HVAC (Heating,
Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems offer a flexible platform
of comfort and air quality options that hydronic heating systems
cannot. Heating, cooling, air filtration, dehumidification, humidification,
and exhaust and fresh air exchange are just some of the features
possible with a HVAC system.
Ashrae
- Member |
| Our ducted systems
consist of insulated sheet metal trunks and insulated flexible branches
(for sound attenuation). We size all of our duct work with Building
Systems 2007. This is a CAD program that gives us duct sizes and
drawings for the actual developed lengths of the ducted system.
These designs are based on our heat losses and gains that we calculate
with Elitesoft RHVAC software. The result is a completely organic
system that operates at low velocity and is virtually unnoticeable.
PDF of Heat Loss
PDF of Building Systems 2007 |
Our ducted systems
can provide heating by using a gas fired warm air furnace, a hydronic
air handler, or an air handler with a geothermal plant. We use high
efficiency condensing furnaces.
Ruud
| York
| Trane
|
| Our ducted systems can provide
cooling by using a cooling coil powered by an outdoor condenser
or by one of our geothermal plants. A natural benefit of cooling
is dehumidification. This is very important to prevent mold growth
and to provide comfort. Some days of the year, dehumidification
is desired but cooling is not. In this instance, we can provide
what we call reheat. Reheat is the dehumidification of the space
using a cooling cycle and then the reheating of the space with a
heating cycle. |
AIR FILTRATION: All
of our ducted systems are installed with HEPA grade filters. Electronic
and ultra violet filters are available for our customers who desire
a higher level of air quality. |
| DEHUMIDIFICATION: Dehumidification
is very important in our homes and businesses. Dehumidification
provides comfort, prevents mold growth, and protects fine finishes
and equipment. There are several different ways to achieve dehumidification.
|
BY COOLING: A natural
benefit of cooling is dehumidification. Some days of the year, dehumidification
is desired but cooling is not. In this instance, we can provide
what we call Reheat. Reheat is the dehumidification of the space
using a cooling cycle and then the Reheating of the space with a
heating cycle. |
| WHOLE HOUSE DEHUMIDIFIER:
We install this type of system when there is no cooling system to
passively dehumidify the space. We install several small ducts to
pull moist air from the living space and return dry air to the space. |
LOCAL DEHUMIDIFIER: We install
a local dehumidifier in almost every mechanical room. We set up
our dehumidifiers with an automatic pump, so the equipment never
needs to be emptied. Every basement should have one! |
| HUMIDIFICATION:
Humidification is one of the great benefits of our ducted systems.
Humidification is very important in the dry winter months for both
comfort and health concerns. We can achieve humidification in two
ways: |
| Steam Humidification |
Evaporative Wheel Humidification |
| STEAM HUMIDIFICATION:
Steam humidification is one of the best way to add moisture to your
living space. We will install a steam humidification unit on the
supply trunk of your air system. This will be controlled by a humidistat
(similar to a thermostat). Our steam humidifiers use a back flush
system that reduces scaling and increased electrical usage. |
EVAPORATIVE WHEEL HUMIDIFICATION:
A very cost effective way of adding humidification to your air system.
Evaporative wheels passively add moisture to the dry air that is
passing through your warm air system. |
| FRESH AIR EXCHANGE:
As much as we try to fight the infiltration of the harsh outdoors,
fresh air exchange is necessary in public commercial buildings and
residential buildings with substantial insulation. Even though we
want to build our structures with the best vapor barriers and insulation
on the market, we still need fresh air as a part of our necessary
comfort levels. Fresh air intake must be accounted for in the heat
loss/gain calculations for the building and the heating and cooling
systems must be able to handle this load. |
COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS: Almost every
public building requires a certain amount of fresh air to be introduced
to the building envelope. Building codes usually require 15 cubic
feet per minute (cfm) of air per person. Introducing air from the
free atmosphere into a conditioned building requires a great amount
of design and knowledge to ensure that it will work well with other
air systems such as exhaust hoods. |
RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS:
The construction of the residential envelope is getting tighter
and tighter. Products such as icynene, high density spray, and cellulose
insulations are creating little or no infiltration into the building.
This is great way to reduce the heat loss/gain of a building. However,
fireplaces, gas appliances, and the finishes of a building require
fresh air to function correctly.
In the residential application, we eliminate the bathroom exhaust
fans normally installed by the electrician. We replace these exhausts
with ductwork that will connect to the heat exchanger in an ERV
(energy recovery ventilator) or HRV (heat recovery ventilator) unit.
From the unit, this exhaust will continue and terminate to the free
atmosphere outside. We then bring in fresh air from outside through
ductwork that is also connected to this unit. It crosses through
the heat exchanger, picks up the heat from the outgoing exhaust
air, and is delivered to an alternate location of the building,
or into the supply of the warm air/cooling system. This unit is
then activated with the same electrical switch installation that
would normally power the electrician’s bath fan. In the
summer, operation can be reversed and warm fresh outside air can
be cooled by outgoing cool stale exhaust air.
|
| See our Hydronic
Heating page 1: Hot Water Boilers and Radiant Floor Heating |
