Single vs Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioners

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A deeper analysis of dual hose vs single hose units: www.consumeranalysis.com/guid...
In this video we discuss the differences between single hose and dual hose portable air conditioners. What are the advantages of dual hose ACs? What are the disadvantages? We end up finding that the number of hoses involved in the system does impact overall efficiency. But it doesn't impact the overall cooling capacity of the air conditioner to the extent that it's impossible for a single hose system to outperform a dual hose system. To the contrary, we find that there are multiple single hose systems on the market that outperform the best and most prominent dual hose options.

[@TheArchaeus6]

Edward Snowden got real serious about having a cool room to work in.

[@iserved8840]

🤣🤣🤣

[@DG-sd3yz]

Lol, thats funny. I was actually looking Snowden up the other day!

[@jaxxx010]

I needed a giggle, cheers :)

[@IamSooConstipated]

Any age 25-40 white male with short facial hair and glasses is Edward Snowden

[@CarlosRodriguez-kh3df]

Ha! 😆

[@ryanhenderson8908]

This guy obviously works for the single hose unit consortium! 🤣

[@sleeknub]

You can't really solve the infiltration air problem with single hose units, but you can pretty easily solve the issues with a dual hose unit by insulating the hoses and taping the joints.

[@PiotrK]

Well i solved it, it is possible.

[@sleeknub]

PiotrK sorry, which problem did you solve? The second one that can easily be solved or the first one that I said can’t be solved?

[@PiotrK]

The first one, there are two ways: 1. Add a second hose by covering the vent with some prepared sealed box that has the hose connected to it (basically conversion to dual hose) 2. Put the single hose unit outside and blow the air into the house, some single hose units allow to switch the sides and if not, it is possible to mod the front vent to add pipe as well. 3. Basically the first except that a permanent modification is made by altering the casing to "hard-mod" the hose in

[@sleeknub]

PiotrK yeah, I thought you might go there. Modifying a single hose unit into a dual hose unit doesn’t really solve the single hose problem, it sidesteps it completely. It’s a fine workaround, it just doesn’t “solve” the physics problem of a single hose unit. The idea of placing the unit outside and running it in reverse is really cool, and maybe it qualifies as a single hose solution. It still shouldn’t be as efficient in theory as a dual hose since you are having to cool hot outside air instead of recirculating already cool inside air.

[@PiotrK]

@@sleeknub well the second hose solves the negative pressure problem

[@johncalla2151]

Bizarre review. I had a 10,000 BTU single hose PAC and it couldn't even cool down a 200 sf room. The amount of air it was evacuating was ridiculous. It was probably something like 200 cfm. At that rate the entire room's air is completely turned over in about 10 minutes. There's no way to cool the room. And since the cool out vent is in the proximity of the condenser intake fan and exhaust, the cooled air is the first to get evacuated out of the room. I don't even understand why they still sell these.

[@youtubewatcher4603]

The problem is that you're using the single hose unit when it's hot outside. The SACC calcs assume that their is a 5.4F, on average, temperature differential between the inside and outside. The portable AC manufacturers had a big hand in coming up with that number.

[@SomeSenseCommon]

There is one thing that this video fails to mention. It is my understanding that for the same SACC / DOE BTU, the single-hose units use a lot more electrical power than an equivalent SACC / DOE BTU dual-hose unit. For example, a 1200 watt single-hose unit produces 5200 DOE BTU, whereas a 1200 watt dual-hose unit produces 8600 DOE BTU!

[@elixier33]

Both types are crap that's why I have a mini split at the end of the day if you don't have a split system then neither of these are really good really did you only good for temporary spot cooling.

[@marredcheese]

Wow, seriously? Then this video is worse than worthless. It's just 10 minutes of blabbering about optimizing the wrong metric to the detriment of what really matters.

[@user-ux9gh9qh9g]

Is it feasible when the unit is placed outside only to put a duct that enters the cold air?

[@robertnguyen2025]

@@user-ux9gh9qh9g yeah it would work since it is like having a window ac ..not as strong but at least the compressor that has a lot of heat is not inside your room..also cover the portable ac since it is very fragile body having outside in the sun

[@999erh]

@@robertnguyen2025 People keep mentioning this, but these things aren't waterproof. You can't just leave it out in the rain...

[@BlueBetaPro]

Why are single hose units even legal, what a waste of energy, it would be like leaving the window open every time you turned up your thermostat, or down your AC for that matter, what idiots, those people should be fined heavily for even making them. If WV can be fined for not meting efficiency and pollution standards then these guys can certainly get fined for building this absolute garbage.

[@indoom666]

did you watch the fucking video mongrel

[@jdbridgeks]

This video makes it seem like the losses due to the way a single hose unit sucks out the air that it already used energy to cool to then cool itself, thus bringing in massive amounts of outside warm air is *remotely* close to the minor loses of convective heat from short 5 foot hoses and a couple extra leaks. The inefficiencies of a single hose unit are *orders of magnitude* greater than the marginal increases in small heat gains from a dual hose system. I can't fathom why you would want to defend terribly designed single hose units, unless you are paid by their manufacturers to shill for them. You should always purchase a dual hose unit, as that is the same operating principle as split units (traditional whole-home) and most American style "sit-in-the-windows" units.

[@leaferyvine8986]

Would explain my comments that disappeared...

[@wagnery4920]

I have just confirmed that reality is completely opposite to this video. Replaced a single hose 10k btu SACC for a dual hose 10,5k btu and the difference is huge. The single hose had the compressor on all the time when I tried to cool the bedroom to something around 18c, because the pulled outside hot air prevented it to reach the desired temperature. With the dual hose neutral pressure, it can keep it easily.

[@alanw.4511]

Yes, this Edward Snowden lookalike was obvisously hired by the single hose air conditioner industry. He is a gas lighter.

