PTAC Air Conditioner 101: What They Are And Where To Use Them

If you have ever been to a hotel, you probably know what PTAC is. PTAC is an abbreviation for packaged terminal air conditioner. What does that mean? It simply means that it's an air conditioner all inside one case. A central A/C system is a split type air-conditioner with a unit outside and air handler inside. This is a very typical set up, but the PTAC has everything it needs right inside a 42 inch box.

PTACs are great at heating or cooling a single room or living space. Usually they are not used for multi-room homes or offices. That's why they're great for hotels or dorms or apartments. All have large single room living areas. Now you may think that PTAC is limited because it only heats or cools one space. But actually, this can be quite an advantage. Sometimes central units are busy cooling empty rooms with no one in them. This is a huge waste of energy and money. The PTAC on the other hand only cools or heats the room that it is in. And when PTAC's are used in hotels, they can be controlled by a main computer which tells the PTAC when the room occupants are gone, so the unit will immediately lower its settings and decrease energy usage.

PTAC units are made by a lot of different manufacturers. You can find a PTAC from Amana, GE, LG, Trane, and more. You can find them online or locally. Just make sure to consult with your local HVAC expert before you make a purchase. Before you buy you have to know how big a PTAC to get. You want to get a PTAC big enough to heat and cool your room but not so big that it wastes energy. You've got to really hit the sweet spot there. If the PTAC is too small it will run constantly try to heat or cool an area that's too big. This can shorten the lifespan of the PTAC considerably.

PTACs cost anywhere from $500 on up to $1000 plus. Some are cool only models. And others are heat pumps which heat and cool. Some cool only models have heat strips which use electricity to heat the air passing across the strips to provide heating. Now, the models with heat strips don't heat as well as a heat pump, but they work well in moderate climates. Northern climates should use a heat pump. Warmer climates may opt for a cool only unit. Cool only units are a little bit cheaper so if you don't need heating functionality then a cool only unit might be an option for you.