I have a severe case of what is most often referred to as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS.) It is a medical condition, but not an “allergy” per se because it is not an immune system dysfunction involving histimines, allergens, etc.

I’ve had this problem for 11 years, but I have used window air conditioners without a problem. In the last month, this is the third portable air conditioner I have tried unsuccessfully. They all seem to emit plastic or chemical vapors of some kind, which gives me headaches that can last for days. I am starting to suspect one reason for this problem is the location of the fan motor.

On most portable units, the motor for the indoor fan is not located on the external chamber, as it is with window units. On window units, the fan that circulates the indoor cold air, is driven by a motor on the external side of a wall that also drives the outside fan. This wall separates the inside cool air circulation from the outside hot air circulation. The vapors coming off that motor never enter the indoor cooled air which enters the room, because the indoor fan is driven by a shaft coming through that wall from the outside side where the motor is, and the vapors from that motor remain outside.

Another thing causing these sensitivity problems for me could be the special plastics and circuit board vapors used in the controls. Again, on window air conditioners they seem to be located where they will get drawn out by air draft to the outside part of the air conditioner. Portables seem to put these controls directly in the path of the indoor cooled air.

On the portable units I’ve seen so far, there two fans. There is a separate indoor fan exposed to the indoor cooling air. This motor may be gassing off. But I really don’t know for sure if this is the reason for the vapors that give me headaches. I only know I cannot use this air conditioner and I am very upset about it because, otherwise, it seems like a very nice, well-engineered unit.

Today, I bought this Sharp CV-PD13PX. The store had it on display yesterday and I was able to give it the sniff test before I took it home. It passed the sniff test in the store. To buy it, I had to pay $50 to become a “member” of the store that sold it, but it seemed worth it. The price was right. Also, there are very few appliance stores and big boxes that sell portable air conditioners in the isolated valley where I live.

Unfortunately, as the unit was running at home I started to get more of a vapor plastic/chemical “new car” smell, especially when I got close to it. I suspect this may be coming from the motor or some other internal components, (not the plastic housing) because it seems to worsen (or at least not improve) as it runs. The vapor problem for me on this unit is not nearly as bad as it was on the 10,000 BTU Sharp that I tried a few days ago. That one was not on store display and did not even pass the “sniff test” when I opened it at home (see my other review.)

I am going to return this one too, because I do have a headache, though not quite as bad as the one I had a few days ago from the other Sharp. I hope the headache does not last for two days like that other one did.

My wife and daughter don’t hardly smell it at all but I do, because I am so sensitive to them. This is a great air conditioner, but I am giving it only three stars because I was upset that Sharp has overlooked one detail, rather than making it a totally innocuous unit that people like myself can use. I’m sure they could make it that good if they wanted to, but like I said, this seems like a problem with most, if not all portables at the present time. I just thought Sharp might have been a cut above in that regard. I might still try one or two more portables sold locally before I give up on them, and try to make a window unit work for my apartment with its sliding glass windows. I started with the higher end units.

It seems rediculous for these units to have these “air purifying” high-tech gimmicks, like ionizers, when the materials of the unit itself contaminate the air with less-than-healthy, if not toxic, vapors to breathe with possibly the same effect as second hand smoke (industry and insurance companies seem to turn a blind eye to research in this area.)

As time goes on, check my reviews, if this issue interests you. I really wish someone would make a good basic portable with all the reliability and hygienic (with regard to chemical/plastic vapors)features of a window air conditioner, preferable from aluminum, not plastic. Maybe some company will, or maybe a company already does, but just not sold in my area, or in the USA.

June 6th

Finally decided to give up on portables after I tried a couple of other makes/models, and ran into similar problems, and headaches round the clock.

Then I bought…

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