Draining your Black and Decker portable air conditioner is as easy as unscrewing the drain caps and tilting the unit backwards.
Portable air conditioners are certainly very convenient to have on hand, but these appliances do still require some maintenance in order for them to continue working properly over time.
Draining your Black and Decker portable air conditioner is one of the most important maintenance steps that you can complete, and fortunately, the process only requires a few simple steps.
The importance of portable air conditioner maintenance
Portable air conditioners are designed to give you the maximum level of comfort, with the least amount of effort for installation.
However, portable air conditioners do still require some maintenance to keep them in tip top working shape, just as can be expected with most of the other types of air conditioners on the market.
How to drain Black and Decker portable air conditioner
A regular maintenance schedule is one of the best ways to ensure that your air conditioner will work as well as possible, for as long as possible.
Aside from ensuring that you clean or change out your air filters fairly regularly and that you have ample space for proper airflow to and from the unit, draining your portable air conditioner is probably one of the most important things that you can do to ensure that it stays in optimal working condition.
When your Black and Decker portable air conditioner is running, it will continuously extract the warm air from its surrounding area and run this warm air over a series of coils, which will cool it down.
But, as this air cools down, moisture (condensate) accumulates around the coils.
Larger systems are able to drain this moisture fairly easily via the outdoor condenser unit, but since portable air conditioners do not have a split system, there is no way for the air conditioner to get rid of this moisture on its own.
As a result, many of the Black and Decker air conditioners have a built-in storage tank in which this moisture can accumulate. Some models may even have two separate condensate storage tanks.
One is for when the unit is operating normally, and one is for when the unit is operating in the “Dehumidify” mode.
Either way, draining the portable air conditioner is easy as unscrewing the caps to the drains on the backside of the appliance (make sure to remove any additional plugs that may be inside the drain as well) and slightly tipping the unit backwards to let the moisture drain out.
You may need a hose to help drains located near the center of the unit to drain properly, and be sure to have a drain pan, floor drain or shallow vessel nearby to catch all of the condensate before it spills on the floor.
Helpful tips to make draining your portable air conditioner easier
Draining your portable air conditioner can be tricky if you are not used to it, but these helpful tips can help to make this process much easier:
- Placing towels underneath your air conditioner can help to prevent the unit from slipping around
- Carefully placing your portable air conditioner on a stool or a slightly elevated surface can give you more room to maneuver
- Having someone help you to tilt your air conditioner can prevent the unit from tipping over
Is it normal for portable air conditioners not to accumulate moisture?
As explained above, air conditioners will always produce moisture as a by-product of the cooling process.
However, if you live in an area in which the humidity is relatively low, or your portable air conditioner is labeled as self-evaporative, then the little moisture that it does accumulate with every cooling cycle may evaporate all on its own before you ever need to drain the unit.
What to do if you have drained your portable air conditioner but it is still leaking
If you live in an area where the humidity is high, or your air conditioner is placed near a shower, kettle or stove, this may be what is causing the high level of moisture in the air (and as a result, in your air conditioner).
A hygrometer can help you keep track of your indoor humidity levels and it can help you to judge when the best time would be to switch on your air conditioner.
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If you struggle with leaks or pools of water near your portable air conditioner, you should check that you have placed all of the drain plugs and caps on tightly and securely.
You should also ensure that the drain pipe has not been blocked.