The recent heatwave of 100+ degrees here in East Central Illinois has me revisiting an old project in my head. I previously tried a window unit air conditioner for my office. The computers and network equipment generate enough heat that the central air isn’t able to keep up comfortably. Unfortunately, the window unit allowed too many bugs in to be satisfied, so it got pulled out and we’re making due with a ceiling fan that has been installed since the A/C attempt and a box fan. The extreme heat of this Summer has stretched the capability of what even a couple fans can do, so I was reconsidering advice I received on that old post to instead use a portable air conditioner instead. (A portable A/C only uses a small vent out the window and the screen should be able to stay in place.)
Visiting the local big box hardware store, they were sold out of their air conditioners and didn’t plan to restock since we’re in the middle of the season. I had used Amazon to do some initial research but reflecting on the fact that an air conditioner would be a very seasonal purchase I returned to a previous post of Amazon price comparisons.
Using CamelCamelCamel, I entered in a few of the portable air conditioners that got good reviews. The results did seem to indicate a spike in the Spring/early Summer months.
It also seems like the price drops after August. So, if I’m interested in buying a portable air conditioner for next year, I might do well to purchase it early and off-season to save money. Fortunately, I can setup a price watch with CamelCamelCamel and have them notify me if the price drops below a certain level. The question is, will August stay cool enough to wait?