Now You Can Hang Conditioner on Wall

Winter might seem like an unusual time to be thinking about buying an air-conditioning system, but what better time to make plans for summer.

Plenty of time to shop around. Plenty of time to prepare your remodeling plans.

And, you might find some off-season bargains.

If you plan to add a room or rooms to your home, there’s no longer a need to clutter up the windows, knock holes in the walls or install expensive extensions to the whole-house heating/cooling system.

Forget those ugly, noisy window units that block the view and don’t always provide adequate cooling. Sanyo has a better idea--a two-section system.

Sanyo’s slim inside unit hangs on the wall like a mirror or picture. The companion unit is installed outside the house.

Only a three-inch opening in the wall is needed to connect the two sections. Thus, noise and vibration inside the house are virtually eliminated.

The outside section need not be located close to the indoor unit; it can be 30 to 40 feet away, according to Sanyo spokesman Will Runyon. One model features a single outdoor unit servicing two wall-mounted inside units, one in each of two rooms.

Homeowners have the option of a unit that cools only, or one that heats and cools, utilizing an energy-conserving heat pump. Both units occupy about the same amount of space, which is minimal.

Prices for wall-mounted cooling-only units range from $1,436 to $2,757. Wall-mounted heat pumps, providing both heating and cooling, are priced from $1,679 to $3,328.

Price is based on performance ratings, which range from 9,000 to 23,800 BTU/h capacity, providing adequate heating/cooling for most any size room.

Installation is not a do-it-yourself project, Runyon emphasized. Air-conditioning or ventilation contractors should be used.

Remote controls assure an optimum comfort level and energy savings. A built-in sensor detects the slightest change of indoor temperature, causing the unit to react quickly. In addition, night set-back and energy-saver functions can be pre-programmed.

The company’s split air-conditioning systems, on the market for about four years, are an ideal solution for the family room that was never tied into your central heating/cooling system or the newly completed addition.