[@tomascernak6112]

dude, check your physics, radiation power of hose with outside air is nowhere near numbers of thermal power of that same air itself. Also we can assume, that intake hose will have much lower temp gradient with room air temp compared to outtake hose. Two hose system is vastly superior to single hose system in efficiency.

[@StartledPancake]

In theory, but all the highest EER rated portable aircos are single hose as far as I can see. Unless you can point out some units that are available in the EU that are more effcient than the LG/Delonghi sinlge hose systems.

[@bbbo85]

​@@StartledPancake yeah was told dual is better and just came across LG's single with same BTU ASHRAE rating with higher BTU SACC rating

[@Jikldk]

@@bbbo85 The new Midea Duo and its Toshiba counterpart has a higher rating than the LG from what I've seen.

[@_exilon_]

The new single hose units hit SACC of 10K out of a nominal 14K now by ramping up the condenser temperature and taking advantage of the cooler room air in smaller volumes. Dual hose units has to cool the hot side with hot recirculating exhaust air and the cool side is either warm or uses a lot more power to get it as cool as a single hose. In hot days, dual hose units can really struggle!

[@tomascernak6112]

@@_exilon_ in hot days single hose ac suck hot air from outside into house. You can not achieve higher efficiency to cool air in united space than in separated spaces. Dual hose system is close to split system. And I hope, you will not try to claim, that split system is struggling, right?

[@MiguelAngel-hc7dp]

Lots of talking, theories and explanations, but I believe you never really compared in "real life" a single hose vs dual hose. The amount of hot air that single hose sucks into the room is vastly more detrimental than the leaks and heat radiation from an extra hose, there is simple no comparison. Just close the room door and place you hand or foot in the joints between the door and the door frame and you will feel the air blowing inside in great amounts, so you are blowing out cold air all the time creating vacuum in the room, and then sucking in hot air all the time, so you really never end to cool the room, as the situation is equivalent to try to cool a room with the door open, we all know how difficult that can be. . And that is a unsolvable flaw on the single hose units. Is true that outside air wont cool the condenser as quickly, but it does not really matter is this situation. Besides don't forget that windows air conditioners get cooled with the outside air, and sometimes even get hit by the sun directly and still work well. If you can intake enough air flow you will cool the condenser enough to allow him to work efficiently even with the outside hot air. Your statements are simply ridiculous. I believe you have some interest in promoting single hose units, probably from the brands you mentioned. I could send you the heat transfer equations and calculations but I don't have time for that. Even more I converted a single hose to dual hose and results were immediately outstanding, cooling the room lot lot faster.

[@tomascernak6112]

Exactly. Physic here is ruthless. Possibility that heat brought by infiltration air is equal to radiation+leakage heat of dual hose system is total physical bullshit. Even with 100% heat transfer efficiency between intake air and hose, it will be only equal and 100% heat transfer is another physical nonsense. And ability od 2hose systems to isolate room/house from outside air is main advantage for everyone purse. You can actually cool room enough to turn AC off, because with well insulated house, you will get several hours (ie whole night) at convenient temperatures. This is impossible for 1H system and they have waay large electricity consumption to be running non-stop.

[@codfreak1994]

U seem to know alot about conditioners so I have a question for you if you dont mind. Can I split my cooled air via tubes to two different rooms? I want this because I have 1 unit and 2 rooms I'd like to cool. Thankss

[@tomascernak6112]

@@codfreak1994 I assuming you are talking about portable AC right? Then I do not recommended it. First you would have to make some DIY adapter from AC cold air outtake which is most probably square or rectangle. And then there is second problem. Static pressure of axial fan of AC. Axial fans have poor static pressure and any obstacle in airflow would diminish its efficiency and airflow significantly. And when you add long path (5-10 meters) of cold air tubes, it will be such obstacle, that airflow will be almost nonexistent. There will be one way although. You can add inline axial fan into end of the hoses with minimal airflow calculated by this formula (AC Airflow) × sqrt(((Area of AC outtake)×(Length of Hose)/((Hose cross section×5))). (That number 5 is typical static pressure difference between 125mm inline fan and 300mm axial fan). But I am warning you, longer your hose, stronger inline fan will be needed. So it will be also noisy solution. But it will work, because inline fan will compensate hose drag.

[@codfreak1994]

@@tomascernak6112 Thanks for the reply man! Portable yes. My situation is like this: imgur.com/v7oyaGe Id like to cool both rooms at night, I have a single hose (wich is ok, because air from outside is colder then inside(im top floor of an appartment complex and heat is in the roof/walls etc)) I think if this solution works it'll be the most efficient, otherwise ill have to cool my whole appartment wich will cost more money/power etc. I'm quite a good DIY-guy so Im gonna try. If your interessted I can tell you how it went. Again thanks for the info!

[@tomascernak6112]

@@codfreak1994 These distances are even worse than I anticipated. Airflow of cold air will be absolutely miserable. Do your best, but be ready that you will have to install inline fans into those hoses. I wish you luck in your DIY efforts. I will be glad to hear about result.

[@Dcc357]

If you got a portable AC just for 1 room and always stays there, try and wrap the exhaust hose in as much duct insulation as possible. It makes a huge difference. It won't look pretty, but it works.

[@frankservant5754]

Makes sense

[@SuffocatedByThighs]

What duct insulation do you recommend?

[@swordsinging1709]

@@SuffocatedByThighs duct tape.

[@theredscourge]

@@SuffocatedByThighs I bought this long strip of cable management wrapping, cut off a section for my computer cables, and used the rest to wrap around my exhaust vent: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073TZPYHV/

[@alpzepta]

I don’t care about how duct look since the older mini spilt that didn’t have a plastic cover like ductless also have duct that look as ugly. I have no choice in my apartment so this tip would be helpful since portable ac is my only option.

[@Aethid]

Yes, two units with the same SACC will have the same "cooling potential" - but a dual hose design will do it whilst consuming significantly less power, and potentially while being a physically smaller and quieter unit. A single hose design will also heat up other parts of the house, by drawing hot air into them from outside. To claim that the two designs are the same because one of the stats on the box accounts for the fact that one design is shit, is highly misleading.

