Looking for portable AC recommendations for Florida apartment
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for hardware recommendations for a portable AC unit. I live in a \~1200 sq. ft. 3rd-floor apartment in North Florida (Tallahassee), and the insulation/airflow is pretty poor. My south-facing bedrooms get brutal in the afternoon, and the central air just can’t keep up.
Our management strictly prohibits window-mounted units, so a portable unit is my only option.
I’m strictly looking for a dual-hose setup to avoid the negative pressure issues of single-hose units. I’d also prefer inverter technology for efficiency and lower noise since it will be in a bedroom/office.
Most dual-hose inverters (like the Midea Duo) seem to start at 10,000+ BTU (SACC). I’m worried that might be overkill for a single bedroom and lead to short-cycling. However, I already run a dedicated dehumidifier in the space. Would having that separate dehumidifier running make a more powerful 10k or 12k BTU unit more viable, or should I stick to looking for a smaller 8,000 BTU unit (like the Hisense dual-hose inverter)?
Even with the separate dehumidifier, it's swampy here. I need something with a reliable self-evaporative system so I’m not constantly emptying a tank.
Has anyone seen a significant performance difference between the 8k and 10k BTU dual-hose inverters in high-humidity climates when paired with a standalone dehumidifier? Any specific models you’d recommend for a small room?
Thanks for the help!