Black & Decker 10,000 BTU SACC/CEC (14,000 BTU ASHRAE) Portable Air Conditioner (Follow‑Me Remote)

Why I reached for this portable AC

An upstairs bedroom and a south‑facing home office are where summer heat hits me hardest, and installing a second window unit wasn’t an option. I brought in this Black+Decker portable AC with the expectation that it could handle a medium room, roll where I needed it, and spare me from draining buckets. After several weeks of use across cooling, dehumidifying, and a bit of shoulder‑season heating, here’s how it honestly performed.

Setup and installation

Installation is straightforward if you have the right window type. The included kit is built for double‑hung or horizontal sliding windows; it won’t work with crank/awning styles. I had it venting in a double‑hung window within about half an hour.

What helped:
- The slider bracket adjusts easily and seals with the foam strip included. I added a bit of extra weatherstripping to tame minor air gaps—worth doing for efficiency.
- The exhaust hose locks into the rear port securely and has just enough length and flexibility for a nearby window. Keep the run short with gentle bends; sharp turns will hurt performance.
- The unit needs a level, stable floor and a closed‑door, closed‑window room to do its best work.

One small gotcha: the remote requires 2 AAA batteries, not included. Also note there’s a built‑in compressor protection delay—after you change modes or power state, the compressor may wait ~3 minutes before engaging. That’s normal.

Cooling performance

The headline here is the realistic rating: 10,000 BTU SACC (14,000 BTU ASHRAE). SACC is the modern standard that accounts for heat gains and is a better predictor of actual results. In practice, that meant:

• 12 × 12 ft bedroom (about 144 sq. ft.): The unit cooled quickly and consistently, pulling the temperature down to a comfortable setpoint within an hour even on humid days. It’s an excellent supplement when central air falls short at the far end of a duct run.
• Open office/living space around 18 × 20 ft (roughly 360 sq. ft.): It maintained comfort but took longer to reach target temps on hot afternoons. Expect steady progress rather than a rapid plunge in temperature.
• Near its “up to 450 sq. ft.” claim: With average insulation and sun exposure, it’s viable, but your results will depend heavily on the building envelope, ceiling height, and solar gain. Big west‑facing windows or leaky doors can overwhelm any portable unit in this class.

Airflow is rated at up to 202 CFM on high, and the auto‑swing louver helps distribute cool air across the room rather than blasting a single spot. I found bumping the setpoint a degree or two below comfort for the first 15–20 minutes, then raising it back, helps the room settle faster.

Dehumidifying and self‑evaporation

This is where the unit shines. The self‑evaporating system handled typical summer humidity in my climate without needing me to drain anything during cooling. The room felt less clammy within minutes of start‑up. If you run dehumidify mode for long stretches or live in very humid conditions, connect the included drain hose and route it to a floor drain. Otherwise, for normal cooling, it truly is “bucket‑less.”

Heating mode

The heating function is useful for taking the edge off chilly mornings in shoulder seasons. It’s not a substitute for whole‑home heating in cold climates, but it raised my office temperature reliably and spread warm air well. Treat it as a convenient bonus rather than a primary heater.

Noise and comfort

Portable air conditioners move a lot of air through a compact cabinet, and this one is no exception. On high, it’s clearly audible; on low and medium, it fades into a steady, broad‑spectrum “white noise” that I found easy to sleep through. If you’re extremely sensitive to sound, a window unit or a ductless system will generally be quieter. For me, the sleep mode and auto fan speed were enough to keep the noise reasonable overnight.

Controls and the “Follow‑Me” remote

The control panel layout is simple, but the remote is the star. In Follow‑Me mode, the remote’s onboard sensor becomes the thermostat. Keep the remote near you, and the unit will adjust to the temperature where you actually are—not at the unit’s intake. This worked well in my tests, especially in rooms where the unit sits in a corner and would otherwise read a cooler microclimate. Be mindful of where you place the remote; direct sun or a hot surface can fool it into overcooling.

I used:
- Cool, Heat, Fan, and Dehumidify modes regularly
- Three fan speeds, Auto fan, and Sleep
- Auto‑swing to distribute airflow

The only quirk to anticipate is the compressor restart delay mentioned earlier. If you change modes and nothing happens for a couple of minutes, the unit isn’t ignoring you; it’s protecting the compressor.

Portability and build

At 27.1 × 16.5 × 14.06 inches, the cabinet slips under most window sills and doesn’t dominate the room. Rolling casters and side handles make relocation simple on hard floors. Over thresholds or thick carpet, it needs a firm tug but still moves without much drama.

Build quality is what I expect at this price and size: a sturdy chassis under a plastic shell. The shell doesn’t feel premium, but it’s solid enough with no odd rattles on my unit. The window panel is serviceable but basic; adding foam tape and ensuring a snug fit will improve the seal and reduce vibrations.

Efficiency expectations

Portable ACs always fight uphill: they must reject hot exhaust through a hose while sitting inside the room they’re cooling. The SACC rating reflects that reality. This 10,000 SACC unit is a sensible match for:
- Bedrooms, offices, and dens up to roughly 350–400 sq. ft. with average insulation
- Spaces that need supplemental cooling when central air can’t keep up
- Temporary or renter‑friendly installs where a window unit isn’t practical

It’s a poor match for:
- Garages, workshops, or sunrooms with large air leaks or high solar gain
- Crank or awning windows (the kit isn’t compatible)
- Long exhaust runs or high‑mounted windows; extending the hose substantially can reduce performance and is generally not recommended

Maintenance

Routine care is light:
- Wash the air filter regularly (how often depends on dust and pet hair in your space).
- Check the window seal and hose connections a few times each season.
- Use the drain hose if you see water build‑up in very humid conditions or during extended dehumidify‑only sessions.

What I liked

• Real‑world cooling that matches its 10,000 SACC rating in appropriately sized rooms
• Self‑evaporating dehumidification that mostly eliminates manual draining
• Follow‑Me remote that cools to where you sit or sleep
• Useful auto, sleep, and swing functions to balance comfort and noise
• Easy setup with a straightforward window kit and foam seal
• Rolls easily and fits neatly under most windows

What could be better

• Audible on high; not the right pick if you need near‑silence
• Window panel is functional but thin; plan to add extra sealing for best results
• Hose length is modest; rooms with high sills or far windows may be tricky
• As with any portable, performance drops in leaky or sun‑soaked spaces

Recommendation

I recommend this Black+Decker portable AC for anyone who needs flexible, renter‑friendly cooling and dehumidification in a single room up to about 400 sq. ft., with solid comfort in smaller bedrooms and offices. It’s easy to install, the Follow‑Me remote is genuinely useful, and the self‑evaporating system minimizes day‑to‑day fuss. If you’re expecting to tame a big, poorly insulated garage or you’re extremely sensitive to fan and compressor noise, you’ll be happier with a different solution: either a higher‑capacity system or a quieter window or ductless unit. For typical indoor rooms, though, this unit delivers dependable, no‑nonsense comfort with minimal maintenance and clear, predictable behavior.