[@ShortHandedNow]

Not only that, but a little bit of tape and an insulating sleeve for the hoses and all the issues he talked on a dual hose unit are gone. Once you go dual hose you never go back to a single hose unit.

[@Gamerdu45]

How can dualunit be quieter if it needs to be cooled by hot outside air ???

[@leaferyvine8986]

@@Gamerdu45 It intakes air from outside, which makes them more quiet. I have 2 portable AC's in my apartment, 10000 BTU SACC each and my dual hose ones quieter, I can feel the air more from the single hose one, but my dual hose one cools things more evenly, plus it helps with air pressure. I keep my single hose one in my bedroom because its a smaller room so it can take advantage of the colder air and I use my dual one along with it in the daytime (or when theres a really bad heatwave ill use both 24/7) to keep my whole place cool. This guy in the video clearly had a bias against dual hose ones because even though the title of the video makes it seem like its a comparison, in truth the whole video was him trying to convince people not to buy them. If you live somewhere like where I am in Canada: where it gets hot and stuffy indoors in the summer but still has cool breezy air outside, then you're actually better off getting a dual hose one. I only bought my single hosed one last summer because it was 40 celsius for like a week or 2.....

[@user-ux9gh9qh9g]

Is it feasible when the unit is placed outside only to put a duct that enters the cold air?

[@leaferyvine8986]

​You would have to have lots of insulation to keep that cool air from warming up before it goes inside, you might even have to take it apart and insulate the areas where the cold air is produced if you're in a really hot area@@user-ux9gh9qh9g

[@juniormencia2114]

in practice, these devices are good only for sleeping at night. I have a single hose and I adapted it for dual hose and ended the problem of negative pressure and waste of refrigerated air.

[@zenbudhism]

Why

[@_JakeFrom_StateFarm_]

How?

[@carlysullivan4449]

@@_JakeFrom_StateFarm_ intake outside air to cool the condenser (instead of cool room air) and you essentially have a dual hose unit

[@Eric-zs6rd]

@@carlysullivan4449 Obviously. But he's asking how do you do that?

[@rnettles6241]

Better sex in the bedroom with dual hose. Keeps my hose running smooth & cool all night.

[@NIAtoolkit]

I'd like to see measurements from a dual-hose AC first with the intake hose connected and then with the intake hose not connected. This way we aren't comparing apples to oranges

[@sergiodjf]

...This not exactly quite the analogy but... we all are familiar with our car AC. If we want to cool down the cabin as fast as possible we usually close the fresh air intake (recirculation mode). That would have a similar effect as a dual-hose unit that keeps the warm outdoor air away from the room. Quite the opposite if we open the fresh air intake, it would have a similar effect as a single-hose unit, drawing unconditioned air to the room all the time.

[@jondoyle24]

brilliant analogy friend!!

[@bueb8674]

This is a much simpler, more relatable way to explain it, nice

[@lpadron13]

Two years later and your comment is still helping. It's exactly what I was trying to understand about portable ac's.

[@linden5576]

I want to cool a basement during the hot summer months. Basements are a bit on the humid side even if finished. Using a dehumidifier would be out of the question because they give off heat. What would be my best solution for cooling a finished Slightly humid basement without using central air? I cannot fit a window unit into my basement windows! Any suggestions? And also, what about if you have allergies, and you’re bringing air in from outside does that affect the room air?

[@toddhughes4745]

I don' t think that he understands refrigeration concepts. I have been a manager for 2 HVAC companies. A dual hose unit will always be more efficient. He tested one dual unit that is technically not a complete dual hose, as he admits. Once you seal and insulate both hoses it will be much more efficient. He also doesn't understand that a single hose unit is exhausting air that it has already cooled. Time for him to go back to school.

[@garousaitama-ff4wh]

Despite all those physics in favor of dual-hose units, what if they fail to outperform single-hose units in real world scenarios for other reasons? Also, what kind of insulation would you recommend for the hoses?

[@toddhughes4745]

@@garousaitama-ff4wh any kind of insulation would work. Flex duct, pipe, wall, even insulation tape.

[@garousaitama-ff4wh]

@@toddhughes4745 I looked into this before and a lot of the insulation methods used fiberglass, which apparently you should avoid being around too much? Thanks, hadn't heard of insulation tape.

[@rudskyful]

My thoughts too. Not only is the single hose way inefficient but it also creates a pressure difference between the inside room and the outside environment. As long you can properly seal and insulate the two hoses. The inefficiencies of the dual hose will be lesser.

[@consumer-analysis]

By looking at a particular model's SACC and CEER we can now evaluate its efficiency independent of form factor (single vs dual hose). Calculating either one of these metrics requires rigorous testing and mathematics. See appendix CC at the link below: www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=83f8e5ba7502cb6f0b2803f5b3a467d3&mc=true&r=PART&n=pt10.3.430#ap10.3.430_127.cc

[@dpkmjd]

Thanks for taking time to explain the details. Can you also do a video comparing single hose vs dual hose system in an actual setup.

[@andrejbenovic6755]

Very comprehensive and useful! Thank you very much for this video.

[@davidshanaman4647]

I have a dual hose ac unit. It however appears to also pull some room air into the hot side through some vents around there. Would it be okay to use duct tape to block those inputs so that only outside air can be drawn in to cool the hot side then be ejected ?

[@djratino]

Quick question... I have a single hose Hisense 300. If another window is vented nearby, and the exhaust hose is wrapped with insulation; will that highly add to the efficiency?

[@Sloppyjoey1]

You drastically undermined the difference between infiltration air scenarios and used a dual hose model that allows for infiltration... A single hose must bring in an equal amount of heat into the house as it's removing. In theory, you would be correct that they cool a specific 3-400sq ft area based on SACC, in practice I would say you failed to point out that you're heating up the rest of the house... You kept saying "Performance" but I think you mean cooling capacity, in which case yes, the SACC fully accounts for the AC's regional cooling capacity but SACC utterly ignores that with a Single hose you adding tons of heat to the other 800sq ft of your home and the Dual largely doesn't, and that's pretty huge in terms of efficiency. SACC measures cooling capacity for a given area not the energy burden on your household (which is arguably more important to most people).

