PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Through wall A/C / heat-pump questions

t walgamuth · #2 05-19-2013, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

I have a rental condo in a West Coast city that doesn't get particularly cold for a long period of time, but with (very) occasional spells below freezing. It's heated using two resistive type fan/coil electric heaters made by Thermador.

The A/C unit looks to be late-70s/early-80s vintage GE, beat up to hell and back, and I don't want to hear about it when it's rented

, so I'm aiming to replace it while I do some other repairs. I'm looking at the following unit, which appears to fit the existing GE sleeve.

Frigidaire FRA12EHT2 12, 000 BTU Through-the-Wall Room Air Conditioner with 10, 600 BTU Supplemental Heat (230 volts) - Amazon.com

A few questions:
(1) "Supplemental heat" -- is this thing actually an air-cycle heat pump in addition to an A/C unit, or does it just heat using resistive coils? If it's the former, I could ask the tenant to mainly heat with the unit -- more efficient and a bit safer. I'd keep the heaters for emergencies or really cold weather.
(2) Has anyone had experience with the unit, good or bad?
(3) Any other recommendations for package heat pumps under about $700? W x H cannot exceed 25 x 14.5, and it should be a 230V unit.
(4) Lastly, how does one remove the old G.E. unit from its sleeve?! This isn't readily apparent.

1. No, its an Air conditioner with resistance heat. If it were a heat pump it would say so.
2 and 3 no experience with it or a similar unit.
4. Should be able to do it with hand tools if as you say the dimensions are favorable. If you cannot get the exact size desired better to go smaller probably, though if its a frame wall making the hole bigger is fairly doable too.

I should think you could get a similar system which is a heat pump for a couple hundred more and it'll be much more economical to operate.

I have used a couple of little split systems in my building for my two smallest apartments. Made by Mitsubishi they have a small inside unit which hangs on the wall, about the size of a large violin case with a remote control device like for a tv, and an outside unit which is the size and shape of a large suitcase. They require a line set of copper just like the big one in a typical house. it cost about $1400 IIRC and prolly another $5 to 600 to install. They have been in for about 10 years now and are working fine.
I think they are around 1.5 ton but I imagine you can get them up to 3 ton or so. (A ton being 12,000 BTU).