Whynter - ARC-14S

I have a [Whynter ARC 14S/14SH](https://www.whynter.com/product/compact-dual-hose-14000-btu-portable-air-conditioner-arc-14s/). GoodHousekeeping awarded it best of its class.

This is also the model I have and I just set it up for the summer on Friday. It hit 90 outside, but my living room was a comfortable 72!

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.

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.

Yes, it definitely exists! For a studio apartment, a high-efficiency portable AC like the Whynter ARC-14S or a quiet window unit like the Midea U Inverter are great options—they're both energy-efficient, powerful, and can cool your space fast without wrecking your electric bill. The Midea U is especially popular for its ultra-quiet operation and ability to cool like a beast while letting you still open the window a bit.

I did tons of research before buying the [Whynter ARC-14S](https://www.reviewni.com/product/B0028AYQDC) and was nervous about ordering online, but Amazon made the return policy very easy to understand, which gave me peace of mind. Shipping took about five days (a bit disappointing for Prime), but thankfully I ordered it in May last year. Setup was simple. I let the unit sit upright overnight, per instructions, and had to fit the window kit using particle board due to our tall horizontal slider. Hooking up the hose was easy, and while I haven’t bought the optional filter or insulation tape, the unit has worked great without them. Cooling performance is fantastic so far. We use this in our north-facing, well-insulated 2-story home. It easily cools our open-concept living room, kitchen, dining area, hallway, and even helps with the master bedroom—about 1,200 sq ft total. It held up well during a 109°F day, keeping our main areas in the low to mid 70s. Yes, it’s loud, but no louder than any other major appliance. The remote is finicky, and moving it between rooms isn’t ideal, but we just leave it in one spot and it does the job. Draining the water is tricky. The hole’s too low for a bowl to fit under, so we used a plastic tube. Honestly, I haven’t drained it in six weeks and it’s been fine. Not the prettiest unit, but totally worth it to stay cool.

Just get any portable AC unit with dual hoses, it will vent the moisture out the window so no emptying needed. I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Whynter-ARC-14S-Conditioner-Dehumidifier-Activated/dp/B0028AYQDC) and it's an absolute beast at cooling.

If you want one that works much better/more inefficiently, get one with a double hose. The single ones all use conditioned air for exhaust. It will literally pay itself off in 2-3 months in. San Diego.

Hey! As an HVAC pro, I get this question a lot especially during those hot spells when central systems can’t cut it or there’s no ductwork. When choosing a **portable air conditioner**, I usually recommend looking for three key things: 1. **BTU rating that matches your room size** too small won’t cool properly, too big will short cycle and not dehumidify well. 2. **Dual-hose design** if possible it’s more efficient than single-hose models because it doesn’t pull in hot air from outside while exhausting. 3. **Easy maintenance** check how often you need to drain it, and whether it has washable filters. A few solid brands I’ve seen perform well in real homes: * **Whynter ARC-14S** – Dual hose, good build, strong performance for medium to large rooms. * **DeLonghi Pinguino Series** – Quiet operation and decent features. * **Midea Duo** – Newer tech, inverter-driven, very efficient and quiet. Also, make sure to vent it properly (window kit, sealed tight) that makes a big difference. If you can tell me your room size, noise sensitivity, and budget, I can recommend something more specific.

I really like my Midea MAP14AHS1TWT. Quiet, solid app control, plenty of power, easy single duct install, came with parts to use on horizontal or vertical windows. Only issue is the water drainage is hard to figure out, but I only run into that in heat mode. This portable unit is not subject to the u-shape AC recall. Also had a good experience with Whynter ARC-14S and their customer service helping me to repair non-warranty damage to the AC, but it's a more basic design, louder, no connectivity, two ducts so I eventually upgraded to the Midea.

Hopefully there is a window in the room where you can route input and output air hoses. We have a Whynter ARC-14S that I would recommend. They’re about $500. Make sure you get a 2 hose and not a 1 hose portable or you’ll be drawing hot air from elsewhere in your house into the room.

Wynter arc 14s is hands down the best portable unit. Short of that you'll need a dual host ac, single hose are garbage. However the arc 14s is a beast and quite heavy. Also for the price you can get 2 small window units that will run just as good, if not better and will be cheaper on the electricity bill

Second all this, don't get a single hose unit because it starts to pull in air from the rest of the house (instead of from the outside like dual hose units) so it's less efficient. Also for portable AC you need a higher BTU rating compared to window units. Currently I am using the dual hose Whynter ARC-14S 14000 BTU for an average sized bedroom and it works well. It is really loud compared to most other portable ACs though (if that matters to you). Previously I've used other models like a single hose Sharp 11500 BTU unit, and single hose SPT 12000 BTU unit that were much weaker. If you can find anyway to use the window unit (use a plastic panel, a wood panel, anything) you should definitely use it, it's a much better value than any portable unit. Just make sure that your HOA allows it, in all the neighborhoods I've lived in window units are always banned because of aesthetics.

We bought the 14K btu Whynter right before the hurricane hit. It is cooling the family room quite well. My window opens side to side so there is a huge gap above the hose outlet. And the unit comes with panels to fill the gap but it is hard to make 3 pieces align and be air tight. It is leaking air pretty bad so I will have to build something a little more leak free after this is over, but we have bee very happy with it.

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.

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.

The 12K BTU portable units work fine for even a large bedroom. I have three, all Whynter two hose. One even keeps a 600 sf finished attic with seemingly no insulation in the roof at an okay temperature on hot days. When it is over 100F out, it struggles but still the attic is tolerable if not ideal.

Have had 2 Whynter dual hose units over the past 8 years. really solid cooling machines.

I've had a Whynter dual hose AC unit running for a couple years now, works great, cools a lot and pretty affordable

The best one is Whynter and it has two hoses on it if that helps. It's black and is like waist high.

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.

Any dual hose one will be more efficient and possibly more quiet. I have the Whynter Arc. It does a great job. Some people may find it noisy but it doesn’t bother me. But it IS large so not easy to lug between places.

Whynter. They’re also packed very well in the box.

I owned the Whynter one size smaller for 2 years. I only ran one hose (intake) not two. The dehumidifier works while the ac unit is running. I never had to drain it and the instructions said this unit will evaporate the excess water and it did for me. Most of the time the dehumidifier cooled the room perfectly fine and I also live near the water and it is humid. Maybe it didn't need draining because I only ran one hose, I capped off the other with the cap that came with it and it indicated in the instruction it didn't need 2 hoses. I was pleased overall with the unit. It cooled 700 sq. feet fairly well.

Most are made in the same factory and have different labels slapped on the front, similar to other household appliances. I personally have had good experience with Whynter units. They are known as one of the more reliable brands. As others have mentioned, you should look into dual hose units. They cool the room more efficiently than single hose units by preventing negative air pressure in the room.

Single most important thing: Dual hose units maintain the pressure balance in your room. Single hose units vacuum hot air into your house. Next most important thing. Buy new. These things are consumables. I like my Whynter brand units. They've lasted far longer than I thought they would. I also like my Hisense unit. It is nice and quiet.

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.