Are there any window AC units that don't hang outside of the window (building requirement)? Or is a dual-hose portable AC unit my best option for an energy efficient AC unit?
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If they don't hang outside the window they'd have to hang inside the window, and would need a more complicated ventilation system to take air from outside, heat it up and vent it back outside. At that point you'd have a window mounted two hose AC anyway.
So yes, your next best option is going to be a two hose portable AC. One hose takes air from the outside to cool the condenser, one hose to throw that hot air outside.
Single hose works too, but they're less efficient because they take cold inside air, cool the condenser and vents it outside, which waste some of the air it just cooled for that and it creates negative air pressure inside which will bring hot air from the outside to replace it from any cracks and holes in the house.
No question. We used a single hose one for years and it was way better than the window units in almost every sense (except for the above mentioned efficiency issue). Setup is simple, you can move/point it to a more desirable location, breakdown at the end of summer was simple, and ours was remote controlled (though this seems more common on window units too these days).
A heat pump isn’t any more efficient than a AC only unit of the same SEER rating. They are literally the same system with the heat pump having a couple extra valves and parts to reverse the flow of the refrigerator.
That’s true, though since it is a reversing refrigerant flow system, it can act as a high efficiency heater as well. The high efficiency heating+ multifunction of the unit ( which negates the need for a separate electric resistive or fuel heater) make it’s overall performance more efficient in both energy use and spatial consumption, doesn’t it? It’s more efficient!