A portable air conditioner can be drained. You must unplug Insignia Portable AC, then remove the exhaust hose from the back, and finally move the air conditioner to a location with a suitable drain before you can drain it.
We’ll examine three methods for draining an Insignia portable AC, including the so-called “no drain portable air conditioner” method.
How Do You Drain Water from Insignia Portable AC?
We are aware that the Insignia portable AC used a hose to exhaust hot air, resulting in a 10°F temperature drop. 20% less humidity was produced by the unit. All that water—where did it go? Has it entered the bucket or passed through the hose? Where did the surplus water get drained?
Read More: How To Vent A Portable Air Conditioner Without A Window?
To see how portable air conditioners dispose of water, let’s look at these 3 operating methods of how portable AC units are drained:
1. Insignia Portable AC Unit Drained Via Condensate Tank (Manual Drainage)
The built-in condensate tank of older portable units is where the water is collected. In this draining pan, water drips that has condensed on the chilly evaporator coils.
There are two ways how to empty this condensate tank:
- You have to remove the tank. A detachable condensate tank is available on some vintage portable air conditioners made by LG and DeLonghi. The tank must be manually removed when it fills up and empties. When the tank is full, a light on the controlled display of newer units illuminates.
- You have to pick up the unit (not-removable tank). You will see a small hole at the back of an Insignia portable AC if it has built-in tanks. When the air conditioner is on, that hole is sealed. Such a portable air conditioner requires you to carry it to the bathroom, where you can empty the tank after picking up the entire unit (portable air conditioners can weigh 40 lbs or more).
The worst portable air conditioner drainage method is, of course, this one. Nobody really enjoys manually draining a portable air conditioner. Modern air conditioners have a more automatic method of draining them as a result.
2. Automatic Drainage Via Hose (No Drain Portable Air Conditioners)
The best portable air conditioners of today don’t require manual draining. The ‘no drain portable air conditioners’ are automatically drained via the exhaust hose. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics forbids the use of portable air conditioners without hoses, as we have previously stated.
These units need to be drained even though they are called “no drain portable AC.” You don’t need to take any action to drain them, though.
The accumulated moisture is basically vaporized and expelled via the exhaust hose. Older units’ exhaust airflow humidity measurements will show that you are exhaling dry air (less than 30% humidity). However, if you check the humidity levels of these more recent units, you’ll find that they release hot, humid air (above 50% humidity).
These units are not more expensive, despite being newer and more user-friendly in terms of drainage. It’s just the case of new technology replacing the older technology. The cost of no drain portable air conditioners may rise by $10 to $50, but given how simple it is to drain these units, this price increase is comparatively negligible.
Concerning energy efficiency, you need not worry. Yes, these units do use a bit of electricity to vaporize the water, but due to newer technologies in them (namely inverter compressors), they are more energy-efficient than older units with condensation tanks.
3. Drainage Via Drain Hose (With Or Without a Condensation Pump)
Using a drain hose, a select few portable air conditioners are drained. The built-in condensation tank is essentially continuously drained outside by this hose. The Insignia portable AC is dripping water continuously. As a result, unlike with older units, there is nothing you need to manually do to drain them.
There are two kinds of drain hose portable air conditioners:
- Gravity units (without the pump). You merely direct a drain hose out of the window when using these units. The outdoor end of the hose should be placed lower than the indoor condensation tank in this situation. The condensed water will continue to flow continuously without a pump’s assistance because of gravity.
- Condensation pump units. These Insignia portable AC units are situated in lower areas of a house, such as the basement, lower floors, etc., where the hose cannot be channeled as with gravity units. The outer end of the hose is thus elevated above the indoor condensation tank. Condensation pumps are used by portable air conditioners to compensate for this height difference. This pump sucks the accumulated water out of the condensation tank located in the portable air conditioner and pumps it outdoors against gravity. However, pumps also use some electricity, which reduces the overall energy efficiency of portable AC units with condensation pumps compared to units without pumps.
The Insignia portable AC drain hose is generally preferred to manually emptying the tank. However, draining a portable air conditioner through an exhaust hose is still preferable to doing so through a drain hose.
Do I Need to Drain My Insignia Portable AC?
The majority of people are unaware that their Insignia portable AC needs to be drained frequently. There are several issues that can arise if you don’t drain your portable air conditioner. The unit’s failure to properly cool is the most frequent issue.
