Single Room Heat Pump Unit Question


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Old 09-04-19, 12:11 PM
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Single Room Heat Pump Unit Question

I have a detached garage with a single room (~400 square feet) above it, fully finished, with bathroom; about 7 years old. It was originally installed with a GE PTAC one unit heat pump, that has now developed a coil leak and will not cool at all. GE servicer came out and said no parts available and did not even have an easy one to one replacement. I have a quote from another local HVAC company of $2700 to put in a replacement.

I typically only use the room for friends to rent off and on when they need a short term place to stay.
My question is...would the unit still act as a heater during winter?

Thanks for any help!
Tommy

If so, I could get away with getting a cheap window AC unit.
If not, does anyone have a recommendation for a combo heat/cool window unit?
 
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Old 09-04-19, 12:16 PM
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Welcome to the forums.

A PTAC heat pump uses the compressor to generate the cold as well as the heat.
Your unit may have a back up electric heat strip in it labeled as Emergency heat.

Couldn't be sure without the full model number.
 
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Old 09-04-19, 12:41 PM
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Thanks for the quick reply! I was just checking around some more and it sounds like the main heating mode is kaput as well like you said. Ug. The heat pump strip heat tends to product very high electric bills.

Do you or anyone else have a recommendation on the best way to provide basic AC/Heat for this single room as cheap as possible? I live in the middle of NC. Winters are typically lows in the 20s/30s and highs in summer of 100.

I don't like the idea of spending upward of $3,000. Thinking maybe combination of cheap window AC unit and an electric strip heater or similar.

Tommy
 
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Old 09-04-19, 12:49 PM
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Yes.... an electric heat strip will produce large heating bills. It's just like electric baseboard.

A window A/C and small piece of baseboard is the least expensive option.
Combo heat and cool window A/C's are usually expensive and even at that the heat comes from a resistive heat element.
 
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Old 09-04-19, 01:24 PM
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Minisplit heat pump would heat and cool most efficiently, but have the highest upfront cost.
Window shaker or PTAC are cheap to buy. The really cheap duel mode ones will have straight air with electric heat.
Electric heat is 100% efficient. But it’s what it costs that gets expensive.
 
 

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