Can You Vent A Portable Air Conditioner Through A Screen?

To use an air conditioner and function it properly, you need to ensure the venting process of your portable air conditioner. Venting the air conditioner, you can easily control the temperature of your room, and you can increase or decrease the temperature with your smartphone also. But can you vent a portable air conditioner through a screen?

Most people choose to vent their portable air conditioner out of the window, which is the best way for venting. But there are certainly other methods to vent your portable air conditioner if there is no window. And also, there are various ways to vent through the window. You are the judge to choose how you want your air conditioner’s ventilation. 

Air conditioners work by removing heat from the air and putting that heat in another place. Air conditioners transfer the heat of your room from inside to outside. You need to know one thing that, if you don’t vent your portable air conditioner to another space, then the heat will go right back into your room. And thus, your air conditioner will not be able to function correctly to observe the heat.

Besides removing heat from your room, venting your air conditioner also removes the moisture of your room. A portable air conditioner normally dehumidifies the air when cooling your room temperature. That time, the humidity is also vented outside of your room.

Can You Vent A Portable Air Conditioner Through A Screen?

You can make a portable air conditioner vent through a screen quickly. Therefore you need to ensure you can clearly see through the screen. Moreover, you will need to clean the screen periodically. The screen will accumulate dust and debris from the airflow of the air conditioner exhaust. 

In this article, we will take a closer look at a few methods that can be used for venting your portable air conditioner. Here I will go over the reasons why you need to vent your portable air conditioner and what other terms and conditions you need to fulfil.

If you have a portable air conditioner, you might know the necessity of venting your air conditioner. By venting your portable air conditioner, you can ensure your machine will function at its max level. There are various methods available to vent your portable air conditioner with the window or precisely through the screen of the window. 

Vent A Portable Air Conditioner Through A Screen 

Venting a portable air conditioner system through a screen is not an ideal method to do. Though, if you vent an air conditioner through a screen, your portable air conditioner will lose its effectiveness. But it can work very well in a pinch, depending on the situation. Generally, most consumers remove the screen to vent their portable air conditioner, but there are specific ways to vent it through the screen if removing the screen is not an option.

To vent your portable air conditioner through the screen, firstly, you need to consider what type of screen it is. Thin screens will maximize the airflow, while thick screens will impede the airflow. So if you make a comparison, a thin screen is always better to vent than a thick screen. The general rule of venting through the screen is, the screen should be clean and clear, and also you can clearly see through the screen. If all the terms are met, then it will be okay to vent your portable air conditioner through a screen. 

The screen will accumulate lots of dust and debris from the airflow of the air conditioner exhaust. That’sThat’s why you need to be alert always and take a look at least every week to clean it if it gets dirty. 

Read more: Can I Use A Portable Air Conditioner In A Room Without A Window?

When you are venting through a screen, the hot outtake airflow will definitely come across some sort of resistance. If the screens are made of mesh, there will be plenty of space for the airflow to pass. If the mash doesn’t provide empty space, then it’s definitely not possible to pass air through it. On the other hand, if the mesh is made of nylon, we discourage venting portable air conditioners through it. Nylon is highly susceptible to heat, which means it’ll get damaged over time. So, you should try this only if you have a steel screen.

This is not the efficient or ideal way to vent a portable air conditioner. In fact, it’s far from being efficient. There are certain methods that can help to increase and even maximize the airflow.

Way to Maximize the Airflow When Venting through a screen

Sliding the screen to create an opening to vent through the screen is not an option. By doing this, it will destroy the purpose of the screen. And moreover, it will help bugs and other outer objects to enter the room easily through it. 

So, we are presenting three methods below here to help you to know how to maximize the airflow when venting through a screen :

• Most people adjust the exhaust in such a way that the air passes directly through the screen. As long as you maintain it and wash it regularly, it will function properly. As the air will pass through the screen frequently, the screen will need your extra cautiousness to keep it clean and maintained whenever it catches dust and dirt constantly.

If you maintain it, it will never decrease the airflow through the screen. The best way to spot whether the screen is dirty or not is by checking whether you can see through the screen or not. In general, you need to clean the mash at least once a month, but if you can check weekly, it would be a better situation. 

Another thing you need to keep in mind is the type of screen you are using for venting. Basically, the thin screen is always better to vent a portable air conditioner. You’llYou’ll face no more problems with the thin screen than the widescreen. 

• There is another way by which it will not only reduce the amount of maintenance but will also help you to increase and maximize the airflow. For this, you need to cut plywoods as wide as the exhaust tube of the portable air conditioner. Once you get the width right, measure the height of the screen and match the cut plywood height with it. 

Attaching the plywood with the screen will create a new surface on the side where the screen closes. Then you’ll have to measure the diameter of the exhaust tube and cut a hole in the plywood. Route the tube through the hole in the plywood, and now you have a perfect exhaust system that will allow you to vent your portable air conditioner without any worries.

The best part of this method is that it doesn’t require any maintenance, and there won’t be any loss of airflow either. This will help your portable air conditioner from overheating, and it will also provide cool and moisture-free air to your room.

• By purchasing aftermarket, add-ons are another way of maximizing the airflow. There are various add-ons that can increase the effectiveness of the exhaust tube, and these can easily be used. 

Before purchasing, you need to know certain things, and you need to know how much airflow the screen is reducing. Suppose if you find the mesh is blocking 50% of the airflow of the exhaust compared to holes without any resistance, you need to get yourself an extension that can increase the exhaust area up to 200%. This is how it will help you to counter the resistance and to maintain the maximum airflow. 

Benefits and Drawbacks of Venting a Portable Air Conditioner through a Screen 

Portable air conditioners come up with an expandable window unit that can adjust to fit in a vertical or a horizontal window. In most cases, you don’t even need to remove the window screen. Simply slide to adjust the unit, place it in the window, and attach the hose. You can then plug in your air conditioner and start cooling your room. 

Venting a portable air conditioner through a screen can cost you less than in comparison to vent it over the window. It can cool your room and ensure your comfort if you maintain it wisely according to the terms and conditions are given. 

Moreover, the portable air conditioner venting through the screen is safe till the warm air has been exhausting to another location constantly. Thus the room temperature will be cooler as you expect. Therefore, there is an exhaust hose that exhausts the warm air outside. 

Those who are suffering from asthma and allergies can fall into sickness if the venting process is not maintained and cleaned when it’s needed. Air conditioners do not cause sickness, but they can interact with our environment in ways that make us sick. The black dust coming out of your vents could be soot, which is the byproduct of burning a candle or using the fireplace. There is one way to check if the soot is the culprit is to check the air filter of your portable air conditioner. 

If you use your air conditioner without proper maintenance, it can leave you dehydrated when sleeping with the air conditioner on for too long & it can also dry your skin, mouth, throat, and other parts of your body. These things will happen just because the air conditioner not only cools down the air but dehumidifies it as well. Your air conditioner will not perform poorly till then. You maintain it in time and do it properly. 

Conclusion

Venting a portable air conditioner through a screen may not be a perfect way, but it can surely get the job done for you. And therefore, if you are bothered about the airflow, then you can implement the methods we discussed above to repulse your objections. 

Moreover, reading the article presented above will help you now all the necessary things to vent your portable air conditioner through the screen. And we assure you, after reading this article, this question, “Can you vent a Portable Air Conditioner Through a screen?” will never rise in your mind.