Whynter - ARC-1230WN

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.

You’re not doing anything wrong..portable ACs are mold traps by design. Sitting all winter with leftover moisture = fungus party. Run it on fan mode before storage to dry it out. As for brands, try Whynter or Midea dual-hose. They’re slightly easier to clean. Or go mini split and never look back.

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.

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.

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.

Realize this thread is old. OP, any update here? I'm having the same problem and it's driving me crazy.

I’ve owned multiple portable A/C units and have never had to drain them curious why Whynter is different.

I did this while using the heat mode and it still shut off every hour because the tank was full .

So which hose did you cap the intake or the outflow ?

If you’re going portable, go LG or Whynter. Midea’s hit-or-miss like a Tinder date..looks good online, but disappoints in person.

Whynter ARC-1230 or ARC-14S Dual hose and 14,000 glorious BTUs. Not cheap but they're the best of the best.

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)