CHICAGO — The Climate Control Group Inc. (CCG) had a large presence at the 2018 AHR Expo as it prominently showcased and displayed products from many of its brands, including ClimateMaster®, International Environmental Corp. (IEC®), ClimateCraft®, and ClimaCool®.

One such product displayed at the expo was ClimateMaster’s Vertical Stack Water-Source Heat Pump. Water, refrigerant, and air temperatures can be viewed from the thermostat or service tool, with no need for external instruments that require calibration.

“A service technician can actually obtain important readings without internally accessing the unit,” said Todd Graf, vice president and general manager, ClimateMaster. “It has a smaller footprint to save space and is very service friendly.”

ClimateMaster’s Tranquility® Vertical Stack series offers an innovative, labor-saving solution for spaces with little or no ductwork and where individual, quiet control of the heating and cooling system is important. Using EarthPure® (HFC-410A) refrigerant, the Tranquility series protects the environment while delivering comfort, efficiency, and reliability.

The product features high-efficiency rotary and scroll compressors; a removable chassis, which allows staged installation and ease of maintenance; a galvanized steel cabinet; a unique double isolation compressor mounting for quiet operation; a thermal expansion valve (TXV) metering device, and more. It also exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 efficiencies.

Under the IEC banner, the company highlighted its energy efficient, compact Horizontal Direct Drive Blower Coil, which is easy to install and maintain. 

“IEC’s HDY Series was designed with the installing contractor in mind,” said Scott Stayton, director of marketing and product management, CCG. “Serviceability is the key, and we added many features to facilitate this, including a direct drive motor, eliminating belts and the adjustments therein. Additionally, we added an optional convenience light and innovative filter rack, which allows multidirectional access to filters without tools. Such features reduce the complications associated with servicing a unit that is commonly installed in the ceiling space.”

Horizontal Direct Drive Blower Coils feature standard electronically commutated motors (ECMs), 600-3000 cfm, an optional mixing box for ventilation applications, large tool-free access panels on both sides, and optional lighting inside the cabinet and control box. A robust filter rack allows for 1, 2, or 4 inches of filter media up to MERV 13 with bottom or side access.

Meanwhile, ClimateCraft showcased its BalanceStream® technology, which allows fans to run stable and efficient at part load, thereby eliminating surge. BalanceStream is a spring actuated inlet cone that allows stable operation down to 10 percent of design, prevents fan surge, and requires no additional complex fan cycling control strategies to integrate into a control system. There are no additional electro-mechanical devices to add complexity of control points or maintenance issues.

“When you start to turn down fans, they will often hit surge below about 50 percent,” said Rich Lancaster, president, ClimateCraft. “ClimateCraft’s BalanceStream is a spring actuated device.  The velocity pressure of the air engages the Balance-
Stream to effectively change the width on the fan wheel, giving you infinite wheel diameters and complete turndown.”

BalanceStream can also eliminate the need for back draft dampers and provide automatic shut-off in case of fan failure. It improves overall system efficiency as it does not obstruct the fan intake; therefore, there are no associated intake losses or impact on operating brake horsepower which is typical with backdraft dampers.

“This is very revolutionary,” he continued. “Some people try to accomplish the same thing with controls and an actuator, which requires sophisticated logic. This is very simple and ingenious in a way because of its simplicity. The device is maintenance free, no controls logic required, and it’s going to work all the time, on its own, automatically.”

ClimateCraft was also showcasing its ACCESS Replacement Air Handler product line. 

“Renovation is a larger part of the industry versus new construction,” Lancaster noted. “It’s always a challenge for the building owner of how to put a new air handler in a building that’s 20 to 30 years old — it’s inefficient, a maintenance nightmare, but it’s down in the basement and inaccessible. With the original install, the building was open, and there weren’t any walls, so it was easy to install.  Our product is broken down to fit through the smallest opening in your building, which is often a standard 32-inch wide doorway. We also give you very detailed instructions on how to put these systems together on the job site.  This sets the building owner up to having a successful upgrade to their air handling system without a ton of disruption to the building or the building’s architecture.  Many of our clients even do these renovations over a weekend or a week when the affected area can be scheduled to be offline.”

Lastly, ClimaCool featured its Simultaneous Heating and Cooling (SHC) systems, which help eliminate the need for traditional boiler/chiller systems, thereby saving on installation cost, overall operating cost, and reducing the physical footprint. Each module can be indexed for heating and/or cooling onDEMAND, regardless of its position in the bank, to precisely match building loads. Piping connection flexibility for hot, cold, and source water loops allows same or opposite end configurations based on mechanical room needs. The systems feature the CoolLogic Control System, which provides maximum flexibility with BAS interface via native BACnet®, LonWorks®, Modbus®, and N2® communications and exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 minimum efficiency by 30 percent or more.

“For the building owner that’s looking to achieve high energy efficiency and low operating cost for their building, ClimaCool’s SHC products cannot be beat,” Lancaster added.

“Overall, CCG had strong performance last year, and we will continue to capitalize on our strengths in the market going forward,” said Rick Aldridge, CEO of The Climate Control Group. “As all of us battle commodity fluctuations, we plan to maintain our focus on innovation and delivering HVAC products to our customers efficiently and competitively.”  

Publication date: 2/26/2018