Last month, I saw an advertisement for a really inexpensive portable air conditioner.
According to the ad, this compact model was capable of cooling a larger area faster than an industrial air conditioner.
The cooling unit was supposed to be lightweight yet powerful. I checked every hardware store in the vicinity of my house for that specific air conditioner. I hoped that it would be the ideal solution for the master bedroom. My bedroom is always overheated and humid. The central cooling system is too old to accommodate zone control. The thermostat controls the temperature for the entire house. If I adjust the setting to cool down the bedroom, the rest of the house is freezing cold. Plus, the central air conditioner works extra hard and uses a tremendous amount of energy. When I was unable to find a portable air conditioner that was suitable to the size of the window and square footage of the room, I finally called a local HVAC contractor. He recommended a ductless mini split system. The mini split combines an outdoor compressor with an indoor air handler, and is permanently installed. The installation required little more than a small hole in an exterior wall and was completed in a single afternoon. The air handler is mounted up high on the wall and combines both heating and cooling capacity. It is controlled through a cordless remote, which is super convenient. The ductless unit is powerful enough that I start it up about ten minutes before my husband and I are headed to bed. It keeps the master bedroom perfectly cool without impacting the rest of the house. It is super efficient and quiet, and also helps with dehumidification and filtration.