For good IAQ, many new products have been introduced to the market of late. Three of these products have earned the gold, silver or bronze badge in the Indoor Air Quality category in The NEWS' third annual Dealer Design Awards.

GOLD

The PopUPâ„¢ Media Air Cleaner Replacement Filters by Honeywell struck gold in this category. It is a replacement filter for deep-pleated media air cleaners. According to the company, six sizes are available: four to fit Honeywell models and two to fit Aprilaire 2200, 2250, and 2400 models.

The replacement filters have a MERV 11 rating and are fiberglass-free. They are designed to provide an additional 1-inch filtration area more than current Honeywell replacement filters.

These filters self-assemble without the need for combs, pleat spaces, and separate end caps and come fully assembled. They collapse to save shipping space, but save storage space as well.

"The collapsibility of the filter creates extra storage space on delivery trucks, fitting Honeywell PopUP filters in the same space used to store just one filter. Filters literally pop up ready to use, requiring no tedious assembly," stated Pam Enstad, director of marketing and communications, Honeywell.

Several of the judges thought the underlying idea of this replacement filter is tremendous and noted what a space saver it is.

One judge said that the PopUP filter is "a better value than current filters."

SILVER

The recipient of the silver award goes to ICM Controls with its Comfort Control Center, Model CC750. The product is a variable fan motor speed control that varies the blower speed. It regulates humidity levels in air conditioning, providing hot air discharge for heat pumps, and reducing fan noise.

The CC750 has been built with a standard thermostat interface and is compatible with most existing air conditioning and heat pump systems.

Kevin Jobsky, marketing coordinator at ICM Controls, said of the control, "Unlike hybrid thermostat devices, the CC750 does not require additional devices (humidifier/dehumidifier) to regulate the moisture levels in your home or office." However, your existing humidifier/dehumidifier can be wired into and controlled by the CC750.

"This appears to be a great idea for single-phase blower and fan motors," said one judge. "A needed product for enhancing existing equipment to provide better dehumidification, filtration, and overall comfort," remarked another judge.

BRONZE

The CD Series carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor by Veris Industries placed at the bronze level. It is designed for use in HVAC control applications. The filter controls fresh air based on CO2 levels.

"It ensures that adequate ventilation is provided while maximizing energy savings by ventilating at the optimum level," stated Vicki Bergers, marketing communications specialist, Veris.

Designed for mounting direct-ly into ductwork, the unit is housed in a NEMA 4 plastic enclosure. Newly added features include a snap-on face plate and a direct duct insertion probe. The sensor type is nondispersive infrared (NDIR) diffusion sampling. The measurement range is 0-2,000 ppm or 0-5,000 ppm, user adjustable. With an accuracy of ±30 ppm, ± 5 percent of measure value, the sensor has a repeatability of ±20 ppm, ± 1 percent of measured value.

One judge stated, "Finally, a duct-mounted CO2 detector to work in many applications."

Honorees: IAQ Products

GOLD
Honeywell - www.honeywell.com - Honeywell PopUPâ„¢ Media Air Cleaner Filters

SILVER
ICM Controls - www.icmcontrols.com - Comfort Control Center

BRONZE
Veris Industries - www.veris.com - CD Series

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Steril-Aire - www.steril-aire.com - RIDS (Remedial In-Room Decontamination System)

Trane - www.trane.com - TRANE CleanEffectsâ„¢

Triatomic Environmental - www.triatomic.com - Blue-Tube UV

Publication date: 07/17/2006