When is HVAC AC worth it?

What is your current HVAC setup? Replacing PTACs and window units with an air/air heat pump mini-split with wifi thermostats would be a very good upgrade. Also what's your place worth without the upgrade?

A walk-up pre-war coop is generally a budget arrangement. If you have an easy place to put condenser outside your aparment within a few feet (long runs from condenser are very expensive on a building back facade), a split ac system is certainly worth it when doing the bathroom upgrade. Remember that you will need plumbing drainage for condensate for indoor units.

Thank you for the feedback! Current setup is window AC. Would guess current market value is around 900k.

Thank you for the feedback! Current setup is window AC. Would guess current market value is around 900k.

I'm assuming your heating is PTACs. The advantage of heat pumps are that you can get rid of the PTACs and also cut your winter utility bills a lot, in addition to much better A/C. Personally I would find this setup quite appealing, though I'm not the sort of person to stick my money into a coop. Don't skimp on the controls. Get controls that are digital and wifi enabled.

Thanks - steam heat with radiators/pipes.

This issue came up during our prewar renovation and we had several things to consider:

We would have had to essentially block off one window (creating a small utility 'closet' for the handler/condenser units. That was not very appealing. We also had to consider how the ducting would affect the apartment's prewar ceilings (which retain original detailing like elaborate molding and wood cross beams) -- we did not want to diminish or damage those elements. We also weren't crazy about the need to have the HVAC system routinely checked/cleaned.

Last--and this came as a surprise to us -- the HVAC consultant we spoke to said because of the layout and very sunny conditions in our apartment, the HVAC system (with only one air handler) might not be enough to do as good a job as a few seasonal window ACs. We ultimately stuck with the window units. Yeah they're not pretty but they're only in from July - September and we don't have to worry about an elaborate HVAC system that can break down, harbor mold, and be generally finicky.

In a perfect world I would absolutely prefer to have central AC (and perhaps one day we will reconsider it if better solutions become available.) But at the present time, all things considered, it doesn't make sense.

Not sure if this is of any help--it just happened to be our experience.

@SeJo - Only if the $ spent is worth it as consumption for your personal comfort. For the profile apartment you describe (one that I like), window AC is fine. You won't get the money back that you spend for anything beyond the window unit; value the $ spent the way you would on anything you enjoy over the time you expect to enjoy it.

Thanks for that info pinecone -- who was your HVAC consultant?