toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
Many of us are familiar with PTAC's (Packaged Terminal Air-Conditioners) which are normally seen in hotels and motels.
New PTAC-style Climate-Control Unit With Gas Heater
- Thread starter toggleswitch2
- Start date
Help Support :
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
Today, in my travels in NYC, I saw one that has a GAS heater and electirc air-conditioning.
Now that is very odd in that these units normally have electric reisitance coils or else are heat-pumps(reverse-cycle air-conditioners).
They yellow thing is a flexible gas connector.
This is a 220v in that the slot on the right side of the outlet/receptale is horizontal, and thus won't fit standard North-American parallel prongs (in the shape of an 11).
Now that is very odd in that these units normally have electric reisitance coils or else are heat-pumps(reverse-cycle air-conditioners).
They yellow thing is a flexible gas connector.
This is a 220v in that the slot on the right side of the outlet/receptale is horizontal, and thus won't fit standard North-American parallel prongs (in the shape of an 11).
Hmmm . . .
I saw some stuff like this catalogued by Carrier many, many years ago but have never noticed one in person. Is there a flue vented to outside? This could be a code violation if either the window to the left of the unit or above are operable.
I wonder if the gas heater is a primary heater or a backup for a heat pump. In a climate where it gets really cold that's not a bad combination if gas prices are high and electric prices are low.
I saw some stuff like this catalogued by Carrier many, many years ago but have never noticed one in person. Is there a flue vented to outside? This could be a code violation if either the window to the left of the unit or above are operable.
I wonder if the gas heater is a primary heater or a backup for a heat pump. In a climate where it gets really cold that's not a bad combination if gas prices are high and electric prices are low.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
This particular unit has a wall-mounted low-voltage thermostat controling both the heating and cooling functions.
It is made by Fedders Islandaire, Inc.
It is made by Fedders Islandaire, Inc.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
The outside has a typical vent/grille. This appers to be what is referred to as "architectural" series, and is somewhat more aesthetically appealing.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
Here it is with its skirt and clothes back on.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
oh and some of these PTACs are available with hydronic coil that extracts heat from a hot-water circuit, which requires a separate boiler.
So to me the gas unit is quite unique.
So to me the gas unit is quite unique.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
Good point!
I dont see any type of vent or flue, but I 'd say it's hidden behind the grille.
The window above in this installation is fixed and thus not operable/openable. From inside the apartments, the windows to the left do open, but I'm not sure about the ones to the right; my guess is that they do not open.
Electricity in NYC is prohibitively expensive and generally not used for ANYTHING it doesn't HAVE to be used for.
Stranger still, I thought code in NYC prohibited (new) gas service in bedrooms for safety reasons. But it may be that it's just unvented gas heaters or gas logs / fire starters are illegal in bedrooms.
I dont see any type of vent or flue, but I 'd say it's hidden behind the grille.
The window above in this installation is fixed and thus not operable/openable. From inside the apartments, the windows to the left do open, but I'm not sure about the ones to the right; my guess is that they do not open.
Electricity in NYC is prohibitively expensive and generally not used for ANYTHING it doesn't HAVE to be used for.
Stranger still, I thought code in NYC prohibited (new) gas service in bedrooms for safety reasons. But it may be that it's just unvented gas heaters or gas logs / fire starters are illegal in bedrooms.
Cool Thread Steve!
Thanks for this link and for the PDF information link.
We are actually thinking about doing some additions to our home, and was wondering of a way to get around the extra central install. Although I know about this type of unit, I don't like electric heat. The gas version is very interesting.
Many years ago I attended a music school in the evenings that were in a very old building. Beautiful building, but very old. Every class had a window unit. The unit was a typical window unit, with the big "box" hanging outside. What I found interesting with the units was the attachments that looked like "mufflers" coming out of the front. I had no idea what it could be. I figured it out however when winter rolled around. The window units also had "gas heat". And boy did they blow hot air! The "muffler" outside would be very hot while the heat was running, and could burn you very badly if you touched it. It was the first time I have ever seen a gas window unit for heating / cooling. I want to say that they were either Climatrol or Janitrol in brand? I am sure I spelled company names wrong. The cool part (no pun intended) was the front of the inside unit was very nice wood. The grill that the air came out of was stainless. I would love to see this unit again, and figure out how it worked. I do remember after figuring out it was natural gas, I found where the gas supply line was attached to the unit.
Again, cool thread!
Brent
Thanks for this link and for the PDF information link.
We are actually thinking about doing some additions to our home, and was wondering of a way to get around the extra central install. Although I know about this type of unit, I don't like electric heat. The gas version is very interesting.
