Black & Decker 5,000 BTU SACC/CEC (8,500 BTU ASHRAE) Portable Air Conditioner with FOLLOW ME Remote Control

A compact, no-bucket portable AC that shines in small rooms

I spent a couple weeks living with Black+Decker’s compact portable AC in a few different settings—an upstairs office, a small guest room, and a larger sunroom—to see where it thrives and where it falls short. In short: if you need plug‑and‑play cooling for a small, enclosed space and you can use a double‑hung or sliding window for venting, this is an easy, low-maintenance solution. Push it into bigger, leakier rooms and you’ll hit the limits of a 5,000 SACC unit fast.

Setup and installation

Getting the unit up and running took me around 20 minutes, start to cool. The included window kit is straightforward: connect the exhaust hose to the back of the unit, snap the other end into the adjustable window panel, extend the panel to fit your opening, and lock the window down onto it. It’s designed for double‑hung and sliding windows—no go for crank-out casement windows. The included hose length (just under 5 feet) is workable, but shorter is better with portable ACs; the less distance and bends you have, the cooler and more efficient the system runs. I kept the run tight and gently sloped to prevent any backflow.

A few practical tips that helped performance:
- Seal gaps around the window panel with weatherstrip or foam to reduce warm air infiltration.
- Keep the hose as straight as possible; avoid tight coils or kinks.
- Don’t push the unit flush to the wall—give it a couple inches of breathing room.

Everything else about setup is simple. The caster wheels roll smoothly, side handles make it easy to lift over thresholds, and there’s no condensate bucket to fuss with. In my testing, the self-evaporating system handled moisture without requiring manual draining.

Controls and the Follow Me remote

The control panel is clear and responsive, with a digital temperature setpoint, mode selection (Cool, Fan, Dry), a 24-hour on/off timer, and a Sleep mode. I appreciate that Sleep mode not only reduces fan speed but also softens the display glow for overnight use.

The standout is the Follow Me remote. Place the remote near where you sit or sleep and the unit targets that spot’s temperature rather than the air around the AC itself. In practice, this delivered more even comfort—fewer “I’m cold by the unit, but warm at the couch” moments. A couple of caveats:
- Don’t bury the remote under a blanket or leave it in direct sun; it’ll misread the room temperature.
- Keep it within range; if the signal drops for a while, the unit reverts to its onboard sensor.

The microprocessor imposes about a three-minute delay before the compressor restarts after you power off or change modes. That’s normal and good for the compressor’s health—don’t mistake it for laggy controls.

Cooling performance

Portable AC performance is best judged by SACC (Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity), and here you’re working with 5,000 BTU SACC (8,500 BTU ASHRAE). In real rooms, that matters. In my 120-square-foot office with average insulation and afternoon sun, the unit dropped temperature from 78°F to 72°F in just under an hour and held it without fuss. In a 140-square-foot guest room, it maintained a steady 72–74°F during a humid, 85°F day.

Move into a much larger or leakier space and results change. In a roughly 300-square-foot sunroom with lots of glass and minimal insulation, the unit delivered noticeably cool air at the vent but struggled to move the room temperature much at all. That’s the reality of single-hose portable ACs with modest SACC ratings: they’re great spot coolers for small, closed-off rooms; they’re not whole‑floor solutions.

A few tactics that improved results:
- Pre‑cool the room before the day’s peak heat.
- Draw blinds or shades on sun‑exposed windows.
- Close doors and seal obvious air leaks to reduce infiltration.

The spec’d minimum setpoint of 64°F is realistic; vent air felt appropriately cold, and the unit had no trouble cycling to maintain a set 70–72°F in small spaces.

Noise and comfort

Noise is on par with most compact portables: a steady fan rush with compressor ramp-ups you’ll hear in a quiet room. It’s not whisper quiet, but it’s manageable mid‑day. Sleep mode is genuinely useful at night, tamping fan noise down to a level that didn’t wake me. If you’re particularly sensitive to sound, place the unit as far from the bed as the hose allows and use the timer to pre‑cool the room.

The Fan and Dry (dehumidify) modes round out the comfort features. Dry mode was effective at knocking the “stickiness” out of the air in my guest room on muggy mornings, and because the unit is self‑evaporating, I never had to empty a tank.

Design, build, and mobility

This is a compact footprint for a portable, and the proportions make it easy to tuck under a window without intruding into the room. The rolling casters and side handles make it a one‑person move between rooms. Most of the chassis feels sturdy enough for seasonal moves and daily use. The hose collars and some trim pieces are lighter plastic—functional, but I treated them gently when attaching and removing the hose to avoid stressing the tabs.

The washable filter slides out for a quick rinse under the faucet—no tools needed. I checked it weekly during peak pollen days and monthly otherwise; keeping it clean helps airflow and efficiency.

Efficiency and expectations

As a single‑hose portable, this unit exhausts warm air and, in doing so, draws some air from the rest of the house into the cooled room. That slight negative pressure is part of why SACC ratings are more modest than older ASHRAE numbers. In practice, it means:
- It’s a better fit for enclosed rooms up to roughly 150 square feet.
- Insulation, sun exposure, and air leaks have an outsized effect on performance.
- Sealing the window kit and minimizing hose heat are worthwhile.

If efficiency is your top priority and your window allows it, a traditional window AC will usually deliver more cooling per watt. If portability, no-bucket maintenance, and easy setup matter more, this unit makes a lot of sense.

Everyday use

Day to day, I relied on three features most:
- The 24-hour timer to pre‑cool rooms before I used them.
- Sleep mode at night for quieter cooling.
- The Follow Me remote to target comfort where I was actually sitting.

The combination of bucket‑less operation and simple controls made it a “set it and forget it” appliance in small rooms. The only ongoing attention it needed was keeping the hose straight and the filter clean.

The drawbacks

No portable AC is perfect. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Limited capacity: 5,000 SACC is small by portable standards. It excels in small, enclosed rooms; it struggles in big, open, or poorly insulated spaces.
- Typical portable AC noise: fine for daytime, audible at night unless Sleep is enabled.
- Single-hose tradeoffs: some efficiency loss compared with dual‑hose designs or window units.
- Fit and finish: the window kit is basic and works as intended, but some plastic fittings feel delicate. Take your time during assembly to avoid cracking tabs or over‑tightening.

Who it’s for

This is a strong fit if you:
- Need a compact, portable AC for a bedroom, office, or dorm‑sized space up to about 150 square feet.
- Want a no‑bucket, self‑evaporating design with minimal maintenance.
- Value targeted comfort via the Follow Me remote and a quiet-enough Sleep mode.
- Have a compatible double‑hung or sliding window for venting.

It’s not ideal if you’re trying to cool a large living area, a sun‑soaked three‑season room, or any space with lots of air leakage. In those cases, consider a higher‑capacity portable, a dual‑hose model, or a window unit if your situation allows.

Recommendation

I recommend the Black+Decker portable AC for small, enclosed rooms where ease of setup and low maintenance are priorities. In my testing, it cooled a 120–140 square foot space quickly, maintained comfortable temperatures, and required zero bucket emptying. The Follow Me remote and Sleep mode make everyday use genuinely better, and the compact body is easy to move and store. Just keep expectations aligned with its 5,000 SACC rating: it’s a targeted, room‑size solution, not a whole‑apartment cooler. If that matches your space, it’s a practical, user‑friendly pick. If you need to tame a larger or leakier room, step up in capacity or consider a different form factor.