 70° horizontal and is adjustable 200° vertically. Essentially you can point the fan in any direction from one stationary spot.

This fan is also battery operated (optional). And can run 5 and 1/2 hours on a single charge. Great for camping.

Hybrid Pedestal Fan


Lasko has a pedestal fan that is essentially a tower fan that sits on a pedestal.

Hmm..

What’s the point?

Because of the smaller fan size, you can get about a foot taller than pedestal fans.

Tower fans generally fall in the 40 to 45″ height range. Which means that there’s not much direct cooling going on above that height.

Being able to adjust a tower fan up and down on a stand is actually a very usable feature.

For instance, if you have a very tall bed, a tower fan can be a little too short to blow any air directly on you.

But being able to adjust the height of said fan would make all the difference.

The obvious downside here is that even though it does oscillate horizontally, it can’t be adjusted vertically.

Tower Fans

This is a good spot to switch over and talk about some tower fans.

Tower fans are cylinder looking fans in which the blades are hidden. Because of this fact, there’s very little risk that anyone would ever get their fingers into the fan blades. Even a very small child.

And because even at the base they only come in around 12 in, they take up very little space.

The design of a tower fan lens itself is combined with a heater and as we get into some of the more innovative designs for tower fans, you’ll see that many of them lend themselves to being an excellent air purifier besides.

The blade design on a traditional tower fan (this Lasko, for example) creates more airflow than a pedestal fan. The effect is more of a line of air; the cover has much more space directly in front of the fan than a pedestal fan.

And if there has been some outstanding innovation in the pedestal fan arena,

Innovations in the tower fan category are nothing short of amazing.

Bladeless Tower Fans

Bladeless fans are pretty much the future of tower fans. Since Dyson came out with the Air Multiplier over a decade ago, it has seemed to spark the imagination of what could be done with a tower fan.

Take the “Airmate tower fan” for instance.

This tower fan is a fully working HEPA filter as well as a powerful fan.

In the appliance world, when you start to combine different technologies, you don’t always get the best from either technology.

Not so with the Airmate tower fan and air purifier.

The bladeless design of the Airmate pulls air into the fan and then redistributes it to get a much wider airflow than the standard tower fan.

And since the air is already being pulled into the machine as a means of creating air flow,

The logical next step is to clean the air in the process by filtering it through a HEPA filter.

This combination makes for one of the best fan designs and one of the best air purifier designs.

It also has a very cool, futuristic look. A little bit of Stormtrooper in the white version or Mando in the grey version. (Yep, those are Star Wars references)

The noise level on this fan is exceptionally low also. The majority of people say that you cannot even hear it working on the low setting.

This fan really begs the question of why you would ever go back to an old school floor fan. It’s that innovative.

Yeah… but does it have a heater function?

Modere

Just when I thought I had seen the most modern tower fan, I found one that exceeded the capabilities of anything else I have seen.

The Modere tower fan is a three-in-1, fan, heater, and air purifier.

This fan has an answer to one of the biggest drawbacks that most Tower fans have.

And that is that they do not adjust vertically.

The bladeless design on this fan does give you the option of adjusting it vertically.

That in itself separates this fan from the pack.

But that is only the beginning.

This fan is also a fully functional space heater and air purifier.

The air purifier uses a pre filter for larger debris, a HEPA h13 filter for particles as small as 001 microns. And a UV light to sterilize the filter and fan as the air is moving through it.

The heater can be adjusted up to 86°. And it has the standard tip over protection that turns the unit off if it is knocked over.

And it is all connected via Wi-Fi. Which means it can be voice controlled with Alexa or controlled with a touchscreen via the downloadable app. But it also has a remote control and on board buttons.

Dyson Cool Link

It’s kind of hard to talk about innovations in any type of appliance without talking about Dyson.

Yes, Dyson products tend to be expensive. But the above fans probably would not exist if Dyson never came out with the original Air Multiplier.

The Dyson cool link hpo2 is the original air multiplying technology combined with a heater and air purifier.

Though the fan is nothing short of amazing, there is no question that it is being copied by other fan manufacturers.

The bladeless design not only increases air flow exponentially, it makes fan blade safety a non-issue. The unique airflow technology combines it with an air purifier, also a no-brainer.

The real dazzling component of this combination fan, heater, and air purifier is the air purifier.

This air purifier has censoring technology that automatically adjusts the air flow to remove indoor air pollutants as needed.

Pretty wild..

The filtering on this air purifier also includes a carbon filter to remove gases and odors.

Dyson is not only the most innovative, they also pour in the most features to ensure that you get your money’s worth. Wi-Fi, directional speeds, ultra quiet, you name it.

Summary

Comparing a pedestal fan to a tower fan comes down to a couple of unique benefits and advantages that each have over the other.

