Every PTAC unit gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Units are grouped by cooling size: under 10,500 BTU, 10,500 to 13,499 BTU, and 13,500 BTU and up. Price and efficiency are scored on separate scales for each size.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per 1,000 BTU of cooling | 30% |
| Efficiency | cooling EER above the federal minimum | 25% |
| Heating | heat pump and its COP | 15% |
| Features | app, remote, inverter and included sleeve | 10% |
| Warranty | parts and compressor warranty | 20% |
Where the numbers come from
Cooling and heating capacity, EER, COP, heater size, features and warranty come from the AHRI certificate where we could find one, or the maker’s spec sheet, submittal or brochure, or the maker’s own copy on a retail listing. Each product page says which. Capacities and EER are the 230V ratings. Each BTU size of a model line is listed once, as the 208/230V version with the most common heater kit, usually 3.5 kW. Prices are checked at Amazon and the maker’s own store, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used.
The factors
Value is the price per 1,000 BTU of rated cooling, on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same. For 7,000 to 9,000 BTU units, $180 per 1,000 BTU scores zero and $85 full marks. For 12,000 BTU units, $150 scores zero and $70 full marks. For 15,000 BTU units, $120 scores zero and $60 full marks.
Efficiency is the cooling EER measured against the federal minimum for a standard-size PTAC of that capacity: 14.0 minus 0.300 times the capacity in thousands of BTU, with capacity counted as no less than 7,000 and no more than 15,000. For units under 13,500 BTU, meeting the minimum exactly scores zero and 15% above it full marks. At 15,000 BTU the minimum is easier to clear, so 5% above it scores zero and 15% above full marks.
Heating is zero for a unit that heats with its electric strip only. A heat pump earns 60% for being one, and the remaining 40% scales with its heating COP: 3.0 adds nothing and 3.6 adds the full 40%. A heat pump whose COP isn’t published gets the 60% and is marked estimated.
Features is 40% for running from a phone app out of the box (WiFi or Bluetooth, not an add-on module), 30% for a handheld remote in the box, 15% for an inverter compressor, and 15% for a wall sleeve and outdoor grille included.
Warranty is split in half. One half is the years the whole unit’s parts are covered: 1 year scores zero and 3 years full marks. The other half is the years the compressor or sealed system is covered: 2 years scores zero and 7 years full marks. When a maker gives only one warranty length without saying what it covers, the parts half is scored as 1 year, the length counts for the compressor half, and the factor is marked estimated.
What isn’t scored
The 208V ratings, heat pump heating capacity, heater size, noise, weight, refrigerant, release date and extras such as fresh air vents or drain kits are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. Features score neutral only when none of the four is published; a feature the maker doesn’t mention otherwise counts as absent, and one the maker’s own copy contradicts is left unknown. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as the shortest warranty on the scale, and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.