Black & Decker 10,000 BTU SACC/CEC (14,000 BTU ASHRAE) Portable Air Conditioner with Heat and Remote Control

Why I brought this portable unit home

I test a lot of portable air conditioners, largely because they’re the only practical option in older homes and apartments where window units won’t fit or aren’t allowed. I picked up the Black+Decker 10K SACC portable AC with heat to see if a single, 4-in-1 machine could realistically handle cooling, heating, air circulation, and dehumidifying in a small office and a spare bedroom. On paper, the 10,000 BTU SACC rating (14,000 BTU ASHRAE) should suit rooms up to about 450 square feet, and the integrated heat mode promised shoulder-season versatility without swapping gear.

Setup and installation

It’s a single-hose design with a standard window kit intended for sliding or double-hung windows. I tested in both a vertical double-hung and a horizontal slider. Expect to spend 30–45 minutes on first setup if you’re careful about sealing. A few notes:

• The exhaust hose is roughly 4.9 feet long. That’s serviceable, but it limits placement in larger rooms. The shorter the hose, the better for efficiency, so I didn’t mind the constraint—just measure your layout before you start.
• The window insert is typical telescoping plastic. It works, but the fit and finish depends on your window geometry. I added foam weatherstripping to eliminate tiny gaps and improve performance.
• This kit isn’t compatible with crank-out (casement) windows without a DIY panel.
• The power cord is about 70.8 inches. Plan for an outlet nearby; don’t use an extension cord with a compressor-based appliance.

Once installed, I let the unit sit upright for a few hours before running it to ensure the refrigerant settled—good practice for any portable. The machine rolls easily on casters, and the side handles help with nudging it into position. I appreciate that the filter lifts out from the top; access is quick and encourages regular cleaning.

One operational quirk: there’s a roughly three-minute compressor delay after you change modes or power the unit on. That delay is a compressor-protection feature, not a defect. Once you know to expect it, it’s a non-issue.

Cooling performance

In a 230-square-foot home office with decent insulation and afternoon sun, the unit dropped the room temperature by 8–10°F within about 40 minutes, starting from 78°F indoor and 90°F outdoor. Over a longer run, I saw sustained room temperatures around 71–72°F with the thermostat set to 70°F. That’s in line with a 10K SACC unit and consistent with the realities of single-hose designs.

Important context: single-hose portables exhaust indoor air outside, creating slight negative pressure that pulls warm air in from adjacent spaces. That mechanical limitation lowers real-world efficiency compared to dual-hose units and window ACs. You can mitigate it by sealing the window meticulously, keeping doors closed, and minimizing infiltration paths. If you need to cool a sunbaked 400–450 square foot great room, you’re asking a lot of any single-hose 10K SACC unit; target 250–350 square feet for strong results or step up in capacity.

Airflow is strong and broad, with adjustable louvers that actually help direct the stream where you want it. I found the cold discharge air reaching 48–52°F near the outlet on steady-state operation, which is solid. The thermostat tracked within about 2°F of a calibrated room sensor when I used the remote’s Follow Me function—more on that below.

Heating and dehumidifying

Heat mode is useful in shoulder seasons. In a 180-square-foot guest room, it brought the temperature from 64°F to 70°F in roughly 30 minutes and held it without drama. Think of it as a convenient space-heating assist, not a whole-home solution—it’s better for cool mornings and evenings than for deep winter. Most portable units struggle as outdoor temperatures drop, and this one is no exception.

Dehumidification is “bucket-less” in normal AC operation thanks to self-evaporation. In moderate humidity, I never had to drain it. On a swampy day (indoor RH above 70%), the internal 500 ml reservoir filled and the unit prompted a drain. The drain port is low on the back; I used a shallow pan and a towel and was back in business in a couple of minutes. If you live in persistently humid climates, plan on occasional draining or a continuous-drain setup.

Controls and usability

The top-mounted LED controls are intuitive, with a straightforward mode, fan, temperature, and timer layout. The 24-hour timer is handy for pre-cooling before I head into the office. The remote is a bright spot: Follow Me uses the remote’s sensor to regulate based on the temperature where you actually are, not just at the unit. That closes the comfort gap in long rooms where the discharge air might fool the onboard sensor.

I wish the display dimmed further at night—there’s no dedicated night mode—but the LEDs aren’t glaring enough to be a deal-breaker.

Noise and efficiency

On high fan, I measured 57–59 dBA at three feet with a smartphone meter, which matches the spec and my expectations. The character of the sound matters more than the number: the fan has a steady broadband “whoosh,” and the compressor adds a lower-frequency hum. On low, it fades into a tolerable white noise for most people; on high, you’ll notice it on calls if it’s beside your desk. If you’re hypersensitive to noise in a bedroom, position it across the room and run a lower fan speed.

Because it’s single-hose, efficiency lags behind a comparable window AC. If you’re deciding between a window install and a portable in the same room, the window unit will generally cool faster and for less power. Where the Black+Decker makes sense is where window units aren’t practical, or where mobility matters—cool the office by day and the bedroom by night.

Two tips that helped performance and noise:
- Insulate the exhaust hose with a sleeve to reduce radiant heat back into the room.
- Keep the hose as short and as straight as possible to reduce static pressure and compressor workload.

Build quality and maintenance

Fit and finish are typical for the class. The chassis panels line up cleanly, the casters roll smoothly, and the exhaust connections lock securely once seated. The only fiddly part during initial setup was getting a snug, square fit on the window adapter; take your time there—any gaps will punish you later.

Maintenance is simple:
- Clean the top filter every two to four weeks during heavy use.
- Vacuum the intake grille occasionally.
- Check and drain the condensate sump in extreme humidity or when running heat mode.

I ran into one hiccup early on: after a set of rapid mode changes during testing, the compressor refused to kick on for what felt like ages. It was the built‑in delay doing its thing. Waiting a full three minutes solved it, and it didn’t recur when I avoided rapid cycling.

Who it’s for

• Renters or homeowners who can’t install a window unit and have sliding or double‑hung windows.
• Rooms in the 200–350 square foot range that need flexible cooling and occasional heat.
• Users who value an easy-to-clean filter, a capable remote with Follow Me, and a bucket-less experience most days.

Who should look elsewhere:
- Those with crank (casement) windows who aren’t up for fabricating a panel.
- Light sleepers who need near-silent operation.
- Anyone trying to tame a large, open plan space with a single-hose portable. Consider a dual-hose unit or higher SACC rating.

The bottom line

The Black+Decker 10K SACC portable AC with heat does the fundamentals well: it cools a mid-sized room reliably, takes the edge off chilly mornings in heat mode, and dehumidifies effectively without constant bucket babysitting. The controls are friendly, the Follow Me remote actually improves comfort, and the unit is easy to move and maintain. It’s not whisper-quiet, and the single-hose architecture limits ultimate efficiency, but those are known tradeoffs in this category.

Recommendation: I recommend this unit for small to medium rooms where a window AC isn’t an option and you want one appliance to handle cooling, heating, and dehumidifying with minimal upkeep. It’s a practical, flexible choice if you accept the noise level and single-hose limitations, install the window kit carefully, and keep the filter clean. If you need whisper-quiet sleep cooling, plan to run it on low and place it across the room—or consider a quieter window unit instead.