When it comes to our families’ health, we want the freshest ingredients. We want fresh food to eat, fresh water to drink, and we want fresh air to breathe. And since Americans spend so much time inside, we rely on the ventilation systems in our homes, buildings, and even our cars, to supply us that fresh air.

The gold, silver, and bronze winners of The NEWS' ninth annual Dealer Design awards in the Ventilation Product category not only help the air to circulate in a building, but also help HVAC contractors install and service them better and easier. Johnson Controls’ Luxaire® Climasure™ Single-Piece Air Handler gained gold, Jackson Systems LLC’s VCS secured silver, and Titus HVAC’s Solar Plexicon Heating/Cooling Displacement Diffuser DVRI-HCS brought home the bronze.

Gold Winner

The Luxaire® Climasure™ Single-Piece Air Handler AHR from Johnson Controls is designed to deliver improved efficiency to Climasure home comfort systems. The compact cabinet includes an evaporator coil and an energy-efficient, direct-drive blower and is shipped ready to be installed in upflow, horizontal left or right position. A bolt-on thermal expansion valve (TXV) provides the optimum performance and refrigerant control required for 13+ SEER systems, ensuring compatibility with R-22 and R-410A refrigerants. The unit uses a permanent split capacitor (PSC) motor.

Electric heat kits are available for easy installation and servicing in the field, and a pre-painted steel cabinet with foil insulation to prevent condensation extends the life of the air handler. In addition, the unit is factory sealed, achieving a 2 percent or less total airflow leakage rate at duct blaster field test conditions for system airflow verification, the company said.

One of the judges remarked about the air handler’s position flexibility, saying that being “ready to install in multiposition is a time saver.”

Silver Winner

The Jackson Systems LLC VCS Ventilation Control System is a low-cost fresh-air control system designed to improve residential IAQ; it can also be used in light commercial settings. This is accomplished by introducing fresh air through an intake damper controlled by the VCS logic panel. The VCS dramatically increases IAQ by decreasing VOCs. VCS features include a microcontroller logic panel, status LEDs, single adjustment setup, “damper closed” override switch, exhaust fan control option, outdoor temperature and/or humidity limit option, and remote “damper open” override option.

A quick reference chart is supplied that helps the contractor simplify the selection of the ventilation cycle to meet ASHRAE Standard 62.2. The math has already been done for the contractor and suggestions are made for him. The easy-to-use dial allows the contractor to set the minutes of ventilation desired, thus meeting the suggested requirements specified in ASHRAE 62.2. There is also an override switch that can be used to place the damper in the auto or closed mode. Status LEDs located on the panel help the contractor verify that the system is operating properly or diagnose a potential issue.

A judge commented that its “easy setup is a great feature.”

Bronze Winner

The Titus HVAC Solar Plexicon Heating/Cooling Displacement Diffuser, Model DVRI-HCS, is a dual-function displacement diffuser in that it provides both cooling and heating from a single diffuser assembly. The unit has a motor/damper/actuator assembly that auto-
matically changes the airflow discharge from cooling to heating without any external power requirements. This is achieved by a wireless, energy-harvesting platform that is internally mounted and utilizes solar or light energy from the room to power the unit. The standard application and use for this product is any occupied space along the perimeter of a building that requires both heating and cooling.

The Plexicon comes with an installation kit that includes trim pieces, mounting base, and hardware, and instructions to make it easy for the installing contractor. In addition, there is a telescoping piece at the top of the duct cover to make it very easy for the contractor to trim out the cover and match it exactly to the ceiling height for a neat and precise look. The unit comes with a piece of tubing connected to the inlet for balancing. All contractors have to do to balance is connect the manometer, read the pressure, and apply the K-factor that is labeled on the unit; they don’t have to use flow hoods or take several velocity readings. The unit has pattern controllers located behind the perforated face that control the direction of the discharge airflow. If the contractor finds that the space design in the room has changed, he doesn’t have to physically move the diffuser to another location, but can adjust the pattern controllers to change the airflow direction.

Sidebar: 2012 Honorees — Ventilation Products

Gold Winner
Manufacturer: Johnson Controls Inc., Unitary Products Div.
Product: Luxaire® Climasure™ Single-Piece Air Handler AHR
www.joinluxaire.com

Silver Winner
Manufacturer: Jackson Systems LLC
Product: VCS Ventilation Control System
www.jacksonsystems.com

Bronze Winner
Manufacturer: Titus HVAC
Product: Solar Plexicon Heating/Cooling Displacement Diffuser, Model DVRI-HCS
www.titus-hvac.com

Publication date: 7/9/2012