Pedestal fans are fully oscillating fans that have the added advantage of being able to adjust them not only up and down on the stand, but the blade direction can be adjusted vertically also.

Tower fans are not adjustable vertically but they do tend to create more airflow because of their long fan blade design.

Tower fans do have an advantage over pedestal fans in that the blades are closed in and there is much less risk of ever getting your fingers into the blades.
Even when we’re talking about small children.

And also, innovations in the tower fan world have begun to blaze a new trail in what a fan really is and what it can actually do.

Bladeless designs or able to create a whole different level of airflow than previously known.

They are also able to incorporate fully functional air purifiers and heaters without diminishing any of the technologies that are combined.

Bladeless fans are absolutely safe and take the possibility of one of your children ever putting their hands into a spinning fan blade completely out of the equation.

Is There a Silent Window Air Conditioner?

Window air conditioners are an excellent way to cool off a room provided you do not want the room to be extra quiet.

That’s because the cycling of the air conditioner becomes a backdrop to your life anytime that the air conditioner is on. Yes it’s kind of annoying.

Is there a silent window air conditioner?

There is no such thing as a completely silent window air conditioner.

A window AC that creates zero noise is a impossibility because of the fact all the parts of a window air conditioner that make noise are located in the same “all-in-one” unit.

The running motor noise that a window AC makes is literally behind the vents where the cool air blows out of.

And there’s no way to have a refrigerated type air conditioner without having a condenser and compressor cycling on and off.

There is a reason that anytime you do a search on Google or a silent air conditioner you find yourself on a search result page of top quietest air conditioners.

A window AC is a all-in-one unit.

And when I say “all in one”, I mean all the components that make an air conditioner work, including the compressor and the fan.

And although there are other noises that a window air conditioner make from time to time, the compressor and the fan are the main running sound that you hear when you operate a window AC.

  Window air conditioners use the same type of technology that a central heat and air unit (HVAC) uses.

But the reason that a central heat and air unit seems to cool the air very quietly inside of a house is because the compressor is located outside of the house.

The distance between the part that blows the cool air in the house and the outdoor compressor is far enough from each other that you do not hear the compressor noise.

But if you a window that is next to the outdoor HVAC compressor running then you know very well that they are far from silent.

In fact, they can be very loud. Loud enough that there are people who build sound barriers around them to keep the noise down.

What is the Quietest Window AC?

The type of window AC that is the quietest is the inverter u-shaped style.

It is because a u-shaped window air conditioners like the Soleusair allow for the window to come through the center of the air conditioner, which makes the actual window a barrier between the blower section of the air conditioner and the noise and compressor in the back of the AC.

The noise level of the Soleusair comes in at only 38 decibels. That’s about the same as running a very quiet refrigerator.

Other window ACs like the Haier Serenity achieve a very quiet result by ensuring that each component inside of the unit is insulated.

Haier Serenity achieves about 42 decibels. Very close to the inverter u-shaped window ACs.

Summary

Is there a silent window air conditioner?

Window air conditioners are a convenient way to get refrigerated air cooling your room. They are all in one solution that work well because they are able to exhaust the heat that they generate directly outside the house.

But being that they are a complete packaged unit including all the components that actually create the cool air including a noisy compressor, it is impossible to have a window air conditioner that creates zero noise and is completely silent.

But that doesn’t mean there are some very quiet window air conditioners on the market.

   If it is very important that you have zero noise, other solutions like a mini split air conditioner, that split the location of the air conditioner and the compressor so that the noisy compressor is located outside.

Still not a completely silent option, but nearly.

 

Can a Window AC be Used Inside?

Just recently A friend of mine told me that he had a window air conditioner sitting in the garage but he didn’t have a window that it would fit in.

Him and his wife decided that they would just bring it in the house and sit it on the table. Unfortunately that didn’t work out too well for them. Let me explain why.

Can a window air conditioner be used inside?

Exhaust


A window AC is not meant to be used inside of a house.

  Just placing a window air conditioner on a table and turning it on will not give you the intended result of cooling off your room.

The reason you can’t use a Window AC inside is that window air conditioners exhaust heat from the rear of the unit.

If you have ever walked behind a window air conditioner while it is running, you probably noticed that the air was hot directly behind it.

It is the same thing if you have walked by a large compressor sitting next to somebody’s house while it is operating.
The air coming off of the compressor is hot.

Just sitting a window AC on top of a table and turning it on will cool the air from the front and heat the air from the back which will essentially cancel out each other.

The entire reason a window air conditioner is meant to sit into a window is the fact that it needs a place to exhaust the heat.

can the window AC be used insideCondensation

Another reason why you can’t simply place a window air conditioner inside besides the heat exhausting from the rear is the condensation that drips out oh the bottom of the unit.

  Window air conditioners pull the hot air out of your room and drag it across refrigerated coils that condense the air and remove the humidity.