[@bogieman101]

I agree. On top of that, think about the super heater attic air that will be pulled in around light fixtures. Newer construction may seal them, but older ones didn't bother. Both houses I owned were built in 1970 and 1965 and around the light fixture boxes none of the holes were sealed and not even caulked around. Doesn't take much 140+ degree air pulled in from those single hose units to offset the cooling on the unit. I sealed mine but I bet many people haven't thought of it. I purchased a single hose for emergency use without even considering the issue. I really wouldn't think engineers would design a unit with such a flaw, yet they did.

[@youtubewatcher4603]

SACC fully accounts for the infiltrating air. But it assumes that the infiltrating is only 5.4F, on average, warmer than the air inside of your home, which is complete crap. The calcs assume your home is at 80F and that the outside air is 83F 80% of the time and 95F 20%.

[@Sloppyjoey1]

@@youtubewatcher4603 I agree! I've had both dual & single hose units. In terms of performance / efficiency, the SACC is not nearly as accurate as the SEER rating. I may have a bias because I'm in Vegas where 4 months of the year beat 100 degrees, but it's important to know that Cooling Capacity and energy burden are much more different than this youtuber seems to realize.

[@rob4197]

@@youtubewatcher4603 - a lot of people use portable units for a hot room ( usually on a higher floor and facing the sun) . Outside temp can be 70F but 84F in the room for example. For a home with a basement window, crack it open will draw cooler air.

[@jagsingh3633]

Just curious, I have a dual hose, which I was told can have the intake hose to be removed, I understand that it takes the outdoor air and pressure, but how effective is having that dual hose when it’s 115 degrees outside?

[@jaedevrick]

The installation is the same for me I had a single unit and now I have a duel unit, It took me to same time frame is very quick to install

[@brianjaykell1078]

I have a double hose that I have been trying to get our 1940's stucco non insulated house in San Diego where we never had humidity for such long periods of time~! My questions is, If im drawing in hot/humid air to cool the condenser, can I not attach that to the outside and let it take in the room air but have the condenser line vent out the window?? Any suggestions would be grateful! :)

[@jsho12]

Great video that helped me finalize my decision. You the man.

[@technerdgaming9259]

My parents central air is a joke it doesn't cool a thing the lowest I seen it cool is 78 degrees if that and I would like it at least 70 to 72 my dad is 73 years old and thats just too hot it's a town home apartment but it's the downstairs that needs to be cooled more than anything I ask would you highly recommend the Whynter ARC-14S? The downstairs is close to 500 sq ft so I know a 14000 btu will do the job but will this specific unit being a dual hose do the job?

[@Losvatoslocos]

I'm taking a chance with a brand Hisense. From Costco so return can be easy. It is rated 10,000 DOE/SACC? And is a dual hose unit. I didn't see any tested but do you believe with equal efficiency or close to the Dual hose units have advantages. The area I live has an aroma during the warm months from the Puget Sound. It's also on the top floor of the condo unit. I wanted to avoid the negative pressures for those reasons. That being said this video was very informative and I'm going to go by the efficiency instead of a design.

[@debbee5898]

How'd it go?? Considering a midea duo or hisense. Whynter is just way too expensive

[@glenn413333333a]

Would there be any potential issue if venting a single hose portable a/c up to a bathroom exhaust fan?

[@jasonmarlo4816]

Oh wow! Thanks for explaining this! I do feel the lower pressure when I try to close my door it's like it doesn't want to shut when the AC unit is running, and I didn't fully understand the reason for that! Basically my room is turning into a giant vacuum.

[@rob4197]

It means the room is well insulated (warm air still gets in but slowly). Crack open a basement window if you have one ( cooler air from there).

[@lawyerportagecountyohioatt1241]

Great video! I have a large sunroom with vaulted ceiling’s (more of an in closed porch with Sunspace Weather Master windows). Insulation is minimal (floor and ceiling)as all the walls are windows. Currently have TOSOT 6000 DOE BTU that can’t cool the room on hot days. Looking at portable AC Single Hose Hisense 12000-BTU DOE (15000-BTU ASHRAE) 115-Volt White Portable Air Conditioner Item #2987539Model #AP1221CR1W Vs. Dual Hose Hisense 10000-BTU DOE (15000-BTU ASHRAE) 115-Volt Grey Portable Air Conditioner Item #2987537Model #AP1021TR1GD Both at Lowe’s. The single has higher BTU DOE. But, given my insulation/window situation. . . . which one should I go with?

[@yumfook]

does the air conditioner work if I do not install the hose for air exchange? using the unit to cool the heat generated by the unit within the room will cause any damage to the people and/or the machine?

[@andreathomas1391]

I got a Hisense Portable 12000btu from PriceSmart. It's been 5 months and the compressor is always kicking and making a loud noise, the. Shutting off and turning back on after some time....is this normal? It never used to be this often?

[@zygotepeyote]

Great info! Much appreciated.

[@CapnNemo]

My ARC-14S is the best portable ac I've ever had by far. Single hose is obviously gonna pull more air in from outside by creating a vacuum in the room.

[@rohitnijhawan5281]

I have it. The dual hose kind and I have to drain water out of it every 2 hours. worthless to sleep with. But I do have a high humidity area

[@aklilubashe]

I bought other air condition two hose one suck air one out the hot air its near how its good it suck the hot air again because they are not far from other if I use one of them it cause problem ? If its sock from the room ?

[@JHollidayB]

Thank you, great video and information!!

[@--JohnDoe]

Does sacc account for the temperature of the rooms on the other side of the house? If it did dual hose would be better right? You could insulate the hoses right?

