We’ve done many things to help us keep cool in the summer. While installing a radiant barrier in the shop did much to drop temperatures to reasonable levels, having some local A/C seemed like a great next step. We spend a lot of time testing tools and crunching numbers in the shop space. That gets hot quickly in the Florida summer. Enter the Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner (model HL14CHESWW). This 14,000 BTU portable air conditioner provides point-source cooling right where we are. It sure makes working outside the confines of our air-conditioned office a lot more tolerable.
Using the Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner
We set up the Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner in several locations. Our favorite was having it right next to us while we worked. While certainly not suitable for filling our entire 2,700 square-foot shop with cool air, it did an excellent job dumping air into our general workspace. While welding some steel for a recent lawnmower shootout, we saw a “Delta T” of more than 26 degrees according to our Klein dual laser IR thermometer. That well exceeds the minimum expected 20 degrees for an air conditioning unit.
Why You Might Want Portable A/C
Installing a full split system or other more permanent air conditioning solution takes a lot of money and installation time. Portable air conditioners like the Honeywell HL14CHESWW provide a low-cost solution for putting air right where you need it and filling smaller spaces with much-needed cool, conditioned air.
The Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner we chose works well for rooms up to 700 square feet. Priced at just $599.00, it won’t break the bank when you’re trying to pump cool air into a compatible space.
This HVAC product supports air conditioning, dehumidifying, fan-only, and heat modes. It includes thermal overload protection so it doesn’t run too long or overheat during extended use periods. To keep the flow of air clean, Honeywell included two filters and you can easily run them under water to clean them.
Physical Features
The system also includes a ~6-inch diameter hose that extends from 14.2-inches to 47.2-inches. A window bracket panel adapter connects to the hose for venting the hot air out of a room. It supports window widths of 26.6-inches and 33.1 to 49.6-inches.
There are three fan speeds that you control via the remote or the onboard membrane control pad. A digital display tells you the approximate ambient room temperature. it was within a few degrees of what we measured in the shop during testing.
Honeywell also includes a sleep mode, 24-hour timer, and four mode buttons for cooling, dehumidifying, fan-only, and heat.
You even get a remote control to run the unit from across the room.
Keep on Rolling
We did mention this unit was portable, right? It comes with four casters and rolls easily over both carpet and hard surfaces. On our concrete shop floor, it wheeled into place without giving us any hassles. We also loved the included cord wrap and the special docking port for the 120VAC plug.
Unless you live in a high humidity environment like Florida, the auto evaporation will keep you from having to empty water from the unit. Even so, there wasn’t a lot of water to empty in our system except for exceptionally humid days. The built-in dehumidifier removes as much as 13 gallons of water in a 24-hour period—and there’s a continuous drain option if you need to run it non-stop.
Conclusion
According to the ASHRAE-128 Standard, this Honeywell portable air conditioner rates 14,000 BTUs in cooling mode and 11,000 BTUs in heating. That’s all well and good—but the bottom line is that this unit is easy to use, easy to clean, and it puts out nice cold air. For the price, there’s not much stopping anyone wanting a high-volume portable AC solution from pulling the trigger. We can highly recommend the Honeywell HL14CHESWW. For $599, it’s a great solution for your portable cooling needs.
