The exhaust hoses of portable air conditioners make it possible for the units to easily vent warm air outside for cooling and should be kept as is.
Portable air conditioners provide homeowners with a temporary cooling solution, and they can also be moved easily between locations.
Portable units, however, need to be vented through the window in order for them to optimally cool the air in a room.
Part of the venting process is attaching the exhaust hose that comes with your portable unit to the machine, while the other end is secured to a window so that warm air can be dispersed outside in order for cooler air to be produced in the room, in turn reducing humidity.
Exhaust hoses and their function
All portable air conditioners come with exhaust hoses that are designed specifically for that unit and they range in diameter, depending on the type of unit it comes with, as well as in length. The length of the hose plays a crucial role in whether the unit can effectively release hot air outside.
Furthermore, the hose is a delicate part of the air conditioner that should be handled with care if you want a unit to cool your space(s) efficiently.
Can you extend the exhaust hose on a portable air conditioner?
If you have bought a portable air conditioner and for some reason, you want to make the exhaust hose longer, you need to be aware of what this could mean for the functioning of the portable unit and yourself.
A portable air conditioner has an exhaust hose that is specifically tailored to that specific unit in terms of its fit as well as for the optimal transfer of airflow through the hose.
If you are considering extending your exhaust hose, it is strongly advisable that you do not. Air conditioner manufacturers and professionals strictly do not recommend that homeowners extend the hoses of their portable air conditioners, as this is more likely to cause more issues than solve a possible length problem.
The standard exhaust hose length is five to eight feet long. Extending the exhaust hose is mainly advised against since the unit will come with the right, suitably fitted exhaust hose for the air conditioner to function at its best.
Making any changes to the length of the unit’s exhaust hose can end up damaging the unit, causing issues with its ability to cool properly, and interfere with its efficiency.
Moreover, extending the length of the portable air conditioner’s exhaust hose can cause the unit to struggle to release hot air outside quickly enough for the unit to cool optimally.
The longer the exhaust hose, the more venting complications
The portable air conditioner needs to be able to vent as efficiently as possible. With the flexible materials of exhaust hoses, extended hoses can easily end up being bent, cracked, or tangled up, which could lead to venting issues when hot air cannot make its way out of the unit and gets stuck in the process.
This can lead to air getting trapped or even making its way back into the room because it has no means of escaping outside as it would if the exhaust hose were shorter.
What are the financial risks of extending the exhaust hose?
Your portable air conditioner comes with a warranty period in case something was to happen to it within that period.
If you have, however, manipulated and modified the standard exhaust hose that came with the air conditioner, and the unit runs into issues that require a warranty, you will no longer be covered as you were when you first bought the unit as the warranty is invalidated.
This is something to keep in mind as it is a big risk to extend the exhaust hose.
What is a safe alternative to extending the exhaust hose?
The safest and best way to extend your portable air conditioner exhaust hose is to simply stretch it out to its maximum length.
This is possible with more flexible exhaust hoses, but even then, stretching the hose must be done carefully, being cognisant of the fact that the shorter the hose, the better.