[@youtubewatcher4603]

SACC does account for the infiltration air on the other side of the house. However, the calculations assume that there is not a big temperature differential between inside/outside. It assumes an average of a 5.4F difference between inside and outside or a 3F difference (80 to 83F) 80% of the time and a 15F difference (80 to 95F) 20% of the time. The bigger the temperature differential between inside/outside, the better dual hose systems are.

[@Constitution1789]

I want to extend the exhaust hose 30 feet into a room without windows. What are you thoughts on doing that?

[@timlindsey9535]

Fascinating. ...I know this is already an "older" vid in KZbin years, but some great info there. Thanks very much!

[@consumer-analysis]

Thank you for the kind words, and thank you for watching!

[@jjs777fzr]

I appreciate these reviews but still just bought the arc-14s dual hose unit. Its plainly obvious to me. A single hose unit will draw replacement air from hotter rooms or air leaks.

[@sebastianodepani6696]

Another point to consider is if the unit us used in a condo or MURB building. With a single hose unit much of the air will be pulled in from the hallway rather than the outside. If the hallway is cooled and ventilated, then that would make the single hose unit perform better.

[@mustangpilot6786]

I have a dual hose unit I bought for my garage. Is it okay if I run the unit without using an intake hose? I have the exhaust going out of a hole I made on the side of the garage. Thanks!! 14000 BTU

[@dherrendoerfer]

SACC is probably the worst indicator for a comparison between single and dual hose AC units. The main reason is that there is no test setup description available that fits the design. The cooling capacity at any given seasonal point is measured against a constant volume of air .. with a single hose unit that does not work, where's the exhaust air to come from ? So a few admissions had to be made, for example that the exhausted air is replaced by 'room temperature' air that has 'exactly the same' humidity as the test volume :-) The second thing is that hose type ACs have no seasonal use cases, they mostly get stored away when not needed. I modified a single hose to dual some time ago and measured the result. It's cooling performance dropped by about 10% because of the losses in the second hose and the higher temps of the outside air, but it's cooling capacity of the room volume of air rose by 40+ precent, simply because the room never filled up with hot outside air. Where the unit was running 100% of the time it dropped to a nice 30/70% duty cycle. The point here is: the SACC value of a dual hose may be lower, but the suction effect of the single hose units ruins their actual performance while the SACC calculation ignores that effect.

[@youtubewatcher4603]

ASHRAE is still worse than DOE's SACC. Here is a fun description of the test and the feedback that the portable AC industry gave for the SACC calcs: www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/06/01/2016-12446/energy-conservation-program-test-procedures-for-portable-air-conditioners

[@adsadsaddFQ]

I have small apartment wher i cant install normal ac and i bought single hose portable ac and it works very good. You just have to insulate the exhaust hose and maybe use normal fan to help the cold air stay where you sleeping other than that i dropped from 30 degrees hot to 21 in one hour.

[@i8bal]

Excellent video. Is there a chart with revised square footage cooling specs using SACC values? e.g. would a SACC 8,500 unit work for a 200 sq. ft room?

[@consumer-analysis]

I recommend against using charts. Ultimately, you want as high of a SACC unit as you can afford, even for a 200 sq. ft. room. A full explanation can be found in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4fClHqJod2ths0

[@andrewjames1989]

12,000 is the highest you can get without blowing a breaker on a 15A circuit.

[@tomchang3]

Thank you so much! can you do a video about drain hose?

[@consumer-analysis]

You're welcome! For my comments on drainage see my individual product reviews listed at the bottom of this page: www.consumeranalysis.com/guides/portable-ac/best-portable-air-conditioner/

[@mavirek]

Can the LG, for example, be positioned in the doorway between a bedroom and ensuite, surrounded with a shower curtain to separate the two rooms, let the AC face into the bedroom to cool it, but vented into the bathroom with the bathroom exhaust fan running? Bathrooms regularly get hot and humid, and the exhaust fan removes all that. Couldn't this set up work in a pinch where a window setup is simply not available? Could even a regular, more efficient, window AC be used in that manner: perhaps placed on a rack facing into the bedroom but venting into the bathroom/shower/tub/sink?

[@oppojoy8332]

Question, what if i were to recirculate some of the cold air vented from the front of portable ac using additional hose to the back of upper condenser so it acts like the car's recirculate function do u think it will improve the efficiency of my portable ac unit?

[@oppojoy8332]

The brand am using have an 7400 btu SACC VALUE, is tat good? What is a good threshold value u reccomend?

[@ianmilleris]

Hmmm, trying to work this out myself but using the system in reverse, to heat a room. It’s all about COP. There is always a fixed temperature difference between the condenser (hot side) and evaporator (cold side). In cooling mode, by limiting how hot the condenser gets, more cold air will be generated. By using it in reverse, to heat, limiting how cold the evaporator gets, more hot air is produced. It’s not as easy as burning gas!

[@robertrussell1141]

I have a 10'x10' canvas tent. Which unit would work best or should I even be concerned seeing it is such a small area?

[@voidremoved]

cool a room then pump air from the room in to the tent

[@PBandJ8]

QUESTION: First, Thanks for this video! 😎👍🏻The thumbnail looks like a picture of mu Whynter dual hose, will it be more efficient to just use the one hose exhausting out?

[@claeslind9532]

Very informative thank you

[@user-ux9gh9qh9g]

Is it feasible when the unit is placed outside only to put a duct that enters the cold air?

[@Maketheexpert]

Thank you so much for this! Btw is it possible to tell the SACC of this model: AEG axp35u538cw chillflex pro 12.000 BTU.

[@consumer-analysis]

Since SACC is a US DOE standard the model you mentioned is unlikely to have a SACC rating unless it is eventually sold in the United States.

[@Maketheexpert]

Consumer Analysis Ohh ok, didn’t know but thanks!

[@AhmetOmerOzgen]

How does chillflex pro 12BTU perform it is single hose? there is a 3D printed part for 2 hose modding. should i do it? it is a soft mod lol

[@Radioman.]

