What are Packaged Air Conditioners?
The window and split air conditioners are usually used for the small air conditioning capacities up to 5 tons. The central air conditioning systems are used for where the cooling loads extend beyond 20 tons. The packaged air conditioners are used for the cooling capacities in between these two extremes. Package Units are usually available in specific capacities such as 27k, 32k, 34k, 42, 48, and so on. These units are used commonly in places like restaurants, telephone exchanges, homes, etc.
As the name implies, in the package air conditioner, the whole systems is packed in a small case such as the window air conditioner. Thus the compressor, cooling coil, air handling unit and the air filter are all housed in a single casing and assembled at the factory location.

What is the difference between a split system and a package unit?
A split system uses indoor and outdoor components to provide a complete home comfort system. A package unit or self-contained unit requires no external coils, air handlers, or heating units.

How does the ductwork in a package unit run?
In many cases, the ductwork runs under the home, or up the side of the building on ground located applications. Be sure to consider how the ductwork will be protected where it connects to the air conditioner.

Is this unit easy to install? What are the field requirements?
The ease of install of the PU is one of its most important features. The unit comes pre-piped and charged with refrigerant, the cooling thermostat comes pre-wired and is interlocked with the unit, the TXV and filter drier are included and the unit is vacuum tested and leak checked at the plant before shipment. There are some basic procedures outlined in the operating manual with regard to equipment start-up and double checking suction and liquid temperature and pressure.

What are the type of package units?
Depending on the type of the cooling system used in these systems, the packaged air conditioners are divided into two types: ones with water cooled condenser and the ones with air cooled condensers.

What type of the packaged air conditioners are used more often?
The packaged air conditioners with air cooled condensers are used more often compared to the ones with water cooled condensers. This is because of the easy avaibility of free flow of air, compared to water, and also the extra cost of water.

How do packaged air conditioners with water cooled condenser work?
In such packaged air conditioners, the condenser is cooled by the use of water. The condenser is of a tube and shell type, with refrigerant flowing along the tube side and the cooling water flowing along the shell side. The continuous water supply maintains the system functioning. The shell and tube type of condenser is compact in shape and it is enclosed in a single casing along with the compressor, expansion valve, and the air handling unit including the cooling coil or the evaporator. This whole packaged air conditioning unit externally looks like a box with the control panel located externally.

How does a packaged unit with water cooled condenser look. Where are the parts located?
In the packaged units with the water cooled condenser, the compressor is located at the bottom along with the condenser. Above these components the evaporator or the cooling coil is located. The air handling unit comprising of the centrifugal blower and the air filter is located above the cooling coil. The centrifugal blower has the capacity to handle large volume of air required for cooling a number of rooms. From the top of the package air conditioners the duct comes out that extends to the various rooms that are to be cooled.

For packaged units with water cooled condenser, does one have to lay piping, do gas charging, or any other installation process of that sort?
All the components of this package AC are assembled at the factory site. The gas charging is also done at the factory thus one does not have to perform the complicated operations of the laying the piping, evacuation, gas charging, and leak testing at the site. The unit can be transported very easily to the site and is installed easily on the plane surface. Since all the components are assembled at the factory, the high quality of the packaged unit is ensured.

What are Packaged Air Conditioners with Air Cooled Condensers?
In such packaged air conditioners, the condenser of the cooling system is cooled with help of the atmospheric air. The outdoor unit contains important components such as the compressor, condenser and expansion valve in some cases. Hence one can place the condenser anywhere where there would be an open flow of the atmospheric air, such as the rooftop, alongside the building and so on. The fan of the unit sucks the outside air and blows it over the condenser coil cooling it in the process. The condenser coil is made up of a several turns of copper tubing. The cooling unit comprising of the expansion valve, evaporator, the air handling blower and the filter are located on the floor or hanged to the ceiling. The ducts coming from the cooling unit are connected to the various rooms that are to be cooled.