Vertical PTACs? Yes, that’s right. When staying overnight at a hotel or living in an apartment, people nowadays desire all of the comforts of home. Instead of a larger PTAC taking up space under the window, a new vertical PTAC tucked away in the closet, quietly doing its job might be a welcome change.
Vertical PTAC Air Conditioner Units
Vertical PTACs
In the past, there were several problems associated with ptac air conditioners. For example, they tended to be noisy because of the fan and the compressor being contained within a chassis. Plus, most
of the time, packaged air conditioners are mounted through the wall underneath the windows,
making for an unsightly addition to the room, not to mention that it can be a hindrance in
furniture placement for the room.
Problems Solved
It is for these very reasons why GE has now developed the vertical PTAC units. These units are
still through the wall units; however, most of the time they are installed in a closet-like enclosure
in the corner of the room. No longer is the packaged air conditioner 42" wide; with the new
vertical option, it is only 24" x 24" and has a top air discharge that is ducted to either a single
room or to multiple rooms. The thermostat for the vertical packaged air conditioner is actually a
wall mounted thermostat that is similar in comparison to those found in most homes.
Vertical PTAC Advantages
There are several different advantages to the vertical PTAC units versus the horizontal, typical
PTAC units that are more common. One of these advantages is because the vertical units
are contained within a closet the packaged air conditioners are quieter than ever before. This
means that the occupants of the space will no longer be bothered by the noise that was always
complained about before; instead the room or space will be much more relaxing and peaceful.
Another advantage of the vertical packaged air conditioner is the wall mounted thermostat. This
thermostat offers more precise settings than the thermostat that is offered on the typical PTAC
units; therefore, making the occupants comfort level better than ever before. Another advantage
is the fact that the packaged air conditioner is not installed underneath the window. This means
that now, curtains can hang all the way to the floor and room design can be easier achieved
because furniture placement will no longer be hindered. The final advantage to the vertical
PTAC unit is that because it operates with ducts instead of being ductless like typical PTAC
units, it is capable of cooling or heating more than one room, unlike the typical PTAC units
which require one unit per room.
Features
The vertical packaged air conditioner that GE now offers comes with a variety of different
features beyond the scope of what has already been discussed within this article. Other features
include:
- Excellent efficiency and dehumidification
- Sleeve design that provides for easy installation and maintenance access
- Standard size air filter
- Constant On Fan which is required in nursing homes in some states
- Permanently lubricated fan motors
- Indoor frost control
- Corrosion protection
- Compressor restart delay
- Extended heat pump operation
- Quick heat recovery
- And more
The energy ratings on the vertical packaged air conditioner is excellent which means that this unit can help to save a business thousands of dollars per year, depending on the number of units that are installed.
GE does offer a limited warranty with this product. The only foreseen problem with GE's vertical packaged air conditioner unit is that because it is a different size and shape, upgrading an existing PTAC unit to a vertical unit will require more money and quite a bit of work; that being said, these are perfect units for new construction or even existing buidings with a central system switching over in order to run more efficiently.