One of the longest running “reality” shows is “This Old
House” on public television. Truth be told, many viewers tune in to see a wall
come (intentionally) crashing down as part of the renovation or an especially
tricky installation successfully completed. But it is also a show to take note
of some interesting and unique technologies.
Consider, for example, a program a while ago that showed a
residential chiller. And not just a basic chiller, but one that is a
reverse-cycle liquid chiller.
That technology shown came from Unico Systems, whose
officials called it “the latest innovation in home comfort - an outdoor unit
for residential and light commercial applications which provides both hot and
cold water for central heating and/or cooling.”
According to Shawn Intagliata, director of business
development, the unit “can provide zoned cooling or heating with just a single
unit, so you can use multiple air handlers to provide cooling or heating only
to those areas in need of it at any given time.”
Refrigerant in the unit chills water that goes through
insulated piping into the house and is pumped into a number of air handlers.
The liquid then comes back to the outside unit to be rechilled.
Intagliata noted the product, called the Unichiller, could
be undersized up to 20 percent if there is more than one zone and if not all
the zones are operating at the same time. An ASHRAE Manual N load
diversification calculation can also be done to see if the chillers can be
undersized further.
The chillers are designed for partial load allowing for the
zoning. They come pre-charged and self-contained. A contractor connects the
water piping and electrical power. Remote locations can be up to 300 feet away
as long as the water lines are sized according to Manual N. There are two fans
on each unit.
The chiller operates based on the water temperature sensed
by the temperature controller inside the unit. Proponents of the technology
said the chiller is quieter than a typical outdoor condensing unit. It is
possible to bank multiple units for larger loads, according to Intagliata.
For more information, visit
www.unicosystem.com.
Publication date:05/07/2007