The humidity exits the air conditioner as liquid out of a drainage hole on the bottom of the air conditioner.

If you run a window air conditioner inside of a room, it will exhaust heat out of the back and drip water onto your table or surface that you put it.

Portable Air Conditioner

A portable air conditioner runs on the same type of technology but it has the added advantage of being able to move around the room a little more freely then a window air conditioner.

But even a portable refrigerated air conditioners have to have a hose running to a window to exhaust the heat out of the room.

Evaporative Air Coolers

The only type of air coolers that do not require any type of way to exhaust the heat coming over the air conditioner is evaporative air coolers.

   Evaporative air coolers use water to cool off a room. Very much like the way the wind blowing over a body of water like a pool or lake cools the air.

But even though they do not require a way to exhaust the heat, they are maintenance heavy machines because they require water to be refilled frequently.

They also must be cleaned frequently to avoid mold and bacteria that can easily grow inside of them if the water is allowed to be standing for too long.

Summary

Can a window air conditioner be used inside?

A window air conditioner will not cool a room by bringing it inside and sitting it on a table or other surface.

It is because a window AC exhaust heat out of the rear and cold air from the vents.

Without a way to exhaust the heat through a window, the heat will cancel out the cool air.

Window air conditioners also dehumidify as they run. Which means that they pull the water out of the air as a means of cooling the air.

When the humidity is pulled out, it becomes liquid that needs a place to drain to.

Which in normal situations is outside because the window AC is sitting in a window.

But bringing a window air conditioner inside means the condensation will be dripping inside of the house or room.

Why Does a Window AC Have to Be in the Window?

Why does a window AC have to be in the window?

A window AC is designed to sit in a window because it needs a place to exhaust the heat that it creates and a place to drip the water that it makes as it dehumidifies.

Window air conditioners are also called through the wall air conditioners sometimes too.

With a through the wall air conditioner, the concept is the same.

The air conditioner sits inside of a wall with the face of the air conditioner inside of the room that you want to cool and the rear of the air conditioner sitting on the outside of the house.

Window air conditioners are a type of miniature HVAC refrigerated air conditioner that are all in one box.

Other type of refrigerated air conditioning like a central heat and air unit (HVAC) for a mini split air conditioner use a separate compressor that is located outside of the house.

If you’ve ever walked by a compressor sitting on the side of someone’s house or business, you probably noticed the heat coming off of the unit.

It is because refrigerated air conditioners exhaust heat as they cool the air.

Window air conditioners are basically a convenient all in the same box type of HVAC, and just like a full size HVAC,  they create heat as they cool as well.

But since the compressor of a window AC is built into the same box, one side of the air conditioner needs a place to exhaust the heat and drip the condensation.

That’s why it is designed to sit into a window.

Portable air conditioners

A portable air conditioner is a refrigerated air conditioner that is basically the same thing as a window air conditioner but sits inside of the room instead of sitting in a window.

  But it still requires a window to exhaust the heat from.

The difference is it exhausts through a hose instead of directly out of the rear of the machine.

The condensation created in the process goes into a drainage catch that has to be emptied from time to time.

A portable air conditioner can also be exhausted into the Attic.

Since it has a hose that extends from the machine around 6 ft.

If the room you are in has an attic but no windows, there is the possibility of exhausting into the Attic. This is most likely a do-it-yourself project. Good luck finding any type of commercial conversion kit.

Portable air conditioners are also good in situations where there are odd shaped or smaller than usual windows.

  A lot of times rooms like basements will have very small windows that do not accommodate a window air conditioner, but they can accommodate the exhaust hose on a portable air conditioner.

Summary

Why does a window AC have to be in the window?

Window ACS are placed in a window for 2 reasons.

1.  They create heat that needs a place to exhaust.
2. They need a place to drip the condensation that is formed while the unit is running.

  Placing a window air conditioner through an outside wall is also a common installation process that does not require a window. But it does require cutting a hole through the wall.

Portable air conditioners work on the same premise, but they exhaust the heat through a hose which is meant to sit in a window.

A portable air conditioner can work anywhere that there is a place to run a hose that can accept heat. An attic for instance.

Why are Window Air Conditioners So Loud?

Window air conditioners are an easy solution for people who need air conditioning but do not have the luxury of Central Heat and Air (HVAC).

Easy. Maybe. Convenient. Yes they are.

But they are not quiet.

Why are window air conditioners so loud?

A window AC is a refrigerated air conditioner that contains all the components of a full sized HVAC all in one box.

Noisy AC components like the compressor and fan motor that are normally separated completely outside from the house in a full Central Heat and Air unit,

are packed into a tight package within a window air conditioner.

That means that the noise that is usually separated and contained outside is instead included with your window AC.

