ACHR NEWS Editorial Staff

IRVINE, Calif. — Navien Inc. has started shipping the NPF Hydro-furnace, the company’s first HVAC product.

Available in upflow and horizontal configurations, the NPF comes in two sizes — 60,000 Btuh and 100,000 Btuh —  that both have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 97%, use high-efficiency electronically commutated motor (ECM) technology, and meet the requirements of California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1111 for Ultra-Low NOx performance, a press release from Navien said.

The NPF uses a stainless steel heat exchanger to heat water in an isolated compartment, out of the airstream, which provides sound-reduction and energy efficiency, the press release said.

The heated water is circulated through a hydronic coil, which transfers the heat into the airstream for the ultimate in quiet forced-air heating, the company said. The sealed combustion design allows the NPF to deliver comfortable heat without significantly impacting humidity levels at one of the quietest sound levels of any furnace on the market, the company said.

Water can be supplied to the NPF either through a quarter-inch water line or through an easily accessible reservoir that can be manually filled.

The NPF features variable capacity that can modulate down to 15% for an unparalleled level of comfort that allows the unit to meet year-round heating needs, the company said. Each NPF unit can be converted in the field from natural gas to liquid propane, and the furnace is rated for high-elevation use, up to 10,000 feet, with factory-supplied conversion kit.

An EZNav unit-mounted interface with a built-in setup wizard provides intuitive steps for startup, configuration, and diagnostics. Installers can set supply air temperature and airflow directly from the front panel, and the service wizard will walk contractors through component verification to aid in troubleshooting.

The NPF hydro-furnace is compatible with most one- and two-stage thermostats and can be matched with any a/c or heat pump system, providing its own dedicated airflow selections and ramping profiles.

Upflow models of the NPF are available now, and Navien plans to start shipping horizontal-flow models in February.