A windowless air conditioner is a self-contained unit that does not have to sit on the windowsill.

Although many experts argue that windowless air conditioners are less efficient than other units, there are numerous benefits to purchasing a windowless model.

These include the fact that this type of unit is easier to install, can remove smoke odors, and is very good at cooling rooms that are heated and not adequately cooled by another air cooling system.

Here’s an overview of the pros and cons of buying a windowless air conditioner.

This type of drive is definitely easier to install and is not an eyesore. Because only a single tube has to be fed out the window, this type of unit is truly unobtrusive. In fact, it is very difficult to see a unit from the outside of your home.

A windowless air conditioner can also be a good idea if you’re just looking to provide additional cooling in your home and you may already have central air conditioning.

For example, you may want to use a windowless air conditioner in a room that doesn’t get good cooling from your central air system. Often a room located on the second floor or in a particularly sunny area will have trouble cooling solely by relying on central air conditioning.

However, you can address this problem by placing a windowless unit in this overheated room. This will help remove hot air from the room. It will also mean cooler air will flow to the rest of your home.

Windowless units also work well to control odors in your home. Since they always draw air from outside, a single hose unit is particularly good at removing odors, such as cigarette or cigar smoke.

Additionally, this type of air conditioner can also prevent odors from moving to other rooms in your home. This happens because the air pressure in the room with the unit is lower than the air pressure in other parts of your house. As a result, odors will be contained.

A windowless air conditioner is actually a better system to use than central air if the goal is to contain cigarette smoke. A central unit can move cigarette smoke throughout your home, while a windowless unit contains the smell of smoke.

Another potential benefit of this type of unit is that these models are often more cost effective than other units.

Now the cons…

Experts agree that windowless air conditioners tend to take a while to cool down your room. Some studies indicate that these units take twice as long to cool a room compared to window units.

Another problem with windowless air conditioners is that they may not be particularly effective in very hot weather. Because these units are constantly drawing in outside air to replace room air, they don’t perform as well when outside temperatures are extremely high.

For example, if you live in a part of the country that has long periods of 90° weather, a windowless unit will really struggle to keep your home cool. On the other hand, if you already have a central system installed, this type of system can offer additional cooling to particular rooms in your home.

The other big problem with windowless AC units is that they are often more expensive to run than a windowed model. Because the unit continually draws in hot air from outside, it doesn’t work particularly efficiently. This means that the unit will have to run longer and harder to cool the room. This, of course, will translate into high electricity bills.

The last potential drawback of a windowless air conditioner is that it is only effective in one room. Due to its design, this type of unit simply doesn’t have enough power to push cool air into your many rooms.

Because of this, Consumer Reports researchers point out that the BTU rating on these units is often inaccurate. While some people expect the BTUs of a window air conditioner to be comparable to a portable unit, this is actually not true. Rather, windowless air conditioners cool much smaller spaces for the same BTU.

If you’re still interested in buying a windowless air conditioner, keep your expectations in check.

This is not the kind of unit that can keep your entire house cool during a lightning heat wave. This type of unit can also cost you part of your electric bills. On the other hand, if you’re looking to keep a single room moderately cool or trying to contain the smell of cigarette smoke, then a windowless unit might be the best option.