This is due to the condensation that accumulates in the unit beginning to freeze, which will obstruct the airflow. If your portable air conditioner isn’t completely drained, the coils risk freezing, which is another issue. As a result, the device may operate less effectively or even stop functioning altogether.
So how frequently should you drain your Insignia portable AC unit? You should generally do this every three months or so. However, you might need to do it more frequently if you live in a region with high humidity.
When the amount of ice in your Insignia portable AC unit becomes too much for it to handle and begins to affect its performance, it’s time to drain it. It’s not particularly difficult to drain your portable air conditioner. The drainage valve should be found first; it is typically close to the unit’s base.
After that, connect a hose to this valve and direct it outside or into a sink or bathtub. Once your appliance is turned on, let it run until all the water has been drained. When done, shut off the valve and remove the hose.
Why Are There 2 Drain Plugs on a Portable Ac?
Everyone who has ever used an Insignia portable AC is aware that when it is in use, water condenses on the cold coils inside the device. After that, the water drains into a little reservoir or tank inside the appliance. The majority of portable air conditioners only have one drain plug, which you can take out to empty the water when it fills up.
However, some models—many of the most well-liked models included—have two drain plugs. These plugs have two different purposes: one is used to drain the water reservoir, and the other is used to drain any condensed water that may have accumulated in the exhaust hose.
The advantage of having two drain plugs is that it helps to prevent problems with your Insignia portable AC unit from “overflowing” due to too much water collecting in either the reservoir or exhaust hose.
Your Insignia portable AC unit might become damaged or stop working if either of these things were to occur. Therefore, if your portable air conditioner has two drain plugs, use both of them; one to empty the reservoir and the other to drain any condensed water that may have been collected in the exhaust hose.
Moreover, always refer to your owner’s manual or get in touch with customer service if you have any inquiries about your air conditioning unit.
How Often Should a Portable Air Conditioner Be Drained?
You don’t even need to manually drain the portable air conditioner if you have drainage through an exhaust or drain hose. You receive automatic completion.
Older units, however, require you to either lift the entire unit up and empty the condensation tank in the bathroom or empty the detachable condensation tank.
It must be emptied once the tank is full of water. Older models no longer indicate when the tank is full. When it’s time to empty the bucket, a signal light is present in newer models.
The tank emptying schedule varies considerably with older units. The amount of humidity in your home, the size of your unit (in BTUs), the size of your portable AC condensation tank, whether you use a portable air conditioner continuously, and other factors all affect this.
In high-humidity areas, homeowners will have to drain the Insignia portable AC every few hours (2 to 8 hours, in general). In some places, the unit needs to be drained every day or every few days.
Theoretically, it is very difficult to predict how frequently your portable AC unit needs to be drained. The simplest method is to simply time how quickly the condensation tank fills.
Read More: How Long Can You Run A Portable Air Conditioner Continuously?
Bottom Line
All portable air conditioners must be drained, including those without a drain. What matters is whether it can be done automatically or if you have to do it yourself. 3 ways of portable AC unit drainage systems include:
- Using a condensation tank. Depending on the humidity levels, these older units still require manual draining every few hours, once per day, or every few days.
- The most common automatic drainage method is via exhaust hose, and it is what most people prefer.
- This is also an automatic drainage system that continuously drains the portable air conditioner via a drain hose.
Overall, if you purchase a newer unit with an exhaust hose or drain hose drainage, you won’t really need to worry about how to drain a portable air conditioner or how frequently Insignia portable AC units should be drained. Automatic processes handle everything.
The process of draining these portable units should now be more clear to you. We’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have in the comments section below.
FAQs
Does Insignia Portable AC Need to Drain?
It does have a water reservoir that will need to be emptied periodically.
Why is My Portable AC Not Draining Water?
The accumulation of dirt and debris inside the pipe is the main cause of blockages. Another possibility is a blockage in the drain line brought on by dust or other condensate-related debris. In order to clear the blockage, you can try flushing bleach down the line or sucking it up with a wet/dry vacuum.
What Size is the Drain Hose on the Insignia Air Conditioner?
For hot exhaust air to escape and cool air to circulate inside the AC unit, an exhaust port hose that comes with it needs to be mounted outside. The diameter of this exhaust hose is about five inches.