The Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International has revised ANSI/AMCA Standard 500-D, Laboratory Methods of Testing Dampers for Rating.

Designated AMCA Standard 500-D-18, the newly revised standard establishes uniform laboratory test methods for dampers. Included are methods for determining, as appropriate, air leakage, pressure drop, dynamic closure, and operational torque.

Changes to the standard include:

• The addition of the use of orifice plates for measurement of airflow in some setups per ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 120-2017, Method of Testing to Determine Flow Resistance of HVAC Ducts and Fittings;

• The deletion of unused definitions;

• The redefinition of when transformation pieces can be used in a setup; and

• The making of the inlet cone for ductwork optional for pressure-drop-test figures 5.2, 5.3, 5.3A, 5.3B, and 5.3C.

Additionally, for alternate mounts in leakage tests using figures 5.4 and 5.5, the pressure tap was moved from the chamber to the blank-off plate at the damper, and some parameters for its location were defined.

AMCA Standard 500-D-18 is available for purchase ($45 for AMCA members, $90 for non-members) in AMCA’s online store.