Is it a surprise to find a $600 appliance that actually works as it is supposed to work? Well, if you're talking about portable air conditioners, the answer is a very definite, "Yes."

Having had some experiences with a few different brands of portable air conditioners, I've learned that mediocre cooling, noisy operation, and spotty reliability are more the rule than the exception. However, Maytag's portable air conditioner has apparently changed all that: Finally there's a portable air conditioner that REALLY WORKS.

I've owned my Maytag portable a/c for almost a year now, having purchased it at Home Depot last spring. So far it's worked flawlessly, providing excellent cooling power and perfect reliability. It also has a variety of useful features such as an on/off timer, digital controls, and a "dry" cycle that enhances dehumidification.

But before you can appreciate the areas in which the Maytag portable a/c excels, you have to understand a little about what a portable air conditioner is -- and what it isn't.

Update: Maytag has slightly revised this model since I wrote this review in 2004, and there are also some new developments in portable a/c technology that those considering this or other portables may want to consider. This updated information is provided at the bottom of the review.

Portable vs. Window Unit

First there's that word "portable." Is an appliance that weighs about 100 pounds truly portable? Well, it's on wheels, so that helps. Also, it's portable in the sense that it does not have to be mounted in a window like most room air conditioners. Instead, you put it near a window and route a hose (included with the unit) up to the partially-open window. This allows you to move the unit from room to room, say, if you want to cool the living room during the day and the bedroom at night.

The fact that the air conditioner sits in a console in the room rather than in the window is both a plus and a minus. First of all, any portable air conditioner is bound to be somewhat noisier than most modern window units. This just stands to reason: Instead of being outdoors, the compressor and all the other working parts are right there in the room. However, Maytag has done a nice job of making this unit as quiet as any portable unit I've ever heard.

However, on the plus side, as mentioned above, you don't have to mount the unit in the window, giving you the ability to move it around periodically. Also, odd-shaped windows are much less of a problem with a portable than with a standard window unit, which is normally designed to fit only in a standard double-hung window. Portables are also ideal in places where window units are not permitted, such as some apartment buildings, and in some historic neighborhoods with regulations against window air conditioners. Even in places where window units aren't specifically prohibited, not many people find them attractive.

Finally, setting up a portable a/c unit is a snap: Just open the window a few inches, insert the unit's included hose and plastic filler panel into the window opening, and close the window down on top of the plastic panel. You don't even have to take out the window's screen.

This is a far cry from installing a window unit, which requires removing the screen and muscling a heavy appliance into the window, hoping all the while that you don't lose your grip and drop it.

Cooling Power

The fact that the portable air conditioner doesn't sit in the window also impacts the way it cools. A normal window a/c unit cools and recirculates indoor air, and uses outside air to cool the unit's condenser, which is the outside coil that gets warm as the unit runs. A portable a/c unit cools inside air just like a window unit, recirculating it past the unit's cooling coil. But to get rid of the heat, it takes room air and passes it over its warm condenser coil, and then sends it out the hose that you've placed up to the window.

What this means is that a portable air conditioner can be less efficient than a window unit. The fact that room air is exhausted through the hose means that anytime the compressor is running, you are losing some of the cooled air in your room.

How big a problem is this? It depends. If you have a room such as a kitchen or computer room where a lot of the heat comes from within the room, a portable a/c might not be any less efficient than a window unit. In fact, it might even cool better, because in this case it cools in two ways: By the actual refrigeration process, and by simply getting rid of warm room air.

But if it's 98 degrees outside and 90 degrees inside, any portable a/c unit will have a much tougher time cooling the room than a window unit of similar cooling capacity. As the unit exhausts air from the room, it is creating a partial vacuum in the room which will draw in hot air from adjacent room and through any cracks that could let in hot air from outdoors.

However, this is where the Maytag shines above all other portable a/c units I've seen: These inherent disadvantages of portable units are far less of a hindrance to this model than other portables. Apparently this unit has been designed so that the loss of cooled room air is minimized, and it still does a very credible job of keeping a room cool, even in very hot weather.

