Why would home A/C units be on the roof
- Thread starter CarLuver
- Start date
To get the hot air up?
Swamp coolers
I think he's talking about the condenser, not the evaporator and air handler.
they look just like these .
https://blackmountainair.com/henderson-nv/air-conditioning-installation-service
https://blackmountainair.com/henderson-nv/air-conditioning-installation-service
My next door neighbor had his A/C unit on the roof. It's a convenient place to put it for retrofit projects. I'm not sure about modern construction, though. Anyway, his roof started leaking. It wasn't built for all the extra weight. Had to move it down off roof, and into a spot by his garage.
It's an all in one rooftop unit.
Package units can also be installed beside the house, with duct work going inside (practical with a crawl space, not so much with a slab house). The unit is larger than the condenser part of a split system though. A roof mount doesn't take up yard space and it's quieter.
Also more difficult to steal, which is a problem in some areas. If you're looking at houses and everyone has their ground mounted A/C inside a cage, you should consider a different neighborhood.
Also more difficult to steal, which is a problem in some areas. If you're looking at houses and everyone has their ground mounted A/C inside a cage, you should consider a different neighborhood.
Ahh yes. Seen those in LV.
I am from Las Vegas and have experience in construction, in Las Vegas. Born and raised.
There are a few reasons, but mainly two
1.) space........houses are very close to each other, and if you also noticed, there is a 6 ft cinderblock wall around every house. The minimum space requires 3 ft walking space around every house........not much room for an ac unit. Noise from these units is magnified by the block walls, etc. Many houses are 6ft 8" from each other.
2.) dust......imagine the dust that would be kicked up in the air in the summer there. many spots cannot have grass or the like as landscape
Around here, we are about 8 degrees cooler than Vegas year round, the roof top units are furnace paks. That is, a gas furnace and air conditioner all in one. The roof is the practical place to put them since there is no crawl space to run ducts. My house has a heat pump but the air handler and duct work are in the attic. I like that my condenser unit is shaded from the afternoon sun.
Here in South Carolina new construction, no basements.
Units aren’t mounted on the roof, but in the attic.
Many of those units have gas packs.
I’m wondering if the roof thing is as others said
Because of small yards and dirt or dust
If on older homes, either swamp coolers or former swamp cooler setups that have been converted to a package unit with refrigerant.
Gotta be space related. Crawl space ? No room on the ground floor, I would imagine. Stupid idea. The sun / rain / temp variations no good for a unit. Better off with mini-splits. HVAC companies will do anything for a buck !!!!
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
Great thread and I can't figure it out.
I live in a subdivision of semi custom homes with weather that matches Las Vegas. The lots in our subdivision are 1/3 acres. The home next door to me was built by the same builder, the same year as our home, 2019.
Both Hines are very similar in design, ranches. We have about 400 more square feet than the home next door. We have the same roof material.
The home next door has a single AC unit in their roof. Out home has two ac units, both on the ground, at exact opposite sides of the home.
For the life of me I can't understand why the home next door has AC unit on the roof. Huge amount of space to mount the AC unit at ground level
Beats me.
I live in a subdivision of semi custom homes with weather that matches Las Vegas. The lots in our subdivision are 1/3 acres. The home next door to me was built by the same builder, the same year as our home, 2019.
Both Hines are very similar in design, ranches. We have about 400 more square feet than the home next door. We have the same roof material.
The home next door has a single AC unit in their roof. Out home has two ac units, both on the ground, at exact opposite sides of the home.
For the life of me I can't understand why the home next door has AC unit on the roof. Huge amount of space to mount the AC unit at ground level
Beats me.
