After working with the Unico System for the past eight years, he knew that it was the answer to his heating problems. The Unico System could not only fulfill his heating needs, but also provide him with first-hand experience with the product he sold.
“I wanted to experience first hand what I could do with the Unico System,” said Lockwood. “I wanted to see how the Unico System performed in my home.”
The two-bedroom, 1,647-sq-ft Lockwood home in Los Angeles was in need of a system that could adapt to different zones, while allowing for future additions.
The house originally had a conventional heating and cooling system that left hot and cold spots throughout the house. Lockwood removed the existing forced air system and replaced it with two Unico System air handlers, which were installed in the attic – each one targeting a different zone in the house.
Two Unico air handlers were connected to the system that controlled the zone in the master bedroom and the living and dining room area. A conventional heating and cooling fan coil took care of the remaining two zones of the house, which included the children’s bedroom and bathroom zone and the kitchen and den zone.
To maintain the integrity of the home, Lockwood chose white, slotted outlets that were unobtrusively recessed into the crown molding of the dining room wall. Round, white, plastic outlets were used to blend with the ceiling in the bay window. Lockwood was able to create a new means of air distribution without running large ductwork through the walls. He was able to accomplish this with no renovation of his home.
“We wanted to heat and cool our home efficiently, but we didn’t want the big, visible registers on the walls,” said Lockwood. “We wanted a more transparent way of heating and cooling our home.”
According to Lockwood, the hot and cold spots were eliminated from the home because conditioned air from the Unico System is draft-free and completely even. The company said its system is designed to provide less than a two-degree variation from ceiling to floor. As an added benefit, the Unico System, when cooling, removes up to 30% more moisture than conventional systems “because its coils are colder than conventional coils,” said the company.
“My wife is pleased with the warmth she feels from floor to ceiling,” said Lockwood. “With the Unico System, you don’t feel the stratification of heating that a conventional system produces.”
In addition, Lockwood was looking for a system that could anticipate for future renovations and additions to the home.
“This was a very good experience for us,” he said. “The Unico System is doing a great job, and it leaves us the option to expand the system in the future.”
For more information regarding Unico, Inc., visit www.unicosystem.com.
Publication date: 04/01/2002
