This thread has led me to think that I should get one of these with my tax return.
Here's the situation. We have an oil furnace driving a single-pipe steam heat system (steam goes up to radiators, condenses, and uses the same pipe to return to furnace) that does a good job of keeping the house warm, but at a rather high price.
One of these units looks like it would be PERFECT for my downstairs. I could mount the compressor unit in what was a flowerbed beside the house right by the dryer vent - thus having a relatively good supply of hot air for it to work against in the cold, and the wall unit right above it in the "middle" room of the house.
There is an archway between the front room (stairs and TV) and the middle room (table and toy area) that is about 10 feet wide and 8 high. The rooms I'm looking to heat/cool with it are roughly 14' x 21' for a total of 588 sq. ft.
Is one worth it for me, living in Pennsylvania? Probably 85% of our time is spent in those two rooms, and having A/C would make the summer VERY nice.
Being able to *cheaply* heat those two rooms and leave the furnace set low would help our oil bill - but would it make a big impact? Would I save enough on heating/cooling over the next 4 years to pay for the unit?
What size unit should I go with for ~600 square feet if I were to get one?
The first 5 pictures are the two rooms to heat/cool.
Picasa Web Albums - Nevyn