Getting In The Zone

By James J. Siegel

CHICAGO — Ventilation and zoning technology continues to improve, giving consumers more options when it comes to controlling their indoor environment. Several manufacturers were on hand at the 2003 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) to display the latest developments.

More Control

Aprilaire (Madison, Wis.) introduced two new products that the company said will help to improve zoning and create better ventilation control for consumers.

First, the company recently added a Plenum Temperature Control to its zoning system. According to Aprilaire, the product gives the system more flexibility, accommodating up to four different methods of pressure relief.

Aprilaire also announced the addition of the Model 8120 Ventilation Control, which will be available in April.

The manufacturer said that the Model 8120 provides time-based control with outdoor temperature and indoor relative humidity operating limits. The control opens a damper with a fan or equipment call to meet a desired ventilation requirement that is set by the user with a ventilation knob and cycle time jumper. Once the ventilation requirement is met, the controller will close the damper, said the company.

Aprilaire said that this product will be beneficial to contractors because it will provide the ability to control the type of air being brought into a home and it will deliver the desired amount of ventilation when the HVAC equipment is not running.

Jim Shell of Arzel Zoning demonstrates the operation of an Arzel zone damper. (Photo by Dave Wilks.)

A New Damper

Arzel Zoning Technology (Cleveland) introduced a new damper at this year’s expo. According to the company, its new Insert-A-Damper™ can save contractors time and money on installation. The product can be used on counterflow furnace jobs, as well as other retrofit applications.

According to the company, the contractor only needs to make one access hole in the plenum to install the damper in each run. The damper will then be held in place by Arzel’s patented Damper Clamp. The product is available in three sizes and comes with a five-year parts and labor warranty.

Arzel also provided information on its EzySlide™ dampers. The dampers are wireless and motorless and are powered by low-pressure air supplied by an industrial mini-pump contained inside the Arzel® Zone Control Panel. The damper comes in different sizes in both round and rectangular designs.

Another product on display was the DiffusaDamper™. According to Arzel, the product has a molded design and provides quiet operation, making it ideal for ceilings. The company said that it has more resistance to condensation than metallic grilles and is easy to install in both new construction and retrofit applications.

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Registers, Grilles

Tuttle & Bailey (Richardson, Texas) presented its new Spiral Duct Grille (SDG) Series. The grilles can be mounted directly onto a spiral duct by curving to its shape. There are currently three separate lines of the SDG Series, including the Single Deflection Spiral Grille, the Double Deflection Spiral Grille, and the Perforated Return Spiral Grille.

Hart & Cooley (Holland, Mich.) introduced its Spiral Diffuser, which was redesigned to ease installation. Three models are available, including the SHV Double Deflection Diffuser, the SV Single Deflection Diffuser, and the SS Linear Face Diffuser.

Hart & Cooley also announced that it would begin offering new Rezzin Plastic Registers. The manufacturer said that there is no performance difference between the plastic registers and the company’s traditional registers. The products have been developed to withstand harsh environments that could cause metals to rust.

Publication date: 02/17/2003

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