What is this heater, and how much could I expect it to cost me?

November 1, 2013 5:57 AM

What is this type of heating unit? There are two of them in a 600 sq. ft condo I am thinking of purchasing. The listing says it is "Other/Electric." I have only ever seen something like this in a hotel. My memory of them, is that they are finicky and imprecise! I am afraid that the bills are going to get out of control. What kind of utilities might I see from such a thing? Second floor of a low-rise condo, with outside shared hallways. Toronto, so, winter. (The current owner's bills are supposedly inaccurate because they had a newborn, and were keeping it cranked up.) It's helping me decide whether I can afford this condo. (It's by the beach!) Other photos.
posted by typewriter to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

Best answer: That type of unit is called a PTAC if that helps in your research. Here is your brand of it if the manual would be helpful (scroll down to the Electronic one).
posted by dayintoday at 6:11 AM on November 1, 2013

Best answer: We had those in our last rental apartment (different brand). I found them expensive to run, personally, though your mileage may vary given your different set up and brand. I'd estimate I pay 50% less with forced hot water heating at the baseboards.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:18 AM on November 1, 2013

Of course, if you don't run it much--wear sweaters in winter and keep the window open in summer, there you go!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:19 AM on November 1, 2013

It's by the beach!

Might it have been built as a beach cottage, originally intended for use only in warmer weather?
posted by jon1270 at 6:20 AM on November 1, 2013

Best answer: Yes, came here to say PTAC (Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner) as well. They aren't great and they can also to lead to water leakage when the AC is in use. My understanding is that they're price-efficient compared to other options in a range from, eh, maybe northern Georgia to Pennsylvania here in the states. Further north they do still get used, but only in situations like hotels or nursing homes where the ability to regulate rooms independently is important (and even there I believe they are generally gas-fired?).

Can you call to ask the utility provider about bills for the condos above and below this one, which are hopefully the same square footage? In my area this information is available, and it would give you a better range.

If the utility won't provide this, you could also ask other owners in the building -- they may be willing to provide more information on their experiences.
posted by pie ninja at 6:21 AM on November 1, 2013

Your bill is also going to depend on how well insulated and tight the place is. Was it built just for summer use originally?
posted by mareli at 6:21 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

(If so, it may have poor insulation along with the sub-par heating system).
posted by jon1270 at 6:21 AM on November 1, 2013

As far as cost goes it's a regular fan forced electric heat unit and as always with electric heat 100% efficient. The cost of running it will be no less or more than electric baseboards.

The down sides are the thermostat is in the unit rather than on the wall so depending on the layout it might be more swingy than base boards; they can be loud; and because they are a thru the wall unit the insulation factor where they go through the wall is low; about the same as a north facing window.
posted by Mitheral at 6:36 AM on November 1, 2013

Best answer: Really, no one here can give you a better guess than whatever the previous tenant's bill was, subtracting some factor for how much cooler you will keep it, if you must (landlords are, of course, fairly well known for downplaying the court to heat their properties).

The issue is that the heat cost depends much more on the condo itself than the heater. No one here can evaluate your condo.

If it were me, I would assume a heat cost the same as the last tenant, and possibly be pleasantly surprised.
posted by ssg at 9:42 AM on November 1, 2013

Best answer: (The current owner's bills are supposedly inaccurate because they had a newborn, and were keeping it cranked up.)

If you know what "cranked up" meant, you can work out an approximation using this bit of info from the US Dept. of Energy:

You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home. By turning your thermostat back 10° to 15° for 8 hours, you can save 5% to 15% a year on your heating bill -- a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long.

posted by jon1270 at 10:03 AM on November 1, 2013

Best answer: It's likely the other units near yours have a similar set-up. Ask some of the neighbors what their winter bills are like.
posted by quince at 10:52 AM on November 1, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks everybody! It's a good, well-insulated brick low-rise building. I was able to check with a comparable unit, and it was a manageable amount. Still, I don't much like it. Lots of food for thought, thanks all.
posted by typewriter at 8:07 PM on November 1, 2013