There are other options for Heating and Cooling beyond the common Natural Gas or Electric Furnace and Central Air Conditioner. Depending on your home, whether it’s a stand-alone home, a townhouse, or a condo, one of the options below may work better for your situation.
Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC)
Packaged Terminal Air Conditioning Units are most commonly found in Hotel Rooms. A PTAC Unit must be installed through a wall with a specialized sleeve and grille to help support the weight of the unit. Optimal use is for cooling a single living space, and have no duct work attached. Most PTAC’s have heating options as well, but not all of them. The heating component can be either Electric Heat or a Heat Pump, which reverses the cooling cycle on the AC. If you are using your PTAC Unit for heat as well as cooling, it is best to go with an Electric Heat unit in Manitoba.
Packaged Heating and Cooling Units
A Packaged Heating and Cooling Unit is an alternative to a standard Gas Furnace and Central Air Conditioning Unit. Installation of these units is usually at the side of the home or on the roof, although they can be installed in a closet instead. They connect to a standard Duct System to send warm or cool air throughout the home. There are 4 options for packaged units including:
- Packaged Air Conditioners: The compressor, coils, and air handler are all housed in a single-box cabinet. The packaged air conditioner can also provide some warmth by using an electrical heating strip.
- Packaged Heat Pumps: A packaged heat pump uses heat pump technology to cool and heat your home. This is only ideal for areas that do not go below +4 Celsius.
- Packaged Gas-Electric: The packaged gas-electric unit combines an (electric) air conditioner with gas-powered furnace performance.
- Packaged Dual-Fuel: The packaged dual fuel system contains a heat pump, capable of heating and cooling, with a gas furnace. This type of packaged system optimizes the heating source for all conditions.
The most common type of Packaged Heating and Cooling Unit for use in Winnipeg is the Packaged Gas-Electric.