What model is the AC that you have on the desk? I like the way the output vents are designed. Thanks and have a good day.

[@consumer-analysis]

It's the LG LP1017WSR.

[@Zero67891]

Thank you. Going to to look for the “cheapest” high SACC unit I can find lol

[@markalexander1350]

Really helpful, thanks.

[@bigbadboogie6842]

1. The energy caused by convention heat from the INtake hose (holding outside temp) on a dual hose unit is nowhere NEAR the energy of the air (holding outside temp) pullled directly into the room by a single hose unit. Both versions have an exhaust hose, so there is no difference there in convection heat (unless one hose is more insulated than the other or shorter of course), but for sure it helps a bit to insulate this extremely hot hose on both variants AND keep it as short as possible to minimize convection surface.

[@lockdown3151]

Should i get single portable air conditioner if my apartment gets up to 30C/ 86F ? Will it be efficient in cooling it down??

[@youtubewatcher4603]

My order of recommendations are as follows: 1) Split system. This is basically a smaller version of a central AC system. 2) Window AC unit. These tend to be cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, quieter, and all around better than portable AC. 3) Dual hose portable AC unit. If you only run the AC when it's hot, these are a lot more efficient than single hose units. 4) Single hose portable AC unit. This is usually the method of last resort.

[@glenn413333333a]

Where do you find the sac rating? I never even heard of this before.

[@NeverSuspects]

the goal of the ac is to keep cool air in the room, pulling in hot air that will rise and using the cool air you just made to blow out the window is a massive waste of energy and wont ever cool the room you will have the AC running constantly so you can sit in front of it and never have a room actually cooled. insulate the hoses and seal any gaps and place the unit close to the window port to minimize hose length, at least this way you actually have the damn thing do what it is intended to do an that is make the room comfortable.

[@bantuy]

They are just spot coolers.

[@alanw2005]

I feel you were hired by single hose air conditioning companies to help sell these inferior units. I own both a single and dual hose air conditioning and I can tell you the single hose air conditioner will not cool my room but the dual hose air conditioner will absolutely freeze my room to the point of being uncomfortably cold. So I am not buying what you are saying that a single hose air conditioner can be good. Who paid for this single hose air conditioning ad?

[@consumer-analysis]

I was not paid in any way by any manufacturer. If I were paid and didn't disclose it I would be breaking federal law - it's a serious crime that you're accusing me of. Can you tell me which particular single hose and dual hose model you were comparing in your tests? What was the SACC BTUs for each model?

[@alanw2005]

@@consumer-analysis Hi thanks for your reply. My single hose and dual hose were a Danby. 12,000 btu. I then had a single hose LG and now have 2 dual hose Haier ac units.

[@consumer-analysis]

​@@alanw2005 I don't recommend the single hose models that I do because they are single hose models. I only recommend them because they have higher SACC BTUs than most other single hose models and any dual hose model on the market. I asked for the SACC BTUs of the units you were comparing because the dual hose units you prefer likely have higher SACC BTUs than the single hose units you are comparing them to. The 12,000 BTUs you mentioned are not SACC BTUs.

[@alanw.4511]

I have a dual hose and single hose air conditioner. The dual hose works to cool whatever room it is in. The single hose is only a spot cooler that I use in a small den that blows cold air on me when at my desk. Single hose is basically a fancy fan that only cools you down if you are right in front of it.

[@Thomas998822]

I have this single hose unit and it cools my 600sqft two-car garage perfectly fine. The garage door is standard without insulation on the back of the garage door panels and there's a laundry room that has the door open all of the time and there's a slotted closet door where the water heater is located and there's a cat door leading into the house... so the garage is FAR from "sealed/insulated"...so even with the negative pressure drawing in air from multiple places and the fact that I'm in GA during 90+ degree humid summers; my garage has gone from 85° to a comfortable 75°.... This single hose AC unit is fantastic and blows out air that is a crisp, cool 55° ...it has a heating function and a dehumidifier all in one. www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.lowes.com/pd/GE-8000-BTU-Portable-Heat-Cool/5000143967&ved=2ahUKEwiNqfG9l5HyAhXVTTABHTFtCwoQFjAAegQIBhAC&usg=AOvVaw2z-IXaA84IntndC11IbrZ6 I'm in the process of upgrading to the dual hose attachment and expect at least a consistent 72°.

[@alanw.4511]

@@Thomas998822 I am happy for you, but if it was a dual hose it would work much better at cooling and would use less power. It is just science and physics.

[@jonlee5642]

@@Thomas998822 that ac isn't powerful enough and it's constantly running hard. For the size of your garage you need a 12000+ DOE(SACCS) portable AC

[@Thomas998822]

@@jonlee5642 maybe so. It definitely runs non-stop, and I can hear it cycle off and on (while still running). I'm not sure what technically is kicking on and off into overdrive. Nonetheless I only use it for several hours a day, 3-5 days a week in the summer, and it hasn't shown any signs of slowing down yet. It still keeps the garage in the low 70s which is good enough for me. I'm sure the dual hose attachment will make it more efficient, so it's certainly powerful enough for my needs. I'll swap it out with a brand new machine in a couple years for free so I'm not worried about wearing the unit down long term.

[@robertnguyen2025]

@@Thomas998822 more likely you ac has a sensor ..if you are asking it to cool it at a certain temp..it will keep working until it keeps that temp you want it at and hence it is powering up and down all the time

[@rogergrandify]

hell!!! i was looking for an answer on one or two hose i will buy a window 12000 btu instead of a 14000 portable is that ok.

[@Bmxmusikian]

How do I find the SACC? Is it just BTU?

