What are BTU (British Thermal Unit) or CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute) ratings? BTU rating is important if you are going to install a properly sized AC unit to cool a certain area. CFM is important if you are going to install a properly sized evaporative cooler to cool a certain area.
BTU rating is important if you are going to install a properly sized A/C unit to cool a certain well insulated area. CFM is important if you are going to install a properly sized large 110-volt Evaporative Cooler on the roof or in the side wall of a well insulated building so you can build up a negative pressure within a certain area so you can cool the entire area.
Negative pressure cannot typically be built up in an area by using the limited resources of a 12-volt Portable Cooling Device. Therefore CFM is not important as long as there is sufficient air to blow your hair around or blow the papers off your desk.
The BTU of the 12-Volt Ice Model Air Conditioners varies because of the cooling medium used. Block Ice, cubed ice, crushed ice, reusable ice packs, large packs or small packs. These different cooling methods all effect the resultant temperature so it is impossible and unnecessary to state an accurate BTU. Some say using ice results in over 6,000 BTU because of it's efficiency.
The bottom line: If there is no limit on resources install a properly sized 110-volt built-in cooling device. If, on the other hand, there are limited resources of energy or it is not practical to build in a cooling system then we can provide comfort with a 12-volt or 110-volt Portable Spot Cooling device.
