What does 1 or 2 tons mean when talking about air conditioners?

Tons are a unit of measurement. The text books put it like this.
Ton of refrigeration (cooling): Refrigeration effect equal to the melting of 1 ton of ice in 24 hours. This may be expressed as follows: 288,000 Btu in 24 hours, 12,000 Btu in 1 / hour or 200 Btu / min. The standard phrase is the 1 ton of cooling or 12,000 Btu’s per hour. What is a BTU? British Thermal Unit (Btu) quantity of heat required to raise temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
So back the original question, what does 1 ton mean to me when buying an air conditioner? The phrase 1 Ton unit or (12,000 Btu per hour) means that it will cool a standard insulated room that’s 450 to 550 square feet. (Sq ft rule from Energy Star.gov). But this is only a rule of thumb, a standard room with 2 people.
Remember that if you live in the Nevada or Minnesota the rule of thumb is going to have Btu’s added or subtracted.

Portable Vs Window air conditioners

A Portable Air Conditioner is a small mobile air conditioner unlike a window Air Conditioners which must be mounted through the window opening. Furthermore, portable air conditioners do not require permanent installation. All our portable air conditioners are between 29" and 34" tall and weigh between 50 and 90 pounds. Portable air conditioners also work great in apartment situations where a window unit is unacceptable.

Check air conditioners filter

Check your filter every 4 to 6 weeks, especially during heavy use seasons . If the filter looks dirty after a month, spend the money and change it. During high pollen weeks you may want to check your filters more often. If you see small puddles of water covered with pollen you should check your filters that week. Dirty filters will reduce air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool. A clean filter will also prevent dust, dirt & pollen from clogging up the systems cooling coil.

Programmable thermostat information

A programmable thermostat is great for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Programmable thermostats automatically adjust your home's temperature settings, allowing you to save energy while you're away or sleeping. If you work outside the home during the day and have a different schedule on the weekend, a programmable thermostat can offer many benefits, and the return on your investment is usually within 1 year. Note that if you are home seven days a week, then using a programmable thermostat just for sleeping may not by as cost effective.

Before you buy a new thermostat standard or programmable check the box to make sure its designed to work with your application. Not all thermostat work on central air conditioner systems. And check to see if you need a low voltage or line voltage thermostat. Low voltage is 24 volts and line voltage can handle 120, 208, 240, & 277 volts. Do your homework before you go shopping.

Portable & Window air conditioners thermostats are a whole different topic.

What does EER mean?

The EER, or Energy-Efficiency Rating, measures the air conditioner's energy consumption and efficiency. A high EER rating means less energy is being consumed.

Any rating of 10 or more is excellent. Furthermore, by cooling only one room, portable air conditioners can save you considerable on your monthly electric bill. All of the portable air conditioners that we carry operate on 115 Volt/ 60 Hertz (normal household standard). They generally run on about 7-10 amps and require a regular 3 prong grounded plug found in all homes.

What is a portable Air Conditioner?

A portable air conditioner is an air conditioner that is mobile (on 4 casters). Unlike window, through-the-wall, or central air conditioning units, portable air conditioners do not require permanent installation, the quick installation is the main attraction vs its other air conditioner family members…. Commonly, these units have caster wheels for easy movement and are between 2 ½ to 3 ft tall a weight between 50 to 90 pounds

Portable Air Conditioners do however require venting through one or two exhaust hoses so the unit must be w/in 5 feet of a single or double hung window or sliding window. The installation can be easily installed with a window kit or to another location. When searching for a portable AC unit there are many model that vary in cooling capabilities, condensation removal, controls and noise and efficiency

Not only do portable air conditioners cool the surrounding air, they also dehumidify - keeping the air both cool and comfortably dry.

Perhaps the most important thing to determine when choosing a portable air conditioner is the size needed. An air conditioner that is too small will not be able to keep up with cooling demand.

Can evaporative coolers be used in different climates?

Evaporative cooling is suited for climates where the air is hot and humidity is low. They may be a cost effective option in some higher humidity areas. Use for evaporative spot cooling, garages, workshops, garden centers, auto shops, dog kennels, outdoor tents, horse stables, exercise areas, industrial plants, commercial kitchens, farming, laundries, dry cleaners, and greenhouses.

What is Evaporative Cooling

Evaporative cooling is a method of converting hot air into a cool breeze using the process of evaporating water. It is similar to the cool refreshing effect you feel when you immediately step out of a pool.

Evaporative coolers utilize the natural process of water evaporation along with an air-moving system to create effective cooling. Fresh outside air is pulled through wetted filters that cool the air through water evaporation. A blower wheel then circulates the cool air throughout a room, home, or business.

Evaporative cooling provides 100% fresh, cool air continuously while traditional refrigerated air conditioning utilizes a closed system that recirculates the same stale dry air over and over. Constant air movement of the evaporative cooler pushes hot air out removing dust, pollen and replaces it with cool fresh air.