Last summer I primarily used this air conditioner in my bedroom area (a little over 300 square feet) and it was able to hold a room temperature no higher than 75 degrees even on days when the humidity was very high and the outside temperature was in the mid 90s.

Moisture Control

One of the reasons why the Maytag does such a good job is because the moisture it collects from the room air isn't simply collected in a bucket that you have to empty periodically. Instead, it is pumped across the unit's condenser coils, where it is evaporated and exhausted out of the room as water vapor. This gives the unit a boost in its cooling performance, and also saves the user from having to mess with dumping sloppy pans or buckets of water. Instead of just throwing this moisture away, it's put to good use.

Features

As well as being an excellent performer, the Maytag portable air conditioner includes a variety of features to make using it more convenient:

-Remote Control. This allows you to adjust any of the air conditioner's functions, as well as turn it on or off, from across the room.

-Digital Control Panel with Digital Thermometer/Thermostat. You don't have to guess at the correct room temperature with a dial that only reads "warmer" and "cooler." Instead, this unit has a digital thermostat and room temperature indicator. If you want 72 degrees, you just use the temperature up and down buttons to set that temperature precisely. When you're not setting the temperature, the display changes over to a thermometer, indicating the current room temperature. Using the Maytag's digital thermostat is easy, as it works just like a standard digital thermostat you would find on a central heat or a/c system.

-Timer. With this, you can program the unit to start or stop running in a certain number of hours. This is an energy saver: You can have the unit start an hour or so before you get home from work, for example, instead of letting it run all day long. Also, at night, you can program it to stop after a few hours instead of running all night long.

-"Dry" Cycle. This setting maximizes dehumidification, and can be useful on damp, cool days when you need more moisture removal than cooling.

Operating Cost

This air conditioner draws approximately 1,050 watts. A standard window-mount air conditioner with the same 8,000 BTU cooling capacity would draw about 800 watts. The increased power usage of this model comes from the fact that there is an extra motor in this unit (two fan motors instead of one), and the compressor needs to have some additional cooling capacity to overcome some of the inherent thermal disadvantages of a portable unit.

Still, operating costs should not be too bad for most people. At the national average electric rate of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, this unit costs about 9 cents per hour to operate. So, an average user who runs it about 250 hours per month could expect it to add a little over $20 to his or her electric bill.

In areas with high electric rates, such as California and New England, electric rates are in some cases twice the national average, so obviously in these areas the monthly cost of running this unit would be higher. However, one generalization you could make is that this unit would cost only about 30 percent more to operate than an 8,000 BTU window unit.

If you have central a/c in your house, use of this unit could actually save you money by allowing you to shut off the power-hungry central system at night, or when you're only using one room, and use just this unit instead of cooling the whole house. This unit uses only a third to a fourth of the average power usage of a small- to medium-sized central a/c system.

The Best Choice in Portables

Compared to any other portable a/c unit I've tried, this is the best. Nothing else even comes close. The main difference between it and most others can be summarized in two words: It works. In addition, it includes a variety of useful features that make it a pleasure to live with. Add to that Maytag's five year warranty, and you have an appliance that should make your summers more comfortable for years to come.

***Portable A/C Update***

Maytag has revised this model slightly and it is now rated at 9,000 BTU. Functionally the new model appears identical to this one.

Maytag and other companies now offer some models of portable air conditioners with two hoses rather than one, as this model has. Two-hose models have one "intake" hose and one "exhaust" hose. Single-hose models have only an exhaust hose.

The effectiveness and efficiency of the two-hose models is in most cases considerably better than single-hose portable a/c units. This is because the two-hose models do not exhaust room air as they cool (explained above). Instead, they draw in outside air and use it to cool the condenser, and then send it back outside via the exhaust hose.

If you live in a very hot climate and are considering a portable air conditioner, I would suggest giving very strong consideration to a model with two hoses rather than one. A two-hose model stands a better chance of being able to cope with extreme heat and humidity than a single-hose unit. The two-hose models should also come much closer to meeting their BTU ratings than those with only one hose.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 549