The battleground of HVAC tonnage served up some middleweight champs in The NEWS’ sixth annual Dealer Design Awards’ HVAC Light Commercial Equipment category. Gold winner, Lennox Industries Inc.’s T-Class™ commercial split systems knocked out the competition sporting unobstructed front access to compressors and other service and maintenance features. LG Electronics USA Inc.’s Multi-V Sync II Series swung hard and landed a silver award for its light commercial heat pump application. AAON’s RN Series rooftop units cleaned up the match with a bronze award by utilizing rigid polyurethane foam insulation to obtain an insulating value of R-13.

GOLD WINNER

“The changes made to reduce labor cost on the front end installation, and on the back end maintenance and repairs, are commendable and needful. Looks like a good job.”

That’s what one of the judges said about Lennox Industries Inc.’s T-Class™ Commercial Split Systems - light commercial 6- to 20-ton air conditioning units (TSA), heat pumps units (TPA), and matching indoor air handlers (TAA). Designed to improve comfort in a wide range of commercial buildings, the units are fully assembled and engineered to significantly reduce the amount of labor required for service and maintenance.

TSA/TPA models offer unobstructed front access to compressors, with all refrigerant lines located behind the compressors; open corner access to refrigerant lines; slide-out blower motors that can be installed or removed by a single person; single-point, corner-access control panels for all controls components; and dedicated expansion space within the control panel for Direct Digital Controls (DDC). TAA models offer a compact unit size with a width of 29.5 inches to fit through standard doorways; service/installation access panels on up to four sides; standard automatic belt tensioning pulley system/s for longer belt life and easier maintenance; compact control boxes that are detachable and can be relocated; and a redesigned UVC kit option that reduces installation time by 75 percent over previous models, said the company. UVC lights mount to the coil with a snap-lock prefabricated bracket that automatically locks in place, with no tools required.

A wide variety of field- and factory-installed options are available to customize the units for each job. These include electric heat; hot water coil heating; economizers; coil guards; hail guards; and return air grilles.

The units are suitable for flexible, horizontal, or vertical installation and have compact indoor units no more than 30 inches wide to fit through standard 32-inch doorways.

SILVER WINNER

LG Electronics USA Inc.’s Multi-V Sync II Series offers simultaneous heating and cooling with one outdoor unit. According to the company, it is an ideal heat pump for light commercial installations. The indoor unit reduces sound levels while the outdoor unit produces only 58-60 decibels. Weighing 628 pounds for a single chasse, the outdoor unit has a 1,446-square-inch footprint. Additionally it has a cooling capacity of 72,000-192,000 Btus and uses R-410A. Operating with a variable-speed inverter, this heat pump has a total piping length of 3,280 feet with the longest individual piping length measuring 656 feet.

The Multi-V Sync II works in open space environments and is flexible enough for office environments. Other applications include corporate/office, equipment rooms, hospitals, financial institutions, and auto dealerships.

Installation with a two-wire communication daisy chain allows for ease of electrical control installation by technician or installer. Multi-V systems are modular with lightweight outdoor and indoor units.

All components can be serviced from the front of the unit and do not require walking around back. There are hinged control boxes for easy access to the refrigeration component, and a “Pump Down & Pump Out” function. If refrigerant fails for the indoor unit, the installer can switch the flow to be pumped back through the outdoor flow so that they can service the indoor unit and vice versa. The automatic back-up function provides back-up operation that transfers the load to the other outdoor unit in case of compressor failure.

BRONZE WINNER

The AAON’s RN Series rooftop units, from 7-20 tons, are designed with an insulating value of R-13 by utilizing rigid polyurethane foam insulation. Used primarily for comfort or process cooling, standard features include a stainless steel condensate pan; direct drive, maintenance free, supply fans; gear driven economizers; and compressors isolated from airstream for accurate pressure readings without disturbing normal unit airflow. The series is also available with VAV operation down to 7 tons. The modulating R-410A scroll compressor increases part load efficiency of the unit and eliminates the need for hot gas bypass.

According to the company, installation is simplified by the following: units are provided with color coded wiring diagrams in both point-to-point and ladder format; optional energy recovery wheels are built into the unit; units are available with factory installed supply and return smoke detectors; and can be provided with controls compatible with BACnet®, Modbus, LonTalk®, and other protocols. Double wall, galvanized construction prevents mold from growing on fiberglass and provides a smooth wipe down interior for improved IAQ. Units can be fork lifted or rigged from the top and multiple size units fit on the same curb.

2009 Honorees: Light Commercial Equipment

GOLD WINNER
Lennox Industries Inc.
www.lennox.com
T-Class™ Commercial Split Systems

SILVER WINNER
LG Electronics USA Inc.
www.lghvac.com
LG Electronics Multi-V Sync II

BRONZE WINNER
AAON
www.aaon.com
AAON’s RN Series Rooftop Units

Publication date: 07/13/2009