Shut off power, then remove the front cover. The rating plate is on the chassis, usually on a side panel or near the control box. On some older units it sits on the chassis base and shows only after you slide the unit forward. Copy every letter and digit. If the plate is gone, check a matching unit in another apartment or the managing agent's records. How to read the nameplate.
That is common in New York, and it still has a clean answer. Applied Comfort builds chassis to legacy sleeves, including 32, 36, and 44 inch widths and three-piece K installations. The new unit slides into your existing sleeve and uses your existing louver, so the facade does not change. Send the inside width, height, and depth with the old model number. See Applied Comfort.
McQuay, now Daikin Applied, ended its PTAC line in 2014. Applied Comfort builds replacement chassis to the original McQuay, Singer, and Remington sleeve sizes, with hot water coils in the matching position for boiler-heated buildings. See McQuay replacement.
Yes, in most cases. Both are New York-area brands, and both show up in buildings across the metro. The replacement depends on the sleeve and the heat source, not the brand. A 42 x 16 sleeve with electric heat takes a current GE Zoneline. A legacy sleeve or a hot water coil takes an Applied Comfort chassis built to fit. Send the model number and sleeve size.
The unit heats with a hot water coil fed by the building boiler. That is standard in many New York co-ops and rental towers. The replacement should be a hydronic unit with the coil in the same position, top or bottom, so the supply and return lines connect without new piping. Have the super close the valves before the old unit comes out.
Read the old nameplate. Then look at the receptacle: a NEMA 6 shape is 208/230V and a NEMA 7 shape is 265V. Many New York hotels and high-rises run 265V, often hardwired with no plug at all. A 208/230V unit does not run on 265V. Confirm before you order.
Yes. PTACs are set up for 15, 20, or 30 amp circuits, and the circuit limits electric heat output. Match the new power connection to the existing receptacle and breaker. If rooms run cold on a small circuit, a heat pump delivers more heat per amp than resistance heat.
For rooms heated with electricity all winter, a heat pump usually costs less to run. It moves three to four units of heat for each unit of electricity at rated conditions and switches to electric backup only in the coldest weather. With New York electric rates, that gap adds up over an October-to-May heating season. Compare the two.
Local Law 97 caps carbon emissions for most New York City buildings over 25,000 square feet, with limits that tighten in 2030. Electric resistance heat uses three to four times the electricity of a heat pump for the same heat, so swapping resistance units for heat pumps lowers a building's emissions total. Moving rooms from the boiler to electric heat changes the math in both directions. Talk to your energy consultant before a building-wide change. Local Law 97 and PTAC heat pumps.
If the PTACs heat a rental apartment, yes. New York City requires owners to provide heat from October 1 through May 31: at least 68 degrees indoors during the day when it is below 55 degrees outside, and at least 62 degrees at night. A unit on a small circuit or a failed heater puts the owner out of compliance. Keep spares on site for winter failures.
Often, yes. Many co-ops and condos require notice to the managing agent or a signed alteration agreement before any work, even a same-size swap. Some boards specify the model so every unit in the building matches. A chassis built to the existing sleeve, with the existing louver, is the easiest approval to get. PTAC replacement in co-ops and condos.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission permits most HVAC work that touches a landmarked facade, including new through-wall louvers. A replacement chassis that fits the existing sleeve and keeps the existing louver leaves the facade as it is. If the louver has to change, plan for a permit application before ordering. Confirm your building's situation with LPC.
Plan them with the building. Most Manhattan properties have no loading dock, a short loading window, and a freight elevator that needs a reservation. Many require a certificate of insurance from the carrier before they accept a delivery. Put the building's rules on your quote request so freight is booked with the right truck, liftgate, and paperwork.
Units ship by freight from the Air Distributors warehouse in Louisville, Kentucky, or direct from manufacturer stock. Delivery covers the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, and North Jersey, and the rest of the country. See service areas.
Standard 42 x 16 units are usually in stock at the distributor or manufacturer. Many legacy chassis are built to order and take longer. Your quote states the lead time. If your building runs legacy units, keep one or two spares in the basement so a January failure does not leave a tenant without heat.
No. Air Distributors is a wholesale distributor. Your super, maintenance staff, or mechanical contractor installs. A plug-in chassis swap on an existing sleeve is routine maintenance work. Hardwired units, hydronic connections, and electrical changes need a licensed contractor, and many New York buildings require one with insurance on file.
Yes. Many requests are for one failed unit. Send the model number, sleeve size, voltage, and heat source. If the rest of the line is the same age, ask about a phased plan at the same time.
The right unit depends on the sleeve, voltage, heat source, controls, and quantity, and freight depends on the address and the building's delivery rules. A quote built on those details is accurate. A list price is not. Request a quote.
Each unit carries the manufacturer's warranty. Terms vary by brand, series, and component. Ask for warranty details with your quote and register units with the manufacturer when they go in.