My personal proof that global warming is real can be seen at masjids. Back in the day, to see air conditioning in one was a rare sight. Now, even the most modern masjids have one of these portable air conditioners, and the old masjids are retrofitted with them.

A simple masjid may have one just for the imam, but a fancier one would have an array of these for the front row.

Sure, some eateries will have them, fir I have not been to one in a while thanks to the current situation.

Air conditioners are called air conditioners because they are electronic dehumidifiers. They condition the air by drawing out moisture. The cooling is a side effect.

Like any heat pump, it works by displacing heat. It absorbs heat in one end and expels it in another.

There are many types of air conditioners and recently Hisense released a couple of their stand-up portable air conditioners. They use the more environmentally friendly R32 refrigerant, have wheels, is very quiet, and has a mode specifically for dehumidifying. I don’t know how is it more drying than a standard AC, but there it is.

The RM1,399 AP09KVG, has a Smart Mode (thermostat), and a mode called ‘I Feel’ which from what I understand uses the thermometer in the remote to regulate the thermostat.

The more powerful RM1,999 AP12NXG has ‘three wind-sensing experiences’ which when translated from marketing to human speak means three fan speeds, an LED display which I hoped can be turned off or dimmed, and ‘Auto Evaporative System’ which roughly means it has fans in the appliance to blow the water it extracted back into the air somewhere else.

Everything about these appliances seems nice. Hisense promotes the fact that these appliances can be moved around the house and can cool an area efficiently. However, they hid the fact that these appliances need an exhaust for it to work properly.

You need to run a ventilation pipe from the appliance to the nearest window so it could push the hot air and humidity out. Else the system will be fighting itself, blowing dry cool air in front and hot humid air at the back, all in the same space. Which is comical.

Anyway, the AP09KVG and AP12NXG Hisense Portable Air Conditioners are available now.