MovinCool (www.movincool.com) showed its new PC7, which the company's John Doran said is "ideal for cooling a personal space." Heating buildings and offices during the winter can create "hot spots" leaving particular areas uncomfortable. Priced under $900, the PC7 helps cool individual people in these hot spots to keep them comfortable, said Doran. The unit may also be used to cool individual pieces of heat-sensitive office equipment to protect against loss of data.

The unit is self-contained with no installation necessary, so it can simply be plugged into a standard 110-V power source when needed. The PC7 instantly provides up to 7,000 Btuh, and its performance is backed by a warranty, Doran said.

For companies with larger spaces to cool, MovinCool suggests the Office Pro 10, which is fully self-contained with no costly installation necessary. The Office Pro 10 can simply be wheeled in, plugged into a standard 110-V socket, and switched on, instantly providing 10,000 Btu of cooling.

Port-A-Cool (www.port-a-cool.com) highlighted its new 16-inch heavy-duty unit with filler cart. Senior vice president Bill Lloyd noted that the unit has doubled its cfm output with its new 1/2-hp motor. "We also added a portable cart that holds the 22-gallon filler tank," he said.

Other features include a durable, one-piece, molded plastic polyethylene housing and flexible capabilities for ducting. A 3/4-inch garden hose connection supplies water, and five fan sizes are available.

Reiker Room Conditioners (www.buyreiker.com) introduced a new product that warms rooms that are too cool, yet still functions as a ceiling fan. The Reiker Room Conditioner heats a 20- by 20- by 10-foot room for as little as a nickel an hour, said company president, Ken Reiker. Four ceramic heaters, operated by a computer-controlled transmitter that senses the room temperature, are housed above the fan unit.

The transmitter checks the room temperature every three minutes, turning on or off one or more of the heating elements as needed to maintain the exact room temperature.

Reiker noted, "The Room Conditioner is hard-wired to the ceiling, so it's nowhere near kids and pets and doesn't interfere with traffic patterns. In addition, it doesn't take up any plugs."

The fan draws warm risen air off the ceiling at a rate of 240 cfm and forces it through a patented alignment of four ceramic heating elements designed to dry, then superheat the air to twice the temperature of any home vent. Fan blades push the heated air in a flow that removes hot spots, cold spots, and harsh heat, said Reiker.

Spot Coolers (www.spot-coolers.com) showcased its new 1-ton portable Oceanaire heat pump with condenser make-up air kit and return air plenum. Garth Tagge, the company's vice president, said the new unit has a more efficient backward-inclined fan, which increases airflow and greatly reduces noise and energy consumption.

The air-cooled heat pump has a control system that is low voltage, logic based, and will deliver accurate temperature control, Tagge indicated. It can switch from heating to cooling or vice versa automatically. The thermostat can also be remote mounted, which the company said will help solve some of those troublesome cooling or heating applications. Units are also available in capacities up to 5 tons, and various voltages are also available.

Unico (www.unispot.com) introduced UniSpot, which localizes air conditioning to cool the worker, the product, the equipment, or the process, rather than the whole work space. According to Earl Strauther, the equipment cools the workers where they stand and costs half of what a conventional rooftop system would cost.

UniSpot aims the air and spot cools a specific area. Ducts are precisely directed and can be added, moved, or changed easily, Strauther said. UniSpot is designed to provide a high-velocity airstream with great accuracy, creating curtains of air that are cooler than the stagnant air around them. The system features modular air-handler units and tubular ducts. Multiple configurations are possible, with remote fans installed on the ceiling or sidewall mounted.

United CoolAir Corp. (www.unitedcoolair.com) showed its PAC5 horizontal portable air conditioners, which are built for the rental market. Vice president Rod Beever said these units can be easily ducted using flexible duct, and the built-in handles and casters make them highly maneuverable. Features of these units include heavy-duty steel cabinet design, copper tube/aluminum fin coils, scroll compressor, permanent cleanable filters, and thermal/acoustic insulation.

The company also highlighted its new and improved VertiCool Space Saver self-contained water-cooled air conditioner. The units feature higher external duct pressures, which allow for ducted applications, and access is now from the front of the unit, so they're easier to install, maintain, and service, the company said.

The new VertiCool Cool-V Series self-contained air-cooled air conditioners were also shown at the United CoolAir booth. The Cool V units will fit through doorways, hallways, and on elevators, which make them ideal for renovation and replacement, according to the company. Products range from 2 through 15 tons.

TiLi Electrical Co. Ltd. (www.tiliglobal.com) introduced two port-able air conditioners, one at 9,000 Btuh, the other at 11,000 and 7,500 Btuh. Features for each include no condensate tank, as the condensate continuously evaporates into exhaust air, said the company.

Publication date: 02/09/2004