If you’re looking for a solid portable air conditioner for smaller rooms, the Black & Decker Portable Air Conditioner is a great option. It’s rated for 5,000 BTUs, which means it can cool a 150 square foot room. (Some places call it a 8,000 BTU unit because they use a different rating system.)

It’s great for bedrooms, dorm rooms, small apartments, and offices.

Why I Got the Air Conditioner

I originally bought the Black and Decker AC because there was a massive heat wave in the Bay Area where I live, and temperatures soared above 106 degrees. My home’s central air couldn’t keep up with the temperatures, and my kid’s upstairs room got to be over 80 degrees even with the central AC switched on.

Adding the Black and Decker air conditioner provided some supplemental cooling that got the room much more comfortable. Beyond the heat wave, I still use the unit to cool down the room when I don’t want to use my house’s larger AC system, which consumes much more power than this unit.

Using the Black and Decker AC

The air conditioner can cool a 150 square foot room to as low as 60 degrees, so it can really help make a space more tolerable to be in. I find that it can also work well in larger rooms. The unit comes with a window kit that can be customized to fit your window. There’s a little slider and screw that hold it in place, so you can adjust it to the perfect size.

This AC unit can be set up in both vertical and horizontal windows, and comes with a window kit that includes a tube to vent hot air.

These units don’t need a drip pan or bucket – the water generated from the cooling operation will simply evaporate and be vented out with the hot air. The exception is if you use the unit in dehumidifier mode, in which case you’ll need to attach a hose to the unit to drain the water.

Controls and Settings

The Black and Decker air conditioner comes with a remote that allows you to control all the unit’s functions, including setting the temperature, switching between F and C, turning the moving louvre that guides air into the room on and off, and more.

You can also control basic functions via a control panel on the air conditioner itself.

Overall, the unit works great for smaller spaces, cooling them down effectively. It also does a great job of providing supplemental cooling in larger rooms. With a few simple settings, you can customize the air flow and temperature to your liking. It’s a great option to cool down on super hot days, or to add some air conditioning to your apartment or office if you don’t have central AC.

I used it all through our recent heatwave here in California, but I’m still using it on a daily basis for some extra cooling.

Where to Buy

I bought my Black and Decker air conditioner on Amazon.

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