First off, R.W. Beckett Corp. (www.beckettcorp.com) announced an agreement with Intellidyne LLC (www.intellidynellc.com) to become the exclusive North American marketer of the IntelliCon®-HW, a fuel economizer for hot water home heating systems.
Intellidyne will manufacture its patented IntelliCon® energy saver under a private label for Beckett, one of North America's largest manufacturers of oil burners. Produced under the HeatManager™ name, the Intellidyne units will be the first component in Beckett's residential product line devoted specifically to energy conservation.
"We have very high expectations for Intellidyne's IntelliCon energy-saving device as a new addition to the R.W. Beckett family of home heating products," said Kevin Beckett, president and CEO of Beckett. "Under our own HeatManager label, the technology will be a tremendous value-added benefit that our wholesalers and dealers can offer their customers as both an energy saver and efficiency boost."
Intellidyne's energy-saving controls are designed to reduce energy consumption by heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems by 10 percent to 30 percent, said the company. The IntelliCon-HW is one of eight energy-saving products developed by Intellidyne for residential and commercial use.
The IntelliCon products work by monitoring and analyzing the load on a heating or cooling system in real time, and then dynamically modifying the way that system is controlled or "cycled," said the company. According to the manufacturer, this modification has been proven by independent laboratory testing and real-time market application to produce measurable reductions in energy consumption, more consistent comfort levels and more efficient use of the overall system.
Jack Hammer, inventor of the product line and COO of Intellidyne, said, "The IntelliCon technology satisfies two needs for Beckett by giving their distributor/dealer network a highly attractive product that will appeal to consumers across the board, and by giving homeowners a way to manage the amount of energy they are consuming to heat their homes without sacrificing comfort."
Jim Seaman, general sales manager for R.W. Beckett, said, "The IntelliCon energy-saving device is the only product on the market today that enables homeowners to reduce their energy consumption without reducing the comfort level in their indoor home environment. We believe that private labeling the device under the HeatManager brand will provide a significant revenue-generator for our factory sales representatives, current wholesalers, contractors, and oil dealers. We are very excited about this innovative product launch in our residential line."
Honeywell (www.honeywellwatercontrols.com) introduced its SparcoZone2â„¢ Multiple Zoning Control for hydronic heating systems. According to the company, a key feature is the ease of installation of the control, which it said typically takes about four hours to install. It is pre-assembled, pre-wired, and ready to connect.
The multiple zone valve utilizes Honeywell's Zone Valve Control Panel and the manifold is fitted with the MZV Series PowerTrack zone valves. According to the company, features include priority switch for domestic hot water; LED lights for easy diagnostics of individual zone control and burner operation; field replaceable relays and transformers; built-in pre-balancing plug for individual zone flow control; sweat or threaded connection bronze manifold; and can be expanded up to 16 zones.
Lochinvar (www.lochinvar.com) has expanded its line of Intelli-Fin® water heaters and boilers. The products utilize LonWorks technology for integration into building management systems via an open network. Lochinvar has expanded the Intelli-Fin line to include models with inputs of 750,000, 1 million, 1.3 million, 1.5 million, 1.7 million, and 2 million Btuh.
All models feature a wide variety of venting options, including conventional, sidewall, vertical-direct vent, and horizontal-direct vent. Each can be vented up to 100 equivalent feet, said the company. Each model operates up to 97 percent thermal efficiency.
Lochinvar also announced it enhanced the high-efficiency line of Power-Fin® commercial water heaters and boilers for greater installation flexibility. All Power-Fin models feature digital temperature control, gasketless copper tube heat exchanger, multiple-venting solutions, flexible installation, and low NOx operation.
The Power-Fin operates at up to 88 percent thermal efficiency rating, the company said. The fan-assisted burner system can be specified as on-off fire, two-stage fire, or infinitely proportional firing from 50 percent to 100 percent with pinpoint control, said the company. This means the Power-Fin can more accurately provide the amount of heat demanded based on the installation requirements, all designed to save even more heating dollars.
"Pronto! instantaneous water heaters operate only when there's
a demand for hot water," said David R. Martin, Rheem Water Heater's vice president of marketing. "Homeowners will save on energy costs because they won't need to maintain a constant 40- or 50-gallon supply of hot water with a standing pilot light. Pronto! instantaneously delivers a continuous supply of hot water whenever and wherever it is needed. Properly sized and installed, these units will efficiently and conveniently supply constant hot water."
One of the new Pronto! units, the RTG-42PV, is available for immediate shipment. A second, more powerful unit, the RTG-74, will be unveiled by mid-year, said the company. Rheem said the RTG-42PV model instantaneously delivers up to 4.2 gallons of 100 degree F to 140 degree F water per minute (at a 45 degree rise in temperature), with a Btuh range of 31,500 to 118,000. The unit is self-modulating and burns only the minimum amount of gas required to heat the water to the set temperature, the company said.
The 35-pound unit offers a compact, space-saving design, measuring 22-1/4 inches high, 13-3/4 inches wide, and 5-1/8 inches deep. With an energy factor of 0.81, the company said the RTG-42PV has a projected annual operating cost of $128 for natural gas ($157 for LP gas).
The RTG-74 whole-house model, which is also suitable for commercial applications, provides up to 7.4 gallons of 100 degree to 140 degree water per minute and features Btuh inputs from 21,700 to 199,000. Weighing 52 pounds, the RTG-74 still offers a space-saving profile that is only slightly larger than its predecessor: 24 inches high by 13-2/3 inches wide by 9-1/2 inches deep.
For residential applications, both models come with a 10-year limited warranty on their heat exchangers and a three-year warranty on their parts. For commercial applications, Rheem warrants the heat exchanger for five years and the parts for one year. Because Pronto! water heaters are part of the Rheem and Ruud product line, components and parts will be readily available through Rheem and Ruud plumbing wholesale-distributors, who will serve as the exclusive source for these products, said the company.
Both units are equipped with a user-friendly digital display to make it easier to read and set the water temperature. These water heaters are also equipped with a self-diagnostic program that will display error codes, helping to make troubleshooting and servicing quicker and easier, said the company.
Taco (www.taco-hvac.com) offers both bronze and cast iron models of its 00 Series of circulators for LoadMatch® single-pipe system applications. LoadMatch series circulators have been designed for quiet and efficient operation on LoadMatch fan coil heating and cooling systems, said the company.
The LoadMatch system is designed to replace the typical two-pipe hydronic system with a one-pipe system comprised of LoadMatch circulators and fancoils. The company said LoadMatch eliminates the need for most balancing valves and energy-consuming control valves. According to the manufacturer, LoadMatch circulators direct water to where it needs to go, as opposed to forcing the water through the system's piping loop.
All LoadMatch circulators include a removable Integral Flow Check (IFC), designed to prevent gravity flow and reduce installation costs. Each circulator also has an exclusive anti-condensate baffle, designed to prevent the buildup of condensate on the motor windings when pumping chilled water.
Taco estimates that savings from a LoadMatch system can typically be up to 30 percent of life-cycle costs.
Takagi (www.takagi.com) introduced its Flash T-H1 water heater, touting it as "the most ecologically friendly water heater on the market." It said the Flash T-H1 has a 95 percent efficiency rating, is designed for commercial and residential use, and delivers more than 660 gallons per hour (based on a 77 degree temperature rise).
"The compact tankless gas water heater provides an endless supply of hot water," said Takagi's Sam Yamamuro. "It burns gas only when you need hot water. It is also very energy efficient and environment friendly. And, Takagi's product line covers small residential applications to full scale commercial facility applications."
Publication date: 03/08/2004
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