Motel/Hotel AC units

[askolover]

Within the past month we have stayed in hotels in Pigeon Forge, Chattanooga (three different trips), and New Orleans.  In EVERY hotel I noticed the climate in the rooms was muggy, even with the AC turned down to 66-68F (which makes for a cold muggy).  The air was cold but it just wasn't pulling the humidity out.  I really think they have oversized those units causing them to cycle too short.  It was so bad that when we got home from one trip to Chattanooga and I emptied my suitcase, the clothes were actually damp.  What's up with that?  These were mostly Amana PTC units and I think I saw one GE.  I don't remember feeling this muggy in a hotel 20 years ago!

 

[DADoES]

 
They do tend to be oversized in my limited experience.  Only way to get reasonable dehumidification is by cooling to a ridiculously-low temp.

 

[arbilab]

I live with one of those in this HUD imitation of an 80s Howard Johnson.  There is no anticipation so to sense room temp it runs the fan, but not the compressor until it senses enough heat.  Meanwhile all that water sitting on the evap is, well, evapping back into the air.

 

Not only that but the thing has a plastic condenser fan which doesn't balance well and runs very fast in the recent HE version, giving the box an annoying roar.  Then there's the draft.  When it's working best, it's drafty, too cold when running and too stuffy when pausing.  Miserable 'solution' but I suppose better than nothing when it's 106F outside.  They're failure prone as well.

 

One way to get the dam thing to compress more regularly and blow steam less, is set the fan to continuous.  That keeps the sensor closer to room temp and the comp'r comes back on every ~4 min.  Yes it will still be swampier than you'd like.  I don't mind so much because my skin is VERY dry (ichthyosis).

 

Think you'll find no matter what name is on the box they're all made by the same outfit.  Goodman, at least at some point.  Whoever owns that name now. [eyeroll]

 

[moparwash]

Heres how to hack them to get cool...lots of other info out on the net too

Override Your Hotel Room Thermostat and Set It As Hot or Cold You Like

Hotel room thermometers normally don't let you adjust the temperature above or below a certain point, which can lead to some pretty warm rooms in the

lifehacker.com

 

[fan-of-fans]

Hotel air conditioners

I've never been able to get very comfortable in a hotel room. It always seems too cold, and the units are too loud for me to be used too so I have trouble getting to sleep for the noise. I'd still rather have these hotel units, than regular window units mounted in the wall like the motels I've stayed on the beach had.

I do remember staying in one hotel, where there was both one of these hotel units and a dehumidifier in the room! And the bucket on the dehumidifier filled up so we had to empty it at least once.

Aren't some of the fancier places starting to go toward the mini split units? I imagine they are quieter. Some hotels have central units too I think, but I've never seen one at any I stayed at.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I am sure that all of you are using the lowest fan speed on these units to give them the best conditions for wringing moisture from the air and auto fan if you have the option.

 

[gusherb]

I’m pretty sure the issue you’re experiencing is that they tend to install the PTAC leaving the default settings which is to let the blower run continuously which makes the room really clammy when the compressor is off. Every room I stay in I pull the plastic cover off (it 97% of the time just lifts off), pull up the installers manual on my phone (or sometimes it’s conveniently left next to the dip switches) and toggle the correct dip switches so the fan cycles with the compressor. I actually did this in my room in Pigeon Forge back in July and it made a world of difference. Sometimes the PTAC even has the option right on the control panel to let the fan cycle (auto).

Also, since the PTAC’s are typically oversized, typically 12-18k BTU units, I always leave the fan on low, last time I even let the filter stay dirty just to some more dehumidification.

 

[arbilab]

Mine only has two speeds: drafty and a gnat fart draftier.  Gawdawful if you have to use it for heat (I do).  Wind chill takes place as the draft comes out below skin temp.

 

The silly thing has the faux elegance of variable speed condenser fan.  Faux because the con fan only begins to slow when the outside air is so low you could open a window.  I smell government.  Same aucracy that won't let you wash clothes above 100F.

 

The PT part means among other things that the front desk can cut it off if you're late paying rent on the room.  Another feature is seldom used as it increases the cost of installing a fleet of them.  They are capable of operating on a remote thermostat.  You know, like a REAL airconditioner.  I've never actually seen such deployment; probably only in the ritzier hotels.  The really ritzy hotels have a central chiller and your thermo only switches the fan.

 

Can't tell by looking what capacity you have (BTU/CFM) because they all look the same and fit the same hole in the wall.  The cost of the guts is on the order of $800.  The wall box and "stylish" inside plastic part are 'accessories' sold separately like Barbie's bikini and dunebuggy.

 

There is an economical alternative to suffering with the ubiquitous PTAC:  Staycation.

 

[superocd]

Energy costs have to be the biggest expense for hotels, so any new or retrofit PTACs are going to have all kinds of energy-saving measures built in.

