Central heating systems might be one of humanity’s best inventions, but you have to admit that portable ACs are way more convenient. You can transport them anywhere, unlike the other heating that has to stay at one place- your house.
However, for all their convenience, is it possible to vent portable AC into attic? Will it be pushing the convenience too far? Let’s see if you can do that and how you will proceed if possible.
Why Do You Need to Vent Your Portable AC?
Before we get to whether you can vent a portable Ac into your attic, you might ask yourself why you need to vent the AC in the first place. Is it crucial to the functioning of the portable AC?
Yes, it is. You need to vent a portable Ac because that’s part of how it works. How so? The portable Ac works by drawing in hot air from its surroundings, thus cooling the room in the process.
But the heat it draws in needs a way to leave the AC and the room. If it doesn’t, the Ac won’t do anything but make the house or room hotter. So, when you give the hot air a chance to leave the AC and, thus, the room, you are said to be venting it.
As a result, it is an integral part of the AC’s functioning since it enables it to cool a room. In the continuous work cycle, the Ac draws in the hot air to cool the house then expels it outside or some other place to resume the cooling.
Venting your AC will also enable it to eliminate moisture in your house or room. The moisture elimination boost cooling since moisture holds heat. Therefore, you need to ensure there is a way you can vent your portable Ac.
Can you Vent Portable AC into Attic?
There are times you might not have the option to vent your Ac through the window. You’d therefore think of the attic and whether it would be a brilliant idea to try it. Yes, the attic can also be an option.
All you’d need to know is how to get the hoses to the attic. The attic will, however, need to be large enough. A small attic could be problematic to expel all that heat from your portable Ac.
What Are the Considerations When Venting the Ac into the Attic?
Although possible, venting your portable AC into the attic will still need you to consider a few factors.
- The type of Portable AC
Portable air conditioners vary in quality and efficiency. Therefore, some won’t be that efficient if you’re venting them into the attic. That is something you will need to consider when venting into the attic.
If you are okay with dealing with the drop-off inefficiency, then you are ready.
- Ventilation in the Attic
Once the heat is in the attic, it will still need an avenue to escape. The better the ventilation in the attic, the easier it is for the excess heat to escape after venting. Proper ventilation normalizes the temperature of the attic and will prevent instances of overheating.
An overheating attic will cause a hotter house, and you will have done nothing to cool your home. The temperatures will cause the portable Ac to have a more challenging time cooling your house.
- The Size of the Attic
A small attic will tend to get warmer faster. Add on to that poor ventilation, and you will have created scorching temperatures in the attic and the house as well. Again, that will make the AC unit work too hard to provide you with cooler temperatures.
- Is the AC Fully evaporative or Partially Evaporative?
Most modern portable ACs also remove humidity from the air in the household besides the heat. They are dubbed self-evaporative since they eliminate this moisture out through the heat vent.
If they are expelling the humidity to the attic, then you’ll have to worry about them running it. It could form perfect conditions for molds and mildews to thrive and ruin your attic.
That’s why you need to consider that before you can vent your portable Ac into the attic.
- How Long is the Hose?
You will also need to consider the length of the hose before you can vent your portable Ac into the attic. The shorter the hose, the more challenging it will be for you to vent it to the attic.
While it could be easier to lengthen the hose with a hose extension, that could reduce the efficiency of the AC. The longer hose could have bends that would interfere with the movement of hot air.
What Other Ways Can You Use to Vent Your Portable AC?
Now that you’ve seen that you can vent your portable AC to the attic, what other ways can you vent it? Venting a portable AC is usually a straightforward process since there are multiple ways to go about it.
The most common, however, is through the window. The portable Ac will often come with a window venting kit to release hot air through the window. You will need to have the unit next to the window before passing the hose through the window.
That will allow the Ac to expel heat through the window. This might, however, provide security issues at times. That’s because you might have issues locking the window with the unit’s hose passing through it. The safest way is to find a way to still close the window, even with the hose.
Each portable Ac unit will come with specific guidelines on how to vent them through the window. It is possible to get creative with venting the Ac, and the window isn’t the only option.
You can also vent your portable Ac through the ceiling, the chimney, your floor, or even through another room. You can use the drop ceiling technique to create a hole in the ceiling and pass the hose through it for the ceiling.
A wall vent will help transport the hot air through the wall. You have to drill a hole that’s big enough to let the hose pass through. A sealant would come in handy, sealing the area surrounding the hole.
As you can see, there are multiple ways by which you can vent your portable Ac. It only depends on how creative you want to be when venting the Ac. What’s important is you get the Ac to vent the hot air out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q – Is venting portable AC into the attic safe?
A – Although possible to vent your portable Ac into the attic, it isn’t recommended you do that. You are better off trying other methods before turning to the attic. That’s because there are too many considerations to consider before venting the Ac into the attic.
Q – How can I extend the length of the portable AC’s hose?
A – Your local store probably has hoses you can buy and fit onto your AC to extend its length. It would be best to select one that doesn’t bend easily.
Final Thoughts
Can you vent portable Ac into attic? Yes, you can. But it isn’t in the best of your interests to do that. It would be best to exhaust all your other options before trying to vent the Ac into the attic.
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