All air conditioning units, whether they are portable, window-mounted, or central air systems, need some form of venting to function properly. The purpose of venting is to exhaust the hot air generated during the cooling process and to ensure proper air circulation in the space being cooled.
There are primarily two types of air conditioning units with regard to venting:
Single-hose portable AC units: These units have one hose that serves both as an intake and an exhaust. They draw in warm air from the room, cool it down, and then exhaust the hot air outside through the same hose. While they are relatively easy to set up and don't require a separate window opening for venting, they are generally less efficient compared to two-hose units.
Dual-hose portable AC units and window-mounted AC units: These units have two hoses, one for intake and one for exhaust. The intake hose draws warm air from the room to cool it down, while the exhaust hose vents the hot air outside. These units are more efficient because they don't create negative pressure inside the room (as with single-hose units), which can lead to warm air being drawn into the room from other spaces.
Central air conditioning systems are also vented, but they function differently from portable units. Instead of venting hot air outside, they use ducts to distribute cooled air throughout the entire house or building.
In summary, all AC units need to be vented in some way to remove the heat they extract from the indoor air. The specific venting setup may vary depending on the type of AC unit, but even single-hose portable units require venting to work properly.