Gone are the old PTACs that were simply plugged into the wall and ran only according to how the dials were set by the guest (sound familiar?). Many entry level models have a USB port to flash settings to the EEPROM from a config file saved to a flash drive (the file is generated from the manufacturer's configuration software installed on a PC) and those settings control limits and run cycles. A few others use jumpers or DIP switches.

Some are Wi-Fi connected to a server within the building, where the facilities manager is able to control the entire system day-by-day and in real time with a few clicks of the mouse. There are also occupancy sensors so you will not be able to cool your room if you are gone the whole day unless the facilities manager (or general manager for your average highway chain) overrides this setting.

Then there are occupancy sensors. Some occupancy sensors communicate wirelessly with a device that is simply plugged into the dedicated PTAC outlet before the PTAC itself is plugged in. People who know better will unplug the device and plug the PTAC directly into the outlet. Other occupancy sensors will communicate directly with the PTAC control module and it is difficult, if not impossible to defeat.

 

[arbilab]

BTW, the PTAC repairman was here today.  Why, I asked, as it seemed to be working.

 

Recall.  The cond motor tends to overheat and catch fire.  The "fix" is a retrofit stampmetal 'shield'.  Shield from what?  How's that supposed to alter the 115F outdoor air temp?

 

I'd sleep better with a new motor made anywhere but you-know-where.

 

[jmm63]

SO this brings up a question I've always had..with these units and/or window units, what fan speed dehumidifies better? low or high? I always thought high as it brings more air over the coils but I have a window unit that has a dehumidify function and the fan only runs on low.

 

[DADoES]

 
Low, probably for two reasons.  Cools the area slower so more compressor run time.  Less airflow over the evaporator makes it colder, so more condensation of moisture.

Multiple-speed central systems with humidity control run the blower slower when more moisture removal is needed vs. higher when it's not.

 

[combo52]

Reply # 9

The metal shield is added in case the condenser motor should start to overheat and catch fire it will not spread, this is a perfectly good and safe way to address a problem like this.

John L.

 

[arbilab]

Thanks John.  Zackly what the guy said today.  Wasn't the motor itself that smoked, but the plastic mount.  The shield is between them and in the airstream acts like a heatsink. 

 

Turns out the growl was a factory defect warp in the fan shroud.  He knew immediately; mine not the first.  The slinger was slightly impinging the shroud.  Jostling the unit warped it further to where the motor wouldn't reliably start.

 

Part not on shelf so maint substituted a year-older model.  NOT HE, which tried to mimic larger (HE) coils by blowing air faster.  Trouble being, it doesn't exactly work that way cuz a large coil has slower flow per unit area.  (See also, Glenn's on dehu.)  But apparently BS'd the goobermint ratings. 

 

Think I'm keeping this one.  The noise and draft are significantly subdued.  3yo and cond is corroding at the bottom, but not my problem except for the several hours waiting for maint to swap it when/if the sweat lets the gas out.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Here is an A M A N A that I experienced last week:

Yes, it kept on-&-offing a lot & either froze me or left me sweating, depending on where it was set...

-- Dave

 

[arbilab]

That's the one alright, Dave.  <span style="text-decoration: underline;">P</span>ain in <span style="text-decoration: underline;">T</span>he <span style="text-decoration: underline;">A</span>ss <span style="text-decoration: underline;">C</span>onditioner.  For the convenience and cheapness of the innkeeper, not the comfort of the occupants. 

 

Another alternative to PTACs, vacation in Vegas.  A 4000-room hotel like Bellagio would need 5+ fulltime/overtime guys doing nothing but fixing them.  This 60-room shanty has a contractor and we send him a half dozen a season, in addition to buying a half dozen new ones.  He's not here 'all' the time but he's busy somewhere all the time.  As above and as the norm in 'world' appliances these days, not very reliable.

 

In 1955, you'd be so glad to have air in your motel you wouldn't mind if it got 'too cold'.  Few people were spoiled by central residential air.  Today, a sorry anachronism for the traveler to suffer.  Specially considering the things have a rudimentary intelligence.  But just enough to BS the DOE regulations, not to make them what you'd call 'domesticated'.

 

 

 

[arbilab]

Little update on the fleet of PTACs:

 

This 60-unit building sent 21 of them for repair this fall.  One out of three failed, and new enough to try repairing. 

 

Mine came back unrepaired, fan still striking shroud.  Typical level of competence this facility hires (bottom feeders).  Also typical, against some paperwork rule to let me keep the low-eff one that did everything as well as one of these can.  So back to the shop. 

 

I told them the fandisk had excess runout and needed replacement.  Apparently they did.  The raucous vibration is attenuated but the fan still hits shroud briefly as speed ramps up (thrust moving fandisk back).  Since heat season arrived and the outside fan isn't used, maint said he'd check back in the spring.  Typical.  Still obnoxiously drafty of course, think I'll retrofit some cardboard baffles.