Interesting article in today's HVAC-Talk newsletter by Contracting Business. It concerns a York HVAC system replaced after 62 years of service cooling a guest apartment.

Old York getting replaced by a new York...at first I thought it was just a good plug for York, a system having operated for 62 years.

About halfway through the article one finds that the replacement contractor was a bit confused by the lack of an outside unit...turns out the thing rejected heat to city water.

Naturally there is no mention of this as a testament to the longevity of systems whose components are entirely shielded from weather, probably because York doesn't make geo units.

Quick way to find article is to Google "Yorkaire 350" (include the quotes)- the article will be the sole result returned.

I have run into several oooollldd systems that were tied into a municipal water supply for both supply and discharge.  The push for backflow preventers and the such on any municipal tap was the death nell for them.

Old Bard bar coolers were essentially open loop heat pumps since the 50s.
They still make them. I looked at one for the Howell Opera house that needs more cooling for events (intermittanly), but has no place for another out door condenser (city shot down a minisplit condenser hung over sidewalk).
Besides the fact that unit weighs the same as a Buick (uncool on civil war era floor), cost is higher than a real geo unit, so we researched other options.
I mentioned before a fella that shopped for geo after one of his clients (he's an investment broker) asked for a fund distribution to pay for the new compressor on his 50 year old heat pump.
j

Posted By engineer on 14 Jul 2010 04:37 PM

... the article will be the sole result returned.

Not anymore.