[@pollos6807]

Does anyone know where you can buy a dual hose portable AC in Sweden? I would love to know. Kind regards Pontus Berg

[@TannerChung]

Any thoughts on the MAP12S1TBL vs LG LP1419IVSM? I know the Midea is more efficient but confused on why they chose to make such a large device in black. Most homes have white walls 😑

[@venutoj]

I bought the LG and it is terrible. He fails to mention the HUGE increase in humidity that inflitration causes due to inflitration from one hose units. I'm going to buy a 2 hose unit next.

[@richardsmith1161]

So, My dual hose could perform the same or better by using only the outtake?

[@consumer-analysis]

My only concern would be that certain parts of the rest of the system (the refrigeration system, fan, etc.) may have been optimized for its dual hose design. Otherwise, I would say it is theoretically possible.

[@lyla031293]

Just what i was thinking...lol...

[@richardc1983]

Incorrect your better iff always using the outside air to cool the condenser. Keep the cold expensively produced cool air in the room.

[@nyebe6598]

I have a question...it's a fact that single hose portable ACs suck in the same cold air it breathes into the room and thus making it less efficient in cooling said space. In this regard, given that cold air is denser than warm air and thus the latter rises, is it safe to say that by placing a portable AC in a higher location it will suck in more of the warm air than cold and as a result making it more efficient in cooling the room? Any info on this is much appreciated.

[@consumer-analysis]

Either way, there will be negative pressure in the room. And it is the resulting infiltration air that most drastically impacts the unit's ability to properly cool the room.

[@nyebe6598]

@@consumer-analysis I see. But, wouldn't the cooled indoor air somehow help cool the infiltrating warm air? Sorry for the additional query, I just need to settle these questions before I decide on what is best for our room. Thank you for your time.

[@consumer-analysis]

@@nyebe6598 It certainly will and it does. My previous response relates to efficiency. What I was trying to say was that the effects of infiltration air greatly overshadow any benefit that might be had by placing the unit higher or lower in the room to improve efficiency.

[@SubtleReed]

My question is what if I just don't use the hot air intake and basically duct tape, the hot😮 air intake on the window and don't use that hose. Will my efficiency improve? Or I could aim the other hose to the ceiling. Hot air rises.

[@johngranato2673]

Using a single hose unit in, say, a closed bedroom will draw air from the room and, therefore, the rest of the house (from under the door). A dual hose unit works more like a window unit or a central unit--both of which cool the condenser with outside air.

[@heatherphilips9227]

I does not matter how big your portable A/C is, if you have an area / room that is a challenge to cool when temperatures are going to be over 90*F outside, then take note. Treat your portable A/C like a under-powered car driving up a steep hill. Just like when we were kids on a bike, you would get a running start and build up speed to conquer that steep hill. Same thing apply's with portable A/C units. You need to cool your living space as early in the morning as you can get it (60-65*F). The cooler the area is, the easier it is to "keep it cool" during the peak time of the day when temperatures outside are the hottest (usually 3-5pm). If you turn on the A/C after is has warmed up in your home (over 80*f), it will be much harder to bring the temps down to a comfortable level.

[@honeyhivefarms5739]

Answered my question ....thank you. To bad they are not a better system..guess will buy a split.

[@consumer-analysis]

Absolutely. If you can afford it and you're able to install it in your home, a mini split is a much better more efficient option than either a single or dual hose portable AC.

[@Proxymated]

Exactly what i wanted to know, very helpful explanation. Question about SACC. Whynter AC website will mention 12k btu (10k btw sacc) on a model, but LG ac site will say 10,000 BTU (U.S. DOE)/ 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE)*. So as i understand 10k DOE here is the sacc number? Also, since the LG version is 14k ASHRAE does that mean it uses more energy than 12k btu from whynter? From what I've seen inverter technology is more important, saving up to 40% on energy. I see LG advertising their dual inverter technology but as i understand it does the same thing but it performs quieter due to less vibrations.

[@judylynn9358]

I haver no Ideal what hes talking about, I really dont do math without a calulator, I did why a whynter elite dual hose 12,000 Oh boy its no better than a fan it does not even cool one small room

[@Conundrum191]

Thanks for this and your other videos. I've been looking into these and yours really helped. Have basically decided on the LP1419IVSM single hose since it is an actual ~10,000 SACC BTU unit

[@brianhauk8136]

How often do retailers and manufacturers publish SACC values? I just checked Home Depot's US website and didn't find them.

[@youtubewatcher4603]

The "DOE BTU" is the SACC value.

[@Will_b83]

I’ve used several different portable ACs. And finally settled on the Whynter Arc 14s…this damn thing seems to solve all the issues you brought up somehow in a dual hose unit.

[@MudMonsterRacing4]

My SACC values are always hotter in the summer.

[@thakingis]

Underrated comment right here lol

[@cbrockbishop1566]

so how do you find out the SACC a unit??

[@TheTruthSeeker756]

Nice analysis. Earned a sub

[@azeissler1987]

Window units are much more efficient than any portable unit and use outdoor only to cool there compressor side.

[@K0nst4nt1n96]

Big AL well in Germany we dont have sliding windows so we cant really use them. I converted my portable AC to dual Hose.

[@debidee5548]

One thing not mentioned, aren't you ducting hot air out through one hose and bringing outside air in through the other hose in the same window? Doesn't that mix the air coming in with the air going out and the air coming in is actually warmer than the outside air?

[@schuttep]

I would really like to see this answered. @4:34 he says the out door air is cooler than the air on the condenser. If its over a 100 outside how hot is the condenser?

[@Jordan-ll6hn]

The diffusion of the exhausted air into the atmosphere is going to happen so rapidly that it will have negligible effects on the intake air temperature.

[@Abbyguy06]

@@Jordan-ll6hn With my dual system the hot air exhaust sits above the ‘cool’ air intake. Hot air rises. I’m not concerned about the hot air mixing with cool air intake.

[@tinaromine8734]

I’m more confused than ever😟 I have the whynter 14btu dual hose. I hooked up just the exhaust hose. I don’t feel like it’s working that well. I’m going to hook up both hoses and see if I get a better result

[@youtubewatcher4603]

Definitely use both hoses, it makes a big difference. The hotter it is outside, the more that second hose helps.

