Whynter - ARC-1230WN

I have the Whynter ARC-1230WN and I really like it. It was right around $500, which was my max budget, but it’s the best dual hose model that I could find (yes, they are more expensive).  It’d definitely be overkill for your 300 square foot bedroom, but I’ve been happy with the Whynter brand. Mine covers 600 square feet. I have it centrally in my one bedroom apartment and keep the doors open.  My number one non-negotiable feature is a model with auto-evaporation. I had a different model in college that didn’t have this feature, and in Florida (where I went to school), it would FILL the water basin about every three hours, which was so annoying overnight.  When I was shopping this time, I used this [AC comparison spreadsheet](https://www.reddit.com/user/NefariousnessSecret0/comments/1kwgaw6/comparing_air_conditioner_models_portable_window/) to sort the models by auto-evaporation. It used to be pinned at the top of the Air Conditioners subreddit.

I’ve had mine for a little over a year. ARC1230WN in my spicy top floor bungalow. Replaced an old 8000btu window unit. It’s been very nice, far more quiet and far more efficient.

I have the Whynter Nex dual hose (12k SACC) in my office and it does a good job. I don't think it will cool an entire 600 square foot area in most climates but it will make a very significant difference. How you set up a portable also matters a lot. A kit like the [breeze stop ](https://breezestopusa.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorU2LjTD5UtbAZoIdxACAHYqk8wZ3CUJQlJsevfpVd5HjFv19Bn) can make a big difference in efficiency. I cut the foam around the oval hose of the Whynter to seal it and stop heat gain through the plastic.

The whynter has a slightly higher CEER compared to the DUO (14.2 vs 13.8) for what it's worth. It does a great job of supplementing AC in my home office without of electronics.

How would you compare the 14S and 1230WN? From what I have seen the 1230WN has a significantly higher cooling rating than 14S and others (Gasbye Inverter 14,000 and Midea Duo Inverter 14,000). The price point is not the greatest but don't want to get a lesser unit to save $100.

Thanks, that's great to hear! I tried another unit but it wasn't the 16,000 it claimed and was shooting out air around 52 degrees even when it's low 80s out. Only downside to the 120WN right now is the shipping time is very wild right now, two weeks to over a month from Amazon.

Looks like no sellers but Amazon and AliExpress right now. I'm going to wait until Prime Day to see if they discount it (looks like earlier this year it was a bit lower). Have a decent one running currently that I'll move to a bedroom when I get this.

I own 2 Whynter units. This will be my 3rd summer with an Arc 14S, and I purchased a 1230WN in April. I've not had to empty either unit in all the time I've had them. It sounds like you may have it set on de-humidify instead of cool. The hoses are so bulky because they are dual hose portable air conditioners. They're better than single hose because they draw air from outside to cool the unit and exhaust it back out instead of pulling from the interior, creating negative pressure and sucking in outside air like single hose units. They're much more efficient, and they do a really good job of cooling 500-600sqft.

Or a dual hose, i recently bought a whynter 14000btu and it will cool most of the top floor of our house. With single hoses pumping out air inside the home it builds negative pressure so everytime you open a door to the outside it will suck in all the outdoor air (also leaks in through other spots in the house)

Yes, is the space insulated? First question to answer. Does it have windows? And which way do they face (aouth, etc)? We have a large 14000btu whynter portable ac in the garage. Its fully insulated and no windows. Works well to keep the space below 80 and around 50% humidity on most days. With that said, If i had the cash and space, a mini Split would be the way to go.

Hi, currently living in my 06 Sienna. If you are set on a portable: A) Get a Dual Hose. The intake being outside the vehicle mitigates a big part of the vaccuum effect which draws heat in through the gaps and seals. B) Insulate the Hoses: Wrap hoses with a single or a comination of insulating material(s) C) Insulate your Windows: Use insulating foam boards to make window covers for your rear windows and windshield. This can shave hella degrees on a hot day. D) Get enough BTU: Ignore the sq ft recommendations, you are cooling a mobile oven. I am running a Whynter 14k BTU Dual Hose (there are cheaper and honestly probably better comparable units), and it makes the space livable with no insulation on the hoses, and shitty thin window covers, in direct sunlight E) Get enough Wattage: The unit I bought said around 1300 continuous watts. Bullshit. This thing regularly pulls 1800 for lengths of time. Thats alot. I have a Bluetti AC200l + b300kx2 totaling 7600 watt hours roughly, so I can it run it for a little over 4 hours on a full charge. I run 3x 200w Renogy panels on the roof, so 600watts per hour, and will be investing in a Charger1 (DC to DC smart charger [wont draw from a battery with too love of voltage]) to add another roughly 500w per hour roughly while driving...It's not enough, and it still won't be enough. Power storage for HVAC is tough, so have enough battery, and always be charging.

Whether you get a single- or dual-hose model (and dual is much more efficient) add an insulating blanket around the hot exhaust hose to increase efficiency. That made \~2º difference in my situation, and every degree helps! BTW, I've used a single-hose Koldfront for seven years and a dual Whynter for three, and both are still going strong.

If you have the money, buy a dual hose Whynter portable AC. Otherwise - the design and construction of single hose units is such that you won’t be able to get it to not pull vacuum, even by adding a second hose to provide it with outside air. There will be leakage inside the unit itself that will prevent you from getting a perfect loop from outside to outside. But that’s still going to be much more effective than running it with the stock single hose, so it’s worth doing, and will be your best short term solution if money is tight.