This year is going to be the biggest expo floor in ACCA’s history, as there will be over 150 booths featuring many of the leading manufacturers and suppliers in the industry.

And the record number of manufacturers are more than eager to show off the new equipment and services each brings to the San Jose Conference Center.

American Standard and Trane, for instance, are champing at the bit to show off their respective new home air filtering systems. For American Standard, it's AccuClean. Trane's system is CleanEffects.

According to Jamie Byrne, American Standard's vice president of sales, AccuClean removes up to 99.98 percent of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns - 1/300th the diameter of a human hair - from its very first use.

AccuClean can be installed in new systems, or as an upgrade to American Standard systems installed up to 10 years ago. Later this year, the manufacturer said it expects to launch a version that can be retrofitted onto competitor's systems.

According to Byrne and American Standard, AccuClean's exclusive advantage is a patented intense field dielectric, or "ifD," technology, designed to catch more particles with more consistency. In fact, they claim it to be twice as efficient.

According to the company, AccuClean's field charger has a lattice of large holes through which all system air and airborne particles pass. Centered in each opening is an ion-emitting needle, instead of the ionizing wires used in other electronic air cleaners. It said each AccuClean needle creates a cone-shaped, intense 24-volt electric field, designed to deliver a strong, consistent charge throughout the opening, catching even the smallest particle.

REAL WORLD TESTED

These tests pitted Trane's CleanEffects against five other air cleaning devices, representing the most common filtering methods. These included a 1-inch disposable filter, which is used in 85 percent of American homes; a 5-inch pleated filter; a standard whole-house electronic air cleaner, typically installed in the ducts of a forced air furnace or air handler; a plug-in HEPA-type room air cleaner; and an in-room-type air cleaner.

Based on the results of hundreds of separate tests, EH&E said CleanEffects did significantly better than any of the other devices at removing airborne particles and spores from the filtered air. It said CleanEffects also was the fastest at removing various particles and also had, by far, the highest "whole-house clean air delivery rate (CADR)," meaning it cleaned more air faster than any other tested device.

In addition, Trane said it plans to feature its XL19i line of air conditioners and heat pumps at the Indoor Air Expo. The new line can provide energy efficiency ratings up to 19.50 SEER, it said. The XL19i has dual Climatuff® compressors and a variable-speed outdoor fan motor. In the eyes of the manufacturer, it's like getting two energy-saving systems in one - "a compelling sales advantage with today's rising energy costs."

The exclusive, all-aluminum Spine Finâ„¢ coil is designed to provide very low airflow resistance, greater heat exchanging capabilities, and more resistance to formicary corrosion and leaks. The company said its premium styling blends well with today's most popular exterior architectural details. Baked-on powder paint that covers all louvered panels uniformly is designed to increase protection from rust and corrosion. It said it has designed quick access to all electrical and refrigeration components for fast installation and service, including easy coil cleaning.

Trane provides a 10-year limited warranty on the XL19i's compressors, coil, and all functional parts.

Contractors coming to the 2006 Indoor Air Expo will get the opportunity to learn all about the new product offerings from over 150 exhibitors.

ALSO AT THE EXPO