To buy a cheap air con unit for less than £40?

[Crazyladee]

I know it's not really an AIBU but I couldn't work out where else this question belonged.
Basically spurred on by the poster who said there was a woman at her work who brought in a portable air con unit, I searched through amazon and eBay and nearly bought one for less than £40. The reviews were generally good but then I know they can be fake. I added to my basket but then I thought for less than £40 it's too good to true so cancelled the sale.

Anyone bought one and found it does a good job? I'm just really looking to cool the bedroom down which at night is literally like a sauna.

The heatwave will be over by the time it's delivered, I wouldn't bother

I'd be surprised if it was a proper air con. Is it an air cooler? They're different. I don't know how good they are though I'm afraid.

My DH bought a free standing type aircon unit for around £80 last year. It was massive and sooo loud!
It got sent back...

The cheapest I have found refrigeration air conditioners is around £250, these need to be mounted on the wallw ith a hole drilled for the exhaust, or on a window with an adaptor kit so it exhausts out the window.

What you have found will be an evaporation cooler, which relies on a tank of cold water and the cooling effect of the fan blowing air across a soaked filter.

They are fractionally more effective than a fan, but not much, often spring leaks and over time the wet elements will go manky (as they don't ever dry properly) so it will then blow mildewy air at you.

Prob not great from an environmental perspective. Stick some freezer packs in a tea towel or an old pillowcase and sleep next to them instead. Lovely and cool.

Most of them seem to be very loud and ineffective.

The real units that work go on the wall and are £££

I would expect it to be rubbish for that money. We have some big noisy air con units that do the trick, but they were a lot more than £40.

I bought one for £250 and it just about does the job for my (admittedly large) bedroom. I put the hose out the window which I bought a window seal for.

I can't imagine anything cheaper would be worth it.