Condensate is a failure point
Cooling plans fail when buckets fill, pumps lift too high or drains are routed badly. Plan water removal before leaving the unit running.
Electrical calculator · portable AC / condensate / drain
Plan tank emptying, gravity drain or pump route for unattended portable AC operation.
For overnight cooling, plant rooms and temporary office setups.
Field notes
Practical checks to run before this calculator result turns into a site decision.
Cooling plans fail when buckets fill, pumps lift too high or drains are routed badly. Plan water removal before leaving the unit running.
A pump that works on the floor may fail when pushed up to a ceiling void, across a long run or through a kinked hose.
If the route is temporary, note who checks water, alarms, filters and hoses during the hire period.
FAQ
Short answers written for UK temporary electrical and HVAC planning work.
Plan tank emptying, gravity drain or pump route for unattended portable AC operation. It is mainly for temporary HVAC, drying, cooling and site-power planning, especially where a quick pre-check is needed before selecting equipment or changing a temporary setup.
No. It is a competent-person planning aid only. Final decisions still need current BS 7671 requirements, manufacturer data, inspection, testing, risk assessment and the actual site conditions.
Check cooling load, exhaust duct route, condensate route, compressor start current, available circuit rating and whether other site loads share the supply. If any assumption is uncertain, use the result as a prompt to investigate rather than as permission to energise.
It normally means the margin is weak, an assumption is missing, or the load should be split, staged, moved closer to the supply, reduced or reviewed by a competent electrician before use.
Estimate portable AC capacity in kW and BTU/h for offices, plant rooms, events, kitchens and workshops.
Estimate spot cooling for server rooms, production lines, events and overheated work zones.
Estimate start-current pressure on breakers or generators for portable AC and compressor loads.
Estimate cooling performance loss from long exhaust duct runs, bends and recirculation risk.