Hospitality PTACs & ACs Buyer’s Guide
Providing optimal comfort to your hotel guests is paramount in the hotel / hospitality industry. It’s synonymous with the purpose of the entire industry. In fact, the word hospitality means “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, and / or strangers.” Part of that ‘friendly and generous reception’ is making sure guests can make themselves feel at home and accommodated with the temperature in the room.
Climate control and air conditioning in hotel rooms are more often than not specifically provided by hospitality PTAC / AC systems. There is a variety of manufacturers and features to choose when it comes to PTAC / AC systems, and it is essential to define what characteristics are most important to your hospitality company before making the investment in your guests’ comfort.
We’ve broken down the most important factors to consider before purchasing and installing hospitality PTAC / AC units in your hotel rooms.
WHAT DOES PTAC MEAN?
PTAC is an acronym that stands for Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners.
TYPES OF PTACS: RESISTANCE (ELECTRIC) VS HEAT PUMP
There are two primary types of PTAC units: resistance (electric) heat and heat pumps. We cover the differences of these options in our blog about Resistance vs Heat Pump PTACs.
COST OF PTAC / AC UNITS
Perhaps the most important detail to define before entering the market for PTAC / AC units is the budget you have for the investment.The general cost of a PTAC unit primarily depends on the brand and model of the unit.
A single PTAC unit at a consumer price can be anywhere from $625 – $1,000+. The price per unit when you order from us depends on the amount of PTACs ordered in bulk. When you purchase your PTACs from TWS Transworld we utilize our volume pricing to get the most competitive price possible. However, before we move into the discussion of purchasing PTAC / AC units for your hospitality establishment, it will be essential to consider their other characteristics that will play a role in your guests’ overall experience.
ROOM SIZE FOR PTAC / AC UNITS
The most adequate PTAC / AC unit for your guests’ accommodation will depend greatly on the size of the rooms in your hotel. Larger rooms will need more powerful units in order to properly climatize the space, and smaller rooms will not need units with so much power. On the flip-side, it is not recommended to have a PTAC / AC unit for your room that is too large or excessive for a smaller room.
It is imperative to have proper measurements of your rooms, so you know the right amount of BTUs (British Thermal Units) to properly climatize the respective room and reduce / remove the humidity from the area efficiently and effectively.
ENERGY USE REQUIREMENTS FOR PTAC / AC UNITS
After considering the budget and the size of your hotel rooms, it will also be important to clarify what the energy requirements are to properly power the hospitality PTAC / AC units.
On the other hand, it goes without saying that PTAC / AC units consume a lot of energy compared to other appliances. Some are more energy efficient than others, and it’s generally true that the more BTUs the unit produces, the more energy it will consume over time.
Another thing you can do is calculate the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of the climatizing units to see how different units stack up comparatively. The higher the EER, the more efficient the PTAC is, and it will in turn generate relatively cheaper energy bills for the same desired results.
NOISE LEVEL OF PTAC / AC UNITS
This is a factor that ties back to the opening paragraph of this buyer’s guide, and it’s essential for the ‘friendly and generous reception’ of your guests. While it’s great for them to be able to properly climatize their hotel room, it is also important that the PTAC / AC unit doesn’t sound like a jumbo jet taking off the runway.
Part of this comes down to the size of the unit, and another part is up to proper installation and implementation of the unit itself in the hotel room.
INSTALLATION OF PTAC / AC UNITS
Similarly to the concept of knowing the size of the rooms where the PTAC / AC Units will be installed, it is important to know how much space will be needed for the unit itself. Proper measurements will be needed to get the most out of these units.
Specs for all hospitality PTAC / AC units are provided in our products page, and on the respective products pages for each model. Additionally, our experts can provide consultation for the best options depending on your specific scenario and space.
PTAC / AC UNIT MANUFACTURERS
There are two primary manufacturers of PTAC / AC Units, General Electric (GE) and Amana. At TWS, we also carry a few products from Mitsubishi. These are all reliable companies that produce PTAC / AC products of great quality that lasts; however, there are some differences that may factor into your decision down the line. Our experts will guide you through this, so you can make your choice with all of the information possible.
Contact us to find out more about our currently available hospitality PTAC / AC unit options. Our hospitality technology experts will do their due diligence to find the best possible solution for your company’s needs.