Many thanks for your reply Carolina Breeze, which pretty much answers my
questions and shows me that the guy who had been quoting about $60 for a
peremptory cleaning and a couple of hundred for taking my units downstairs
to the basement for this supposed 'steam cleaning' was the one who was not
being entirely honest as opposed to these new guys who say they can do the
whole job in about a half an hour (assuming proper access to the units).
These guys want $120 for a CALL OUT fee to include one unit and $75 for each
additional unit which doesn't sound extortionate.

Isnt a unit made in the last 35 years that was supposed to go more than
12-15 years,

These units are PROBABLY about 20 years old (but I seem to remember when I
moved to New York at about that time, everyone was heavily into quoting EER
ratings, - especially on things like A/C units so I havent any REAL reason
to think that they are using an inordinate amount of electricity. There may
have been SOME advances made in energy efficiency in the intervening period
I suppose)

Since you havent given any information, the possibility of more than one
unit being able to be retro fitted may exist, but we dont know that.

They were made by a New York company called Ice Cap which keeps going bust
(so I am informed) because they give such lousy customer service. But the
only replacement which does heating in the winter as well as cooling in the
summer is CrusadeAir (?) whose units I was told are even worse (and have a
shorter life span) than the Ice Cap ones
And you ran the 75 different tests to determine this?
No, I have had Friedrichs units cooling a room properly in a few minutes
after turn on and these units just don't seem to cool properly however long
you leave them on and I cant believe they need such constant service, -
supposedly every year

Steam clean? Then you really got screwed.

I think that is the point, isnt it!

But they seem to think that the cleaning process will
take about a half hour a unit.

For PTAC units, like you describe, that is prob about right to do it
properly.
That is all I really needed to know: They slip out easily (Is it REALLY
not necessary to take the unit out and off of the parquet floor to do this
properly?)


Make sure that if they do clean then, and suggest there are issues, that
they document everything..a good company will be able to do that.
If they are just PTAC units, service should consist of cleaning the evap
coil, the condensor, checking the cold controls for calibration, oiling
the motor, checking superheat on the unit since its prob gonna use old cap
tubes for metering,

Not sure what a cap tube is: How do you check superheat and what do you do
if something needs attention here on a 20 year old unit? ( if it DOES use
old cap tubes) Can you for example upgrade cap tubes inexpensively with
noticeable effect on functionality or dont A/C units work like that?

making sure you have a clean and non moldy drain, and pan, and
the possibility of a anti bac strip or slow disolve tab..something of tht
sort.
The cleanings should be done with something other than Purple Stuff as
well...Mean Green, or the like isnt a coil cleaner, but a legitimate
company will use NuCalgon or a similar product that is made for the sole
intent of cleaning AC coils.

Many thanks for this advice