Nadine Gourkow on Portable Air Conditioner Storage

The Situation

With the mercury beginning its slow descend to the negative side, Nadine Gourkow is faced with storing her portable air conditioner. If you are like her, you too will be looking for some tips and tricks on what to do with your portable AC unit in the next few weeks.

The Heatwave

There are two different types of portable air conditioners, the rolling air conditioners, and the window air conditioner. The reason that we are classifying the window models as portable is that you can theoretically move them to any window in your house. Obviously, you would need to prepare the window to receive the unit, but the same can be said of the rolling version as well. Either way, here are the tips and tricks we promised you for storing your air conditioning unit.

1. Unplug it – It should go without saying, when dealing with anything electrical, the first step is to always unplug the unit to remove the risk of electric shock.
2. Store the cord – If you are dealing with the rolling model, most of them come equipped with cord wrapping posts. These are the hard-plastic nubs that you can wrap your cord around to keep it from tripping you up or the unit from rolling over it. If you have the window unit, you will have to wait until a later stage to do this, but still, make sure you wrap the cord up to avoid tripping over it.
3. Drain the tank – All summer long, the unit has used liquid to cool itself and you need to make sure that liquid is drained out. Some manufacturers recommend you draining the unit and then running it for up to 24 hours on fan only mode in order to completely dry them out. For specific details, check your owner’s manual. The draining of this liquid will keep the unit from rusting on the inside and prevent the growth of mold or bacteria.
4. Clean the filters – For the locations of these filters, check your owner’s manual. This is also just as important as draining the tank. Dust that is not properly removed can cause allergies and even be a nesting ground for insects.
5. Store it – Pick a place that will be out of the way of your daily activities for the next 4 – 6 months. Storing it in front of something that you use every day will make it a little tedious to accomplish daily tasks. Obviously, if you have no choice, pick the least inconvenient location and make sure the cord is properly stowed.

Cooling Off

It is not a fun task, but it is quite simple to complete in an afternoon. You will thank Nadine Gourkow for these tips when the heat comes back, and your portable air conditioner is running at its best. These air conditioners are not a cheap investment, so treat them with the respect they deserve so you don’t have to replace them every year or two.