5,500 BTU (SACC) single-hose portable air conditioner
Frigidaire FHPC082AC1
Average efficiency for its size: a CEER of 6.3 beats 62% of the certified 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioners.
The Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 delivers 5,500 BTU of real cooling (SACC), enough for about 100-150 sq ft, draws about 873 watts and costs about $118 a year to run at typical U.S. use and prices. A window unit that cools as much costs about $52 a year.
- CEER
- 6.3 Combined efficiency, higher is betterAverage · beats 62%
- Real cooling
- 5,500 BTU/h (SACC)For about 100-150 sq ft
- Energy use
- 655 kWh/yrAbout 873 W, at 750 hours a year
- Design
- One hose Uses room air for its condenser
A good fit if…
- You do not want to empty a bucket - it evaporates the water and sends it out through the hose in normal weather.
Think twice if…
- You want the most efficient design - one-hose units pull warm air in through gaps; dual-hose units lead the efficiency ranks.
- You also need heat - it cools only.
- You need to cool more than a very small room - this size covers about 100-150 sq ft at most.
Calculate my running costCheck the size for my room
Details
Certified ratings
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Real cooling capacity (SACC)Seasonally adjusted cooling capacity: what the unit delivers in the DOE test, after the heat it lets back in | 5,500 BTU/h |
| CEERCombined energy efficiency ratio, includes standby power | 6.3 |
| Power drawSACC divided by CEER | About 873 W |
| Yearly energy use750 hours of cooling a year | 655 kWh |
| Design | |
| Hose design | Single-duct (one hose) |
| Heating | No, cooling only |
| Compressor | Single speed |
| Water removal | Self-evaporating (exhausts the water through the hose) |
| Certification | |
| Certified model numbers | 1 (1 basic model) |
| Brands | 1 |
| Size class | 5,000 BTU and under |
Model numbers with these ratings
These model numbers are certified with the same capacity, efficiency, hose design, heating, drain type and compressor as the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1.They may be the same unit sold under several brands, or different products that test the same: the DOE data has no dimensions or noise figures, so check those with the maker. Ratings within about 2% in capacity and 0.3 in CEER are treated as the same; a model whose own rating differs a little shows it in brackets.
- FrigidaireFHPC082AC1
How it compares with the other 5,000 BTU or less portable units
- CEER (class median 6.2)6.3, tied with 1 other profile
- Yearly cost vs. class median ($109)$9 more
- Efficiency rank among 19 rating profiles#7
- Models in the class with two hoses0%
- Window units with similar cooling (median CEER 14.4)$52 a year
Compared with every DOE-certified portable unit in the same size class (SACC). Each model number counts once. Yearly cost at 750 hours and 18.0¢/kWh.
Yearly running cost by city
This unit at each city's cooling hours and state electricity price, against a window unit that cools as much.
| City | Hours | ¢/kWh | Per year | Window unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | 1675 | 15.5 | $226 | $99 |
| Houston, TX | 1400 | 16.0 | $196 | $86 |
| Miami, FL | 1750 | 15.4 | $235 | $103 |
| Atlanta, GA | 775 | 15.1 | $102 | $45 |
| New York, NY | 525 | 28.4 | $130 | $57 |
| Chicago, IL | 475 | 19.0 | $79 | $34 |
| Denver, CO | 350 | 16.6 | $51 | $22 |
| Seattle, WA | 125 | 14.2 | $15 | $7 |
Ranked around it in the 5,000 BTU and under class
| # | Model | BTU (SACC) | CEER | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,300 BTU single-hose portable AC, 7.1 CEER | 5,300 | 7.1 | $101 |
| 5 | 5,250 BTU single-hose portable AC, 6.6 CEER | 5,250 | 6.6 | $108 |
| 6 | LG LP0526PGF | 5,000 | 6.6 | $102 |
| 7 | Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 | 5,500 | 6.3 | $118 |
| 8 | NINGPU NPP-05H/X1E | 5,000 | 6.3 | $107 |
| 9 | BLACK+DECKER BPACT08WT | 5,300 | 6.2 | $116 |
| 10 | Whirlpool WHNP051AW | 5,150 | 6.2 | $112 |
Questions
- What size room does the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 cool?
- 5,500 BTU of real cooling (SACC) suits about 100 to 150 sq ft with normal sun and two people (about 90-135 sq ft if very sunny), by the ENERGY STAR floor-area table. Size by SACC, not the larger BTU on the box.
- How many watts does the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 use, and what does it cost to run?
- About 873 watts at full power (5,500 BTU/h divided by its CEER of 6.3), roughly 7.6 amps if it runs on 115 V. At 750 hours a year and 18.0¢/kWh that is about $118, which is $9 more than the typical certified 5,000 BTU or less portable unit ($109). Its CEER beats 62% of the 461 certified models in its size class.
- Is a one-hose portable air conditioner a problem?
- It is the common design: 100% of the certified 5,000 BTU or less models have one hose, with a median of 6.2 CEER. The top-ranked Foshan Hanyang HYAC-TG7 reaches 13.4 CEER.
- Do I have to empty the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1?
- Usually not. It evaporates the water it removes and sends it out through the exhaust hose. In very humid weather the pan can still fill, and most units then stop and ask to be drained, so keep a drain hose or a bucket handy.
- Can the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 also heat the room?
- No, it only cools. 6 of the 461 certified 5,000 BTU or less portable models can also heat if you want one unit for the year.
- Is the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 as efficient as a window air conditioner?
- No. The 12 ENERGY STAR certified window units that cool about as much (within 15% of 5,500 BTU) have a median CEER of 14.4, against 6.3 here, and the best reach 16.0. At 750 hours a year a window unit with that median would cost about $52, $66 less than this one. ENERGY STAR window units are the more efficient part of the window market, so the gap to an average window unit is smaller. A portable unit makes sense when a window unit will not fit or is not allowed.
Running cost calculator
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Closest alternatives
Rating profiles with a similar CEER in the same size class, and what sets each one apart from the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1.
| Model | CEER | Compared with this one |
|---|---|---|
| BLACK+DECKER BPACT08WT | 6.2 | 0.1 CEER lower, 200 BTU less cooling |
| NINGPU NPP-05H/X1E | 6.3 | same CEER, 500 BTU less cooling, also heats |
| Whirlpool WHNP051AW | 6.2 | 0.1 CEER lower, 350 BTU less cooling |
| 5,000 BTU single-hose portable AC, gravity drain, 6.1 CEER | 6.1 | 0.2 CEER lower, 500 BTU less cooling, gravity drain |
| LG LP0524WFR | 6.1 | 0.2 CEER lower, 500 BTU less cooling, inverter |
See all 19 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioners, ranked
Before you buy
- SACC vs. the BTU on the box
- Portable vs. window air conditioner
- Portable AC without a window
- All portable air conditioners, ranked
- Window air conditioners
The Department of Energy lists every certified model, including some no longer sold: check availability before you buy. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Compliance Certification Database (portable air conditioners), updated 2026-10-14. How we use the data.