WATER TANK – When used as a dehumidifier, the RHPAC3001 can extract up to 600ml an hour. The built-in water tank can be manually drained, or fitted with the supplied 1m hose to ensure constant drainage. Officially the unit is described as having a 65dB volume, which to be honest didn’t really mean anything to me initially. In practical terms in some modes it sounded quieter than a vacuum cleaner but louder than the ‘fridge’ that one person described it as in an online review. I should point out for reference, I live on a boat, which is obviously more enclosed than an open space, so your mileage may vary. A window kit is included however the assembly and installation of this is slightly more involved and fiddly, so make sure you allow time for this.

Russell Hobbs Portable 3-in-1 Air Conditioner, Air Cooler

You can clean the unit itself by wiping it over with a damp cloth, just avoid using water to wash it as it's an electrical appliance. This is very efficient, it says it draws 1.2kw, but I've measured it at most to be 900w. Again, more enclosed space, but very ideal if you're like me and are limited to power consumption. I am also basing this review on the air-con portion only, as I don't use it as a dehumidifier. If you use it in that mode, you will need to instal rubber tubing that will pipe out the water from the unit, but using it for only air-con that isn't needed. I think it stores the small amount of water it creates in a tank that you will empty at the end of the season. I previously reviewed the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner, and at just 20.5kgs that unit suddenly felt extremely lightweight in comparison to Russell Hobbs' more powerful offering.In terms of noise, it isn't exactly the quietest thing in the world, but compared to the noisy American HVAC's that I'm used to, this is comparatively quiet. It sounds more like a loud fridge, so if you can sleep hearing that you shouldn't have any issues.

Russell Hobbs 3 in 1 Portable Air Conditioner, Air Cooler

On its cooler setting, the unit uses hot air from the external environment, and its 0.3L water tank to cool your room effectively. There’s also the option of the Timer function which allows you to schedule a specific time to start or turn off the appliance. Like all of the settings, this is straightforward to use and programme. Maintenance

Noise levels:65dB (this is what the manufacturer states, however on some settings we found it much quieter than this) The unit also offers the brilliant Night mode that reduces the brightness of the display screen so that it doesn’t light up the room, and makes the unit work more quietly. The fan speed stays on low during this mode so that the noise is reduced and there's less to disturb your sleep.

Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner review Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner review

The unit is sleek, well designed, and feels good quality – from the unit itself to the handy remote control. It’s easy to manoeuvre thanks to its built-in wheels which make life much easier, you'll just need to factor in its weight, but this is part and parcel of most air con units. This product also comes with a free one year manufacturer guarantee. A free second year guarantee is available upon registering your product. When it comes to storing the Russell Hobbs 11000BU Portable Air Conditioner when its's not in use, it takes up roughly the same amount of space as a small bedside cabinet.Whichever controls you opt for, the unit is very easy to use and it's simple to select which mode and fan strength you want. However, if the noise level is an issue for you then the great thing about the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner is its Night mode function. Ingeniously, this feature not only reduces the brightness of the display screen so that it doesn’t light up the bedroom at night, but it also means the unit works more quietly and keeps the fan speed low so that it doesn’t disturb your sleep. Ease of use Again, I couldn’t do this on my own so if you’re as strong, (or weak) as me, it’s definitely a two-person job. Cooling powers It can be hard to imagine what 30+kg of weight equates to in real terms, but to give you a gauge, that’s heavier than my 10-year-old child and felt even more so when trying to manoeuvre it up our steep, narrow staircase!

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REMOTE TIMER – For ease of use, this air conditioner comes with a 24hr remote control timer and easy to use LED display. There’s even integrated castors so you can move it easily around your home or workplace. Now, if your goal is for a room to be chilled quietly, none of these portable units are going to be for you. Having the whole unit inside, which half of it usually sits outside the home, makes it quite loud under operation. But if the option was to have this little machine loud or to sit in 30c with a fan blowing around that hot air, I would take this every day of the week. Generally speaking, portable air con units begin at around 7000 BTU, and not surprisingly the price increases with additional performance power. The most powerful portable air conditioners tend to be around 16000 BTU, so on paper this 11000 BTU option, whilst not cheap, is a good price for its mid-range capabilities.However, I queried this point with the manufacturer and was told that in 'Dry' dehumidifier mode it is optional for the drainage tube to be attached to the unit because the unit has an in-built (non-removeable) water tank that will collect the condensed water when the drain is plugged. Upon reaching the tank's full capacity “FT” will display and the unit will stop. It can then be drained using the drainage hose provided. When positioned in a 4.5m by 4.5m room (approx. 15ft square) with higher than normal ceilings, the air con unit reduced the temperature by approximately two degrees Celsius in just ten minutes, making an almost immediate and noticeable impact. Of course, this temperature decrease became more significant with the unit running over a longer period of time. Noise-wise, both I, my boys, and my sound-monitoring app agreed that it was the quietest portable air con unit we’ve tested so far. Although you’ll still need to turn the TV up whilst it's on, it's not deafening. The Night mode which reduces the noise and brightness of the display for bedtime use is also a great benefit for light-sleepers or people with children. When the unit is in Cool mode and you select the Night mode function then the selected temperature will increase by 1 degree Celsius per hour over two hours. The new temperature will then be maintained for the next six hours after which it will turn itself off.