The Self Contained Heating and Cooling
Solution - Package Terminal Air Conditioner
A Package Terminal Air Conditioner, commonly abbreviated PTAC, is mostly referred to as the self contained heating and cooling system that is commonly found in apartments and hotels. Most of these units are designed to be fixed on a wall, and have heat sinks and vents on the inside and on the outside to facilitate heating and cooling of air. Package terminal air conditioners are available in the market in different dimensions, but the most common dimensions include 40by15", 42by16", and 36by15". While most Package terminal air conditioning units are commonly used for heating and cooling single living spaces with the use of electricity (coupled with heat pump and/or resistive heating), it isn't uncommon to find cooling only units that come with a natural gas heating or a hydronic heating coil. These units are mostly installed on masonry walls and window walls for optimal functionality. Also worth mentioning is the fact that today's PTACs do not require condensate drain piping since the condensate water that is often extracted from the air using the evaporator coil is automatically drawn back to the condenser surface oil to facilitate evaporation.
Package terminal air conditioner units are gaining in popularity among homeowners today more than ever before. This huge popularity is attributed to the following features that make it the best among home air conditioning units.
Energy efficiency - the best PTAC units in the market are known to be very energy efficient, boasting of EERs of over 11.60. The efficient way in which these units have been designed ensures the airflow pattern and PSC motor helps significantly reduce the amount of energy consumed by the fan. Most homeowners report payback earnings in their operating costs in less than a year.
Reliability - packaged terminal air conditioners are the most reliable of air conditioning units in the market today, owing to the availability of several features including freeze protection, an automatic emergency heat, random restart, quiet and peaceful operation, a compressor restart delay to help extend the life and durability of the compressor, and last but not least comes with the most user-friendly controls you could ever find in any other ACs.
Like all other AC units in the market today, the two major factors that would affect the cost of a package terminal air conditioner are quality and size. One thing though that should be mentioned is the fact that because package terminal air conditioners are more or less self-contained with both the heating and cooling units incorporated into one, you should expect the price to be slightly higher. You should also know that when it comes to air conditioning units, if you want the most efficient of units in the market, you should be ready to pay more. The good news is that these units are always very durable and will often negate the initial cost of installation by their durability and energy efficient features. Other factors that go into determining the cost of packaged terminal air conditioners include the specific brand of AC that you want to purchase, the warranty available from manufacturer, and where you plan to purchase the unit from i.e. Whether online or in physical stores.