One display that drew quite a few eyes at the Fujitsu General America booth this year revealed the reality behind what sounds like some engineering sleigh of hand. The company highlighted a DX kit that transition an existing air handler into part of an Airstage VRF system.
The air handler in question needs to be using R-410A. If it does, then the kit can integrate into the existing RTU and will power the existing coil in units made by a variety of manufacturers. The company said it will work on units ranging from .75 to 15 tons.
A Fujitsu contact noted that this can also work in a residential setting, installing a JII or J-IIIL single-phase VRF unit.
AIRSTAGE DEBUTS
The manufacturer also introduced new indoor units for its Airstage VRF product line, offering additional functions and options and allowing more efficient system operation and management.
Available to ship now, the new TLAV2 indoor units can be connected to an external power supply. This way, the company explained, even if some of the indoor units in the system are turned off, auxiliary power is supplied to the PCB to prevent the transmission errors in the VRF system.
These new indoor units are compatible with Wi-Fi adapters, offering simple control through wireless LAN control capability and providing multiple indoor unit control, error display, and email notification.
The TLAV2 units also include a custom auto function, which maintains two separate setpoints for heating and cooling, automatically changing between modes. TLAV2 units are backward compatible, meaning they can be connected to current generation outdoor units and can be combined with TLAV1/TLAV units.
Finally, the new TLAV2 line includes a compact cassette, circular flow cassette (slim and large type), slim ducts, floor/ceiling mount unit, ceiling mount unit, wall mount unit, medium static pressure duct, and a high static pressure duct, which features a new compact design.
AS FOR CONTRACTORS …
The manufacturer is taking steps through its products and technology to make life easier for contractors.
“Fujitsu makes life easier for contractors through its mobile apps for both technical support and sales support,” the company replied. “We’ve developed an app that helps select and match up systems on the sales side and an app to help troubleshoot system errors, saving contractors time on the job site.”
The company reports that it is also continuing its focus on training — both technical and sales — to help contractors feel more comfortable with ductless mini splits and ultimately grow their businesses. Specifically, Fujitsu General America has moved into a new, 155,000-square-foot warehouse in New Jersey. The next step will involve new corporate offices, where the company plans to offer contractors a new training facility for both residential and commercial products.
FRONT AND CENTER
The booth’s front desk had a backdrop displaying the company’s next generation of Halcyon wall units. The Mid-Tier series touts design flexibility and external input/output capabilities for connectivity. The Premium series runs slightly larger, and it comes in standard and XLTH models. Built-in Wi-Fi comes standard in the Premium series, while the Mid-Tier series does come with a slot for adding Wi-Fi connectivity later as desired.
The industry’s successful foray into low-temp performance for inverter-driven technologies continues here, with the heating capacity dropped down a couple more degrees since last year. The Premier Series can now deliver full performance at minus 17 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the company.
In general, this newest series is designed to provide up to 30 percent reduction in energy consumption. In addition, it keeps up with the times via voice control through a smart home device.
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