Many years ago I attended a music school in the evenings that were in a very old building. Beautiful building, but very old. Every class had a window unit. The unit was a typical window unit, with the big "box" hanging outside. What I found interesting with the units was the attachments that looked like "mufflers" coming out of the front. I had no idea what it could be. I figured it out however when winter rolled around. The window units also had "gas heat". And boy did they blow hot air! The "muffler" outside would be very hot while the heat was running, and could burn you very badly if you touched it. It was the first time I have ever seen a gas window unit for heating / cooling. I want to say that they were either Climatrol or Janitrol in brand? I am sure I spelled company names wrong. The cool part (no pun intended) was the front of the inside unit was very nice wood. The grill that the air came out of was stainless. I would love to see this unit again, and figure out how it worked. I do remember after figuring out it was natural gas, I found where the gas supply line was attached to the unit.
Again, cool thread!
Brent
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
Yes a low-coltage (read: pretty typical) room thermostat for both heating and cooling.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
IIRC "Serval" made gas heating units that resembled A/C units.
May be what you are referring to
I kinda like (in theory) Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Spit-sytem units. Heat-pump heating and cooling. Runs faster in winter to extract more heat from outside and nearly totally silent indoors, all year-round. Up to four indoor units (i.e. rooms heated/cooled) per one outside unit.
May be what you are referring to
I kinda like (in theory) Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Spit-sytem units. Heat-pump heating and cooling. Runs faster in winter to extract more heat from outside and nearly totally silent indoors, all year-round. Up to four indoor units (i.e. rooms heated/cooled) per one outside unit.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
split-sytem.
I really do need to proof-read better.
I really do need to proof-read better.
neptunebob
Well-known member
Has anyone ever noticed, even in expensive hotels that have these units, the hot or cold air ALWAYS blows up into the curtains? Seems there has to be some way to solve that.
Neptunebob, I have used the Gideon Bible for this purpose many a time. A couple of clothes pins in your suitcase can be lucky, if you get the really pesky drapes that just don't quite overlap correctly in the center. arthur
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
I'd say hotels like these types of units because, should one fail only one room rental is lost. The break-down of central system(s) that cover multiple rooms or floors would be a devaststatingly large loss of income.
I'd be nervous about installing such a "specialty" unit. What if it is discountinued? Not sure how many manufacturers there are of units that use this combination of fuels/energy sources. Perhaps this explains the "need" for 220v which is normally reserved for larger capacity units. This would enable use of a model that heats with electricty (be it coils or a heat-pump), should the current type/unit fail and prove to be irreplacable.
In terms of the gas piping in this new buildng, there is ONE meter for all the heaters in the place. The building owner simply passes-along the fuel (natural gas) costs and divides it by square footage(size of apt.) to determine individual billing. Said another way, one vertical gas pipe picks up 6 floors (stories=>U.S, storys=>U.K.) of units.
I'd be nervous about installing such a "specialty" unit. What if it is discountinued? Not sure how many manufacturers there are of units that use this combination of fuels/energy sources. Perhaps this explains the "need" for 220v which is normally reserved for larger capacity units. This would enable use of a model that heats with electricty (be it coils or a heat-pump), should the current type/unit fail and prove to be irreplacable.
In terms of the gas piping in this new buildng, there is ONE meter for all the heaters in the place. The building owner simply passes-along the fuel (natural gas) costs and divides it by square footage(size of apt.) to determine individual billing. Said another way, one vertical gas pipe picks up 6 floors (stories=>U.S, storys=>U.K.) of units.
PTAC with hot water system for heating
When in college in my fraternity house which was on campus, the installed air conditioning in 1988, LOL, yes we had only a big york window unit in the dining room prior to this. The house was a former sports dorm with a sleeping room that held 24 bunk beds and 48 smaller rooms which were dressing/study rooms. We were able to convert the study rooms into living quarters by the use of lofts. Ok so back to the story. The building was heated with an oil fired boiler and each room had a radiator. So when they installed the ac units by snydergeneral McQuay, they room units were fitted on top of coils that carried the hot water. In summer you had air and in winter the air was drawn accross the coils and up.
When in college in my fraternity house which was on campus, the installed air conditioning in 1988, LOL, yes we had only a big york window unit in the dining room prior to this. The house was a former sports dorm with a sleeping room that held 24 bunk beds and 48 smaller rooms which were dressing/study rooms. We were able to convert the study rooms into living quarters by the use of lofts. Ok so back to the story. The building was heated with an oil fired boiler and each room had a radiator. So when they installed the ac units by snydergeneral McQuay, they room units were fitted on top of coils that carried the hot water. In summer you had air and in winter the air was drawn accross the coils and up.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
