2010 February

To help avoid the potentially expensive consequences of the failure of humidification equipment, the Humidity Group of the HEVAC Association has prepared a comprehensive guide to best practice for the commissioning and planned maintenance of humidification systems, It covers all major systems and offers a clear explanation of the key points to be considered. A copy of CoBP4 can be downloaded from the FETA web site using the link below.

EDSL/Tas, which specialises in dynamic plant simulation modelling, has announced expansion plans to double its office operating area. Dr Alan Jones, managing director of EDSL, tells us that software that can accurately calculate carbon emissions from buildings is in great demand following the various initiatives that have focused on this issue.

Big Foot Systems’ ‘off-the-shelf’ prefabricated aluminium roof penetrations have rounded inlets to prevent damage to insulated pipes and cables. They are designed to resist damage by poor weather conditions and avoid expensive insurance claims.

The Aspen Group has been awarded the ISO 14001 certificate for its commitment to improving environmental performance. Aspen has implemented an effective environmental management system to address the balance between maintaining profitability and reducing the business’s environmental impact.

Danlers designs and manufactures a cost-effective, long-range, directional, passive infra-red occupancy switch suitable for applications such as corridors and storage aisles.

ABB has signed a deal to supply variable-speed drives for Nuaire’s range of fans. These drives will form an integral part of Nuaire’s Ecosmart control range, which links, fans, drives and condition sensors into a ventilation system that supplies air to meet real-time demand — saving money by cutting energy use.

SPX offers a new range of APV Compakva water heaters and district heating units for domestic water heating in social housing and commercial schemes.

Heatrae-Sadia’s new web site enables installers, engineers and specifiers to quickly and simply identify the information they need on the company’s comprehensive product range and services. The site also has an information and training section which provides important guidance on energy efficiency, current legislation and details of the company’s training facilities for installers, heating engineers and maintenance engineers.

Sontay has published its 2010 catalogue of field controls and peripherals, showcasing its broadest-ever range of building-management, measurement and control products. It can be downloaded from the company’s web site and is also available as a PDF download and CD-ROM and printed version.

Marshall-Tufflex has produced a full-colour 12-page brochure giving an overview of its power-distribution systems and a brief introduction to each of its main product ranges. Its scope ranges from standard PVCu perimeter trunking to bespoke power and data distribution systems incorporating MT32 prefab­ricated wiring systems.

The Institute of Refrigeration’s service engineers section has published a series of guidance notes on basic refrigeration cycles, leak detection, good practice and the practical applications of F gas regulation requirements. The latest in the series covers brazing leak-free connections, fault diagnosis, using a p-h chart and selection of refrigeration piping.

Saint-Gobain PAM UK, a leading UK manufacturer of cast-iron above- and below-ground cast-iron drainage sys­tems, has published an 88-page catalogue of all the latest products in its Ensign drainage system, which provides the commercial, industrial and public sectors with complete solutions — whatever the application.

Recolight, which offers a WEEE compliance scheme for lamps, has added a video to its web site to highlight the services it provides and raise awareness of the importance of recycling compact fluorescent lamps.

A web site dedicated to R22 has been developed by MHIE (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe). It enables companies affected by new regulations to check key dead­lines in the run up to the ban on R22 and access advice on the options available to end users, specifiers, installers and service engineers.

M&E training provider BEST (Building Engineering Services Training) has produced a short film about its services to employers, apprentices and colleges. It can be viewed on the BEST web site and focuses on the services and commitment that BEST provides.

A comprehensive catalogue of above-ground drainage products from BSS Industrial details the 12 000 products available through specialist BSS Drainage outlets. It has clear, colour-co-ordinated sections to help customers find the best product for the job and introduce them to new services offered by BSS Drainage.

Sime has launched a range of high-efficiency condensing combination and system boilers. The Format Digital HE range comprises three combis and one system boiler with outputs from 20 to 35 kW. The combi boilers can deliver instantaneous hot water from 9.5 to 14 l/min. For lightness of weight, the heat exchanger is made of cast aluminium.

Passivent now offers a version of its controlled Aircool ventilation louvre with an integrated heating coil that can be connected to a building’s wet heating system. Called Thermal Aircool, it warms air being drawn from outside to avoid draughts and reduce the load on the rest of the heating system.

Pegler Yorkshire has introduced two new tap ranges. Ebro and Pulsar (pictured) are both minimalist in style and, despite being part of the Francis Pegler range, competitive in price. There are 14 pieces in the Pulsar range and eight in the Ebro range. Both ranges include models for kitchens and bathrooms.

Integrated Environmental Systems (IES) now offers full technical support for Virtual Environment installations on Apple Mac computers using VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop or the Boot Camp utility in the latest Mac OS. This means that the Virtual Environment suite of Windows products (VE-Ware, VE-Toolkits, VE-Gaia and VE-Pro) can be installed and run on Apple computers and be eligible for full IES technical support.

Victaulic has added to its advanced grooved pipe-jointing system (AGS) for large-diameter pipes. Rigid and flexible couplings are now available for pipes up to 60 in (1525 mm) diameter. Joints that would require several hours to weld can be installed in less than an hour using AGS couplings. They are available in diameters from 14 to 60 in (350 to 1525 mm) — compared with 14 to 24 in (350 to 610 mm) previously.

Tour & Andersson’s TA-Scope handheld instrument is designed to verify, measure and balance flow, differential pressure, temperature and power of complex hydronic systems. Its small size enables it to be used in small spaces and situations that might pose a risk if a large, cumbersome measuring and balancing tool were used. Internal batteries provide three days of operation.

Advanced Engineering has made three additions to its popular AC Pro documentation for air-conditioning surveys. They are based on simple check boxes and labels. The additions cover new F-gas procedures and changes in best-practice recommendations from the Institute of Refrigeration.

Ex-Or has added microwave technology as an option for its LightSpot and MLS Digital systems. These detectors can be installed in corners to control an area up to 20 m square. They have dual-circuit control and a regulating photocell to adjust light output in response to ambient light levels. They can control up to 25 DSI/DALI ballasts.

Honeywell’s Kombi 4 valve provides a low-cost means of ensuring immediate hot water and reducing water wastage while enabling easier and faster commissioning in buildings with many DHW outlets. These throttle and balancing valves are installed in the secondary return of constant hot-water systems to balance them. A optional thermostatic control attachment additionally maintains constant circulation temperature.

Flir has introduced two new mid-range infra-red cameras to help reduce the energy consumption of buildings in line with the EU’s latest energy-declaration legislation. The B365 and B425 cameras feature low weight, picture-in-picture fusion, touch screen, tiltable lens unit and interchangeable optics.

BASF has developed a system for quickly improving room acoustics with little effort. It is based on Abacustica panels that can be mounted on walls to absorb sound and reduce reverberation. In rooms with a high level of reverberation, people have to talk louder and louder to overcome it.

Daikin Europe’s EWAD-C series of air-cooled chillers have cooling capacities from 680 to 1800 kW and use R134a. They are fitted with high-efficiency fans and are available with three different sound levels. These compressors have a single screw compressor with an asymmetric loading system to maximise efficiency at part load.

CP Electronics has introduced two high-bay PIR detectors for controlling lighting in warehouses and factories. Both detectors can be used in presence or absence mode with incandescent, fluorescent and compact-fluorescent light sources. They can have optional manual controls.

Stokvis has developed a series of packaged heat exchangers to generate domestic hot water using condensing boilers. The Econoplate C series is specifically designed to operate with the lower primary temperatures provided by condensing boilers. With a flow temperature of 70°C, they will achieve a return temperature of about 45°C.