ATLANTA - A new standard from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) provides a comprehensive set of airside, piping, controls, and equipment symbols related to HVACR systems.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 134-2005, Graphic Symbols for HVACR Systems, identifies graphic symbols by name, configuration, and description. The symbols are intended for use in the preparation of manual drawings and those produced by computer-aided drafting.

"Having a standard symbol language for consulting engineers and contractors will minimize the effort and time to universally interpret drawings," Herman Behls, a member of the committee that wrote the standard, said. "Also, as the use and understanding of standard symbols increases, the accuracy and efficiency with which engineering designs are translated into actual systems will improve."