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Case Studies

Sep 1, 2017 1:54:40 PM by Whitney Hoffman

Cooling a University City Twin in Philadelphia with Unico High Velocity

PROBLEM: These homeowners were looking for a better solution for their home than lugging window air conditioners up to the third floor of their University City home. They wanted a whole-home solution that would keep them cool and run more efficiently than window units.

SOLUTION: ECI Comfort installed a Unico high velocity system that will provide the homeowners with quiet air conditioning (and heating) comfort throughout their home, and will even be able to remove 30 percent more humidity out of the air -- a blessing to anyone living through Philadelphia summers!

Philadelphia University City twin

University City in Philadelphia is home to Drexel, University of Pennsylvania, and University of the Sciences, with St. Joe's and La Salle just a short distance away. Many of the older homes in the area were used to house faculty and were built long before central air conditioning was even invented.

It's common for homes like this Tudor twin to have third floors which never seem to be a warm as you'd like in the winter or as cool as you'd like in the summer.

Our customers were tired of lugging heavy window air conditioners up to the third floor every year to try to get some comfort, and were looking for a solution that would keep their whole home cool. They were talking about the problem with their neighbors, who highly recommended us here at ECI, because of our experience when it comes to dealing with older homes throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs.

With older homes, it's important to weigh various options to get the heating and cooling you need. You need a contractor who has experience with a variety of systems to make sure that you are getting the best system for your home, not just the one the contractor knows how to install!Why Unico High Velocity is Ideal for Older Homes

After we went through the home and discussed all the available options, the homeowners settled on a Unico high-velocity system for their home.


PROBLEM: These homeowners were looking for a better solution for their home than lugging window air conditioners up to the third floor of their University City home. They wanted a whole-home solution that would keep them cool and run more efficiently than window units.

SOLUTION: ECI Comfort installed a Unico high velocity system that will provide the homeowners with quiet air conditioning (and heating) comfort throughout their home and will even be able to remove 30 percent more humidity out of the air -- a blessing to anyone living through Philadelphia summers!


Two white high velocity units installed above two kitchen cabinet doors that blend in with their wall.

Installing a Unico High Velocity System in University City

Unico systems take up about a third of the space of traditional systems in a home and have small, round vents like the ones you can see in the picture. They are unobtrusive and can blend right into any decor.

Unico is also highly prized because it's so quiet.  The equipment is designed to dampen vibration and the tubing is made of sound-absorbing material. So, all you hear is a whisper -- not the rattling of a big system starting up or the endless drone provided by window air conditioners.

High Velocity FAQs

In order to get the results our homeowners wanted, we needed to install two units: a three-ton unit on the third floor to cool the second and third floors, and a one-and-a-half-ton unit in the basement to cool the first floor.

Both units are connected to an Amana 16 seer condenser unit, which also has a lifetime replacement warranty. For all of this equipment, it was necessary to install a new electrical subpanel to ensure the systems would work well.

.ECI Comfort setting up wiring for high velocity air conditioning units in the University City twin.  Image of the two high velocity units outside of the Philadelphia University City twin home.

The Unico system will be able to deliver comfortable cooling to the first floor from the basement unit and outstanding comfort to both the second and third floors from the unit located on the third floor.

Most importantly, these units are efficient, meaning they are energy misers and will end up saving our homeowners in energy costs when they are in use.

Unico systems can also act as heating units to supplement the existing heating in the home. But, they will be best at providing central-air style cooling for the home, no matter what Mother Nature dishes up for us in the hottest weather!

The small amount of ductwork needed for a high velocity system.  The small amount of ductwork needed for a high velocity system.

Get the High Velocity Product Guide

The air handler on the third floor was installed out of the way, and the condensers were installed outside in the back, tucked away where they won't take up room and will be sheltered from bad weather.

While some of the ductwork on the third floor is exposed, the remainder is internal and only leaves the small ports that service each room, which you can see in the picture above.  As a result, each room gets the comfort it needs without having to tear up walls to install traditional metal ductwork.

Schedule Your Free High Velocity Consultation

With a new high velocity system, our homeowners don't have to worry about guessing which weekend is the "right one" to install window units, along with the safety issues that can be involved with window air conditioners, especially on the third floor.

The efficiency of the high velocity system and its ability to remove extra humidity out of the air will also ensure our homeowners experience maximum comfort, without that sticky, humid feeling in the summer. Best of all, they will actually be able to use and see out their windows for half the year!

The efficiency and low energy costs will make this home upgrade one that will add value to their home for the long run, especially with the lifetime warranty for the Amana condensers. Our homeowners have made a great long-term investment in their home, increasing its value, and more importantly, increasing their own comfort in every season of the year.

If your older home needs air conditioning, and those old window units are causing you headaches, give us a call here at ECI. We'll be happy to talk to you about all of the options available for your home, whether it's a high velocity system or an alternative that will provide long-lasting comfort.

We want to make sure you spend summers in comfort and save money in the process by adopting a high-efficiency system of your own.

This entry was posted in Philadelphia, PA, Row & Townhome Style Homes, Unico High Velocity