[@robertnguyen2025]

14k btu was based on a condition environment setup by the companies of about 81 degree and and those companies tested it on that temprature ..the Saac system from the Dept of Energy did a real world testing based on 91 degree starting point ..from 91 degress it reset the portable ac and how well it cool off a X square room within one hour...so always look for a portable ac with a saac of more than 10k btu..10k btu saac will cool a 450 square feet room in a out two hours to about a comfortable 77 degress

[@youtubewatcher4603]

@@robertnguyen2025 The units are tested with a room temp of 80f and an outdoor temp of 83f (80% weight) and 95f (20% weight). This is a not so fun read, but enjoy: www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/06/01/2016-12446/energy-conservation-program-test-procedures-for-portable-air-conditioners

[@user-jj6gs3zq3i]

Sorry I can't understand fully because of my poor English. So Could you let me know which one has better efficiency? Single? Double?

[@dragonslayer819]

Dual hose ac unit is more efficient since it doesn't draw air from the outside into your entire house. Do trust this guy, he really does not understand HVAC units

[@consumer-analysis]

By looking at a particular model's seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) and combined energy efficiency ratio (CEER) its efficiency can now be evaluated independent of form factor (single vs dual hose).

[@1-day-at-a-time]

From 8 years experience living in a hot/humid summer climate with 30°C weather - the dual hose unit WAS effective to cool the room. The single hose portable air conditioner was NOT effective.

[@who6339]

Double by far

[@RocZi]

thank you very much for considering that dual hose is not automatically better. i just got a coolzy pro and am wondering why people still think single hose is good, it must be due to other factors different from other people.

[@whateverthisis3929]

I'm not sure what it is with refrigeration concepts but so many people are confused, can't grasp the basics and go on spreading misinformation, including this guy.

[@jenc2513]

So… in theory.. one could remove the second duct that brings in (hot) air from the outside to cool the condenser. Thus making it only cool AC air being used to cool the condenser

[@workingTchr]

Excellent explanation of this whole business. I'm a renter and can't mess with a traditional window AC, so I'm going to get a single hose portable AC and put it outside(!) next to the window. I'll put some kind of adapter over the main air intake and run a duct through the window to suck air in from inside the house and put a similar adapter on the cool air output and duct it into the room. Then it'll function like a regular window AC, no negative pressure will result, and there will be no hot ducts inside. My main problem is humidity (tropical climate) so I'm hoping the outside air will be enough to cool the condenser. At least now I kinda know what I'm doing.... Thanks.

[@RocZi]

thanks for sharing. so your hot exhaust pipe goes out the window. intake of air you duct it from outside the room you are in and inside the room, you let the cool air out. Did i get that right?

[@Shontaku]

Don’t follow this guy’s advice; he’s simply wrong.

[@workingTchr]

@@Shontaku I would prefer "unquestionably wrong", "utterly wrong", "dead wrong", or "completely and without any possibility otherwise, wrong" Or better yet, "horribly wrong." That's my favorite. I shall now go and hang my head is shame.

[@lockhart1895]

​@@workingTchr😂😂

[@CajunsYouTubeChannel]

thanks for sharing

[@MarkoSpeaks]

do you have a review of ductless acs?

[@arturz7]

You can't fool physics. It is not possible to build a ductless AC - it is fraud.

[@TRUCKERR164]

can you run a dual unit with a single hose ?

[@YizkiM]

woh, straight up dropping facts! thank you!

[@peterheinz8776]

I bought a Hisense 12000btu single hose and made an adaptation for the compressor refrigeration inlet hose made on the 3d printer. I wrapped the two ducts with a foam blanket and I can say that the efficiency has increased by 50 percent, now it turns on and off and with one duct this didn't happen, meaning I will save energy. It also depends a lot on the air conditioning model.

[@rickslife]

Ours has a SACC rating of 14000(SACC 12000), so apparently better than any listed. Am I reading this correctly?

[@PabloGonzalez-io6pq]

Great explanation!! Especially the SACC aspect. Sadly, that information is not widely available, at least for a few models that I've seen.

[@mmqqq8246]

why then in a cargo trailer camper does the single hose not cool bt the dual hose does

[@B_OConner4848]

Very informative and detailed. Thank you for the review. I was wondering what your personal recommendation would be for a 400-500 square foot master bedroom? Any specific models you would say are worth looking into? Thanks!

[@consumer-analysis]

I would definitely recommend the highest SACC unit you can afford. The LP1419IVSM is the model I usually recommend but it's currently out of stock at most major retailers. Even though I haven't had a chance to test it yet, the Toshiba RAC-PD1412CRU offers the same SACC as the LG and is currently in stock at Home Depot. It would be my recommendation if you need to pick up a unit today.

[@consumer-analysis]

@@marcosscriven5937 I stand behind the comments made in the video. I tested multiple high SACC single hose units and a dual hose units in the same room under the same conditions and the higher SACC units outperformed the dual hose unit.

[@consumer-analysis]

@@marcosscriven5937 I didn't place an emphasis on energy consumption as the difference in power draw between the best single hose units I tested (e.g. the NAC14KWH02) and the dual hose unit I tested (the ARC-14S) is insignificant (the NewAir has a maximum power draw of 1350 watts vs 1250 watts for the Whynter). Otherwise, the NewAir cooled much quicker and to a lower temperature.

[@DrYohns]

I really like your videos. Straight to the point & very informative and you make good content keep it up! 👍🏼

[@consumer-analysis]

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement!

[@justinbergmans36]

It’s funny that another site recommended a dual hose ac for hot weather for the reasons that this site says doesn’t really make that big a difference. Interesting that the other site tested two units that weren’t even 14000 btu units. They were both 12000 that equals to real btus of 7000. So, probably that’s where the dual outperformed the single. But, they didn’t match the very best single hose with the dual, which probably would have given different results.