1.  Compressor and fan

The main reason that a window air conditioner is so loud is there is a noisy compressor directly behind the vents that the cold air comes from.

Like we talked about before, refrigerator air conditioners use a compressor and a condenser fan. Without these two components, you do not have a working air conditioner.

And since these components are located directly inside of the window air conditioner, there are very few options for getting away from the constant cycling noise that they make.

But the compressor is not the only source of noise coming from and out of a window AC.

Other reasons that window AC are so loud are:

2.  Outside noise

Even though a window AC fits between the window and the window seal easily enough, it is rare that you would ever purchase a unit that fits a window on the sides.
  That is why there are plastic inserts that come included with the AC purchase.

Those plastic ” fillers” are meant to keep the outside air from getting inside.
But they are not thick enough to do much in the way of keeping the outdoor noise from coming through.

Making your own “fillers” out of some thicker wood is an easy do it yourself project that can help cut down the noise leaking through the sides quite a bit.

 Window ACs are very heavily vented on the outside of the unit. The sides of the AC have a slotted grill to help keep the compressor cool. But they also allow noise to come directly through the air conditioner.

3. Rain and gurgling

One of the most annoying noises that a window air conditioner can make is the sound of water gurgling inside of the air conditioner.

This usually happens when the air is extra humid and the air conditioner is condensing more water than usual.

Blowing rain is also a source of water that can get into the rear of the air conditioner via the side grill vents.

It is also a good indicator that the drain hole that allows the water to drip out of the air conditioner has a blockage and is not letting the water drip as quickly as it needs.

And/or the drainage hole is clear but the air conditioner is not sitting in the window level.

  Depending on where the drain hole is on the bottom of the window AC in question, the unit may need to sit exactly level for the water to drain out correctly.

Or the unit may need to have a slight tilt to the rear for the water to move towards the rear end of the air conditioner.

The window unit should never be tilted forwards. That is just asking for the water to drain towards the front of the air conditioner which is located inside of the house.

Summary
Why are window air conditioners so loud?

The main reason window air conditioners are so loud is that they have all the components of a standard size central heat and air unit,

But they’re all packed into a little box that sits in your window.

Some of the parts inside of a window air conditioner like the compressor and fan that on a full size HVAC would be separated and placed outside,

Are all sitting right inside of the window air conditioner so that you can hear them running directly through the vents where the cold air comes out of.

Why Do Window Air Conditioners Drip Water?

Window air conditioners are one of the easiest ways that you can get cold air into a room. Provided you have a window to install it in.

But there are things about window air conditioners that are not exactly well known and people don’t realize are a thing till they actually get it home and installed.

For instance, you may have not realized that the air conditioner that you put in your window was going to be a continuous dripping faucet.

Why do window air conditioners drip water?

Window air conditioners actually dehumidify the air as they are cooling it off.

One of the functions of a refrigerated air conditioner like a window AC is to pull the moisture out of the air as a means of making the room cold.

  The moisture that is pulled out of the air is condensed, turning it into water that exits through a drain hole in the bottom of the air conditioner.

This is a perfectly normal function of a window air conditioner. The amount of water that a window air conditioner drips is directly related to the relative humidity.

If you were running a window AC when the humidity is high, you will notice that the amount of water draining out of your AC is much higher than usual.

Likewise, if the weather is dry, you may not even notice any water draining out of your air conditioner.

When is it not normal for a window air conditioner to drip?

If the window air conditioner in question is dripping water but it is not dripping out through the drain hole, the drain hole is probably clogged, making the water find a different exit.

  If you find your AC is dripping water but it is not coming out of the drain hole, you’ll probably find that the bottom of the AC is filling up with water.

This can be an issue if the air conditioner is not tilted because the water can begin to leak through the bottom into the room side of the air conditioner instead of the outdoor section of the air conditioner.

So keeping the drainage hole cleaned out on the window air conditioner is important and can save you from having any type of damage to your walls if the leak becomes big enough.

Another issue that can result in water dripping from window AC in an area other than the drainage hole is a window AC that is not properly leveled and tilted slightly back to the rear.

  To give you a better idea of what I’m talking about, think about it this way.

If I were to pour water into a glass that is sitting on an uneven table. The water would set heavier on the inside of the glass that is lower than the other side because of the uneven table.

It’s the same thing with the window AC, if it is not level horizontally, then the condensed water will want to gather on the side of the air conditioner that is lower than the other side.

Which means that it will not drain evenly and may cause water to drip out of the side instead of the drainage hole.

Summary

Why do window air conditioners drip water?

“Window air conditioners dehumidify the air as they cool the air down.

In the dehumidification process, the humidity in the air is condensed and turned to water.

The water exits the window air conditioner through a drainage hole on the bottom of the AC.”

The water that exits the AC is the continuous dripping that window air conditioners are known for especially in humid weather.