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Comment by timerol | Hacker News Reader

NYCHA is currently running a contest to develop a heat pump window unit. All of the proposed units are expensive to get those contest dollars, but should come down in price after.

https://www.gradientcomfort.com/pages/products-air-condition...

https://www.achrnews.com/articles/147122-midea-heat-pumps-to...

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I have two heat pump window air conditioners installed in my apartment, with cooling, heating and resistance electrical heating: https://www.frigidaire.com/Home-Comfort/Air-Conditioning/Win.... The problem is that the tech is so poorly advertised, that I had to double-check the specs on manufacturer's website that this model was, in fact, a heat pump. Most people don't know that heat pump window units already are an option.

I'd love for NYC to mandate that ACs must function as heat pumps: the additional parts are cheap, and as America's largest market for window AC units, the NYC market would force competition for much cheaper heat pump window units.

>I'd love for NYC to mandate that ACs must function as heat pumps: the additional parts are cheap, and as America's largest market for window AC units, the NYC market would force competition for much cheaper heat pump window units.

This isn't great if you want a building with hydronic heating and forced-air cooling, which is really just the ideal form of both technologies — hydronic cooling creates condensation, while forced-air heating smells bad and leaves you with cold feet.

Also, I found that Home Depot's website tends to be pretty clear about which window units are also heat pumps.

I have seen units like that Frigidaire before, and can never tell whether it's actually a heat pump, or just an AC/resistance heat combination.

Edit: Nevermind I'm an idiot. From the spec page of that unit: BTU (Cool): 11,000 BTU, BTU (Electrical Heat): 3,500 BTU, BTU (Heat Pump): 9,900 BTU. Though the owner's manual mentions an extremely warm minimum outdoor temp: "The unit should be operated in a temperature range of indoor side 60°F - 90°F (16°C - 32°C), outdoor side 64°F - 109°F (18°C - 43°C)."

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