Details. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. But, you might not want to.Portable AC units do use electricity to run and operating it all day will increase your electric bill.The best way to use an affordable air conditioner like this is only when you’re in the room to enjoy the cold air.If you leave for an extended period of time, then you should turn the unit off to conserve energy.In most cases, you will not have to empty water from your portable air conditioner.Most portable AC units use a condensation exhaust system to expel water vapor collected during the dehumidifying/cooling process.But, some products do require the emptying of an internal water tank if the humidity is too high to remove through evaporation or routing a drain hose to a floor drain for continuous emptying.Most portable air conditioners use about one-eighth as much electricity as your central air conditioner.Just keep in mind that the bigger the air conditioner is, the more electricity it uses to operate. A cheap portable air conditioner with an automatic drainage system is a great thing to have because it turns all condensation liquid into exhaust. The best placement is on a desk or table.It doesn’t have a remote, but the push-button controls are easy to use.Finally, this cheap portable air conditioner has three fan speeds settings so you can get the cooling just right.We’ve covered a lot in this guide, and you should feel confident purchasing a portable air conditioner for your home, apartment, or office that meets your needs.The goal here is to save you countless hours of research because we’ve done all of the hard work for you of narrowing down the top choices for cheap portable and ventless AC units.No matter which of the budget portable air conditioners you pick, you’ll know that you’re getting the best value for your money.But to make this guide fully complete, we’ve included the most common questions and answers people have about these devices below.Not only are they great for keeping you cool indoors, but they’re also an excellent way to cut your energy costs and save money during the hot summer months.If you currently have a central air conditioning system in your home, then you know firsthand how expensive it is to run these units.What makes central air conditioners so costly is that they force you to lower the temperature of the whole house (and can’t target a specific room) which wastes a lot of money on electricity.The major benefit of owning an inexpensive portable air conditioner is that it can maintain a comfortable temperature inside the room (or rooms) you use the most.With a cheap AC unit, you’ll cool down faster and keep certain rooms colder longer without having to fear the cost of your next utility bill.As a comparison, a portable air conditioning unit only uses about Now, before you go off and just buy any affordable portable air conditioner you can find, it’s critical that you get one that suits your specific needs and space requirements.There are several important factors to consider before making a purchase and we’ve laid them out below so you can make the best decision possible.One of the worst things you can do is purchase a new portable AC unit and then realize it doesn’t do half of the things you expected it to.Unfortunately, not all inexpensive air conditioners operate in the same way.These appliances use a variety of methods to cool the air around you and your goal should be to find a unit that meets your expectations.In order to ensure that your new air conditioner is something you’ll be happy with, you’ll want to keep the following list of things in mind.The way your air conditioning unit handles condensation will play a huge role in how easy it is to use.Usually, the cheaper it is, the more work you have to do to keep up with it (except for the products recommended in this guide).All of the air conditioners we reviewed on this page are non-drip AC units that use evaporation to get rid of condensates.