The goal of the certification program is to provide a common method for evaluating the thermal performance of liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers and to give users confidence in the equipment they purchase.

"To allow buyers and users to make apples-to-apples comparison for a specific application, products certified under ARI Standard 400 should be specified," said Al Valentino, Alfa-Laval PHE product manager. "Doing so provides confidence that all heat exchangers are rated in a uniform manner.

"Performance certification is cost effective for everyone involved ... from owners, operators, and contractors, to consulting engineers," said Valentino. "It's an efficient way to design a system - saving money throughout the system's operation lifetime."

Alfa-Laval was instrumental in the development of the new certification program as well as the program's first participant.

ARI's Liquid-to-Liquid Heat Exchangers Certification Program is open to any domestic and/or international manufacturer of plate- and/or shell-type liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers. The equipment is tested in accordance with ANSI/ARI Standard 400-2001 with Addendum 1, "Liquid to Liquid Heat Exchangers." Certification and the use of the ARI certification symbol is only granted for products that, when tested through the program, meet or exceed the manufacturer's published thermal performance ratings.

To verify that a particular product has been granted ARI certification, the public can access PrimeNet, ARI's online directory of certified equipment, at www.ariprimenet.org.

For more information about the program, contact Alison Andrews, ARI certification engineer, at aandrews@ari.org or 703-524-8800.

Publication date: 04/05/2004