I’m in San Francisco, and don’t have air conditioning. As the summers are getting hotter, I want to either get a ductless system or a stand alone portable AC that ducts into a window. It looks like I can get one of the 15,000 BTU dual-duct portable units for just over $500, while a 14,000 BTU ductless unit will cost $1200+, plus installation. Is there something better about the ductless wall-mounted unit than the portable window unit, even at the same BTU rating?
Don’t let the BTU rating confuse you into thinking that a Portable AC unit is better that a Split/Ductless system.
A Split/Ductless system might have an initial higher upfront cost, but will perform better, have greater energy efficientcy, quieter operation, etc… over a portable unit.
I agree. Portable units are effective sometimes, but the Mini split systems are very energy efficient, quieter, and can be zoned if needed. The up front cost to install can be recovered by the effective operation of the mini split. ( It will run less often) the portable units have to run nearly non stop.