The terms "air conditioner that blows into a room" and "air conditioner that blows out" are not standard industry terms, and they may cause confusion. However, I can provide some interpretations based on common air conditioning setups:
Air Conditioner That Blows Into a Room: This term could refer to any traditional air conditioner (window unit, ducted central AC, or ductless mini-split) that is installed indoors and blows cooled air directly into the room where it is located. These air conditioners work by drawing in warm air from the room, passing it over the evaporator coil where it is cooled, and then blowing the cooled air back into the same room.
Air Conditioner That Blows Out: This term is not as clear, but it could be referring to either:
a. An exhaust-only portable air conditioner: Some portable air conditioners function as exhaust-only units. They take in warm air from the room, cool it, and then expel the heat and moisture outside through an exhaust hose. The cooled air is blown back into the room through a vent. These units are less efficient than dual-hose portable air conditioners since they create negative pressure in the room, which can draw in warm air from outside through cracks and gaps in doors and windows.
b. A central air conditioning system with a return air grille: In central air conditioning systems, return air grilles are responsible for sucking in the warm air from inside the rooms, which then travels through ductwork to the air handler (located in the HVAC system) for cooling. The cooled air is then redistributed back into the rooms through supply vents. In this case, the air conditioner "blows out" the cooled air through the supply vents.
In summary, the primary function of any air conditioner is to cool the air, and it does this by drawing in warm air, cooling it through the refrigeration process, and then blowing the cooled air back into the room or area it is meant to cool. Different types of air conditioners may have various configurations and setups, but they all aim to achieve the same result: providing cooled air for comfort.