Comparison of Grandaire Air Conditioning Systems

Packaged Air Conditioner

• The WJA3 is the only package air-conditioner model made by Grandaire. A packaged air conditioner has only a cabinet, which contains the unit's compressor, condenser and evaporator. Packaged air conditioners are set up on the roof of a building or on a ground-level, concrete slab. The WJA3 features horizontal supply and return ducts for distributing air throughout the building. All WJA3 air conditioners have a fan speed of 1,100 revolutions per minute. The WJA3 has a 13 seasonal energy efficiency ratio. This air conditioner is quiet due to its aerodynamic fan blade and vibration isolation, or the isolation of the unit's parts from vibrations.

Split System Air Conditioner

• Split system air conditioners have two separate cabinets. One cabinet is located indoors, while the other is outdoors. The compressor and condenser are in a split system's outdoor cabinet and the indoor cabinet contains the evaporator. Grandaire's only split system air conditioner is the WCA3**4. The WCA3**4 also has a 13 seasonal energy efficiency ratio and its maximum fan speed is 1,100 RPM. The split system's inlet grill offers extra protection to the unit and the outer cabinet casing is made from steel.

Air Handler

• Also known as an heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, air handlers feature fans and cooling coils, or tubes filled with liquid. For air conditioning, fans blow on the coils with cool liquid; this process spreads cool air throughout the house via ducts and vents. Grandaire's three air-handler models are apartment-style, multiposition and evaporator coil. Apartment-style are meant to stand vertically, while multiposition units operate in a vertical or horizontal position. Evaporator coil units have copper and tin-coated evaporator coils, which absorb heat to make way for cool air. Air-handler cabinets are almost always placed within a building.

BTUs

• All of Grandaire's air conditioning units have between 18,000 to 60,000 British thermal units, commonly referred to as BTUs. A British thermal unit is the amount of heat required to increase the temperature within 1 pound of water through 1 degree Fahrenheit. Air conditioners replace BTUs with outdoor air. The amount of BTUs an air conditioner remove within an hour determines the unit's sizing.