Experience with McQuay PTAC Units (HVAC)??

I have a question here, hopefully Masterplumber will pick this up!!  I am not familiar with the units mentioned above, they seem to be similar to min-split units.  Was considering the potential for using these in a brownstone throughout three floors in place of the current steam heat set up (garden floor aprtment, parlor level and third floor).  How are they set up (what type of lines are required, water??) and would they be appropriate or effective in heating and cooling each floor?  Any info is appreciated. The specs for the ones I have looked at are: McQuay PTAC units with 19,000 BTU.  Water cooled compressor.  A/C + heat pump; takes care of A/C AND heating.    Thanks!!

nalusurf

in Plumbers and Plumbing 12 years and 8 months ago

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Master Plvmber | 12 years and 8 months ago

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Packaged Terminal Air Conditioning units. Yuck.  It’s basically a window or wall unit A/C with a hot water coil placed over it’s air intake to provide heat when you turn on the fan without the a/c compressor. Switch to cooling and the water stops flowing through the hot water coil and the cooling compressor activates.  Everything else is, aside from electric heat, is better than these things.

joearchitect | 12 years and 8 months ago

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A PTAC is a self-contained through the wall unit, and is much different than a mini-split system.  It is basically what you usually see in a motel room, except the newer units are a bit better looking.  They provide indivdual control for the room, and work fine to heat or cool the room that they are in, but are not especially attractive or quiet. Chopping a hole through the wall under the windows on each floor is not pretty from the outside either.  They do not need a water supply but may need a condensate drain, and will need a dedicated electrical supply.  I think most people find it better to stick with the existing heating system and add something else like the mini-split units for cooling.

Bklnite | 12 years and 8 months ago

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I don’t have experience with PTAC units – aside from hotels/motels the only place I’ve seen them is in condo conversions, where the developer gives each unit control of and respsonsibility for paying for their own heating & cooling. If you want your garden floor tenant to pay their own heat, and if nobody is home during the day in your parlor & 3rd floors or you’re out of town a lot and can use minimal heat while you’re away then maybe it makes sense. Otherwise, I suspect it’ll be much more efficient & economical to stick with steam heat (esp. if it’s gas, not oil).

cm | 12 years and 8 months ago

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Also you indicate these are “water cooled” which means you need a water supply and return line and a means of lowering the temperature of the water return like a cooling tower!

slopemope | 12 years and 8 months ago

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have some old ones circa 1980 in a condo in manhattan.  they are basically what you find in motels / hotels, the large clunky units that take up wall space, flip the cover and turn it on etc.  Not sure how much they have updated them, the ones we have are sheet metal and look like a 70’s howard johnson, i don’t care for them but they work.  I would definitely prefer a mini split unit, but am not sure if the heat punp on those can be used reliably in the coldest two months of the year, or the cost difference between the two.     Keep in mind that once you get into electric heat, your heating bills may skyrocket.