Page 38 - Climate Control News August 2021

Indoor Air Quality
Filtration testing lab
A LEADING TESTING, inspection and certifi- cation company, SGS, has opened a new filtra- tion performance laboratory in Suzhou, China.
Strategically located west of Shanghai, this new 2,500 m2 facility significantly expands the company’s capability to provide cutting-edge testing technology and first-class solutions in the filtration industry to its growing customer- base across the region.
The laboratory caters to a wide range of indus- tries with a single focus on filtration testing for compressed air HEPA & ULPA, HVAC & indus- trial air and residential air purification.
General manager of SGS’s Shanghai branch, Mou Qizhi, said the laboratory is the first in Chi-
na to focus on filtration performance testing. The new filtration performance laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art testing equip- ment including: F1977 vacuum cleaner test bench; ISO 11155 automotive air conditioning fil- ter test bench; ISO 16890 air filter test bench; Pa-
las PMFT 1000.
The scope for product testing ranges from
room purifiers, HEPA and ULPA filters, automo- tive cabin air and HVAC testing for residential and commercial applications.
SGS is now seeking to secure A2LA accredita- tion and CNAS accreditation for the new labora- tory later this year.
ABOVE: Inside the SGS laboratory in China.
Don’t be basic, get smart
INSTALLING A NEW ducted air conditioning system is a significant investment and one of the biggest ticket items for newly built homes – but with a bit of ‘smart’ thinking, homeowners can save themselves a lot of cash in the long run.
It’s not uncommon for homeowners to be forced to lay out unnecessary costs to upgrade their air conditioning system because they weren’t across all of their options at the time of install.
And sure, companies like iZone can retrofit existing ducted air conditioning systems with their smart system, but really, who wants to pay more than they should?
Builders usually include an option to install ducted reverse cycle air conditioning for a new home. More often than not, it’s part of a package or as what appears to be a reasonably priced add-
on. Although, what many homeowners don’t know, is that what they’re being given is a very basic model.
Basic systems have a few flaws, including:
• Not being sized for optimal performance and efficiency to accommodate the number of
rooms and family needs.
• Only offering two or three zones when most
homes should be 8-10 zones.
“NOT ALL DUCTED AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS ARE THE SAME.”
• Outdated controllers that lack basic new tech- nology like WiFi/4G and air-flow control.
• Single averaging thermostats which increase running costs.
Installing a smart air conditioning system like
iZone at the time of building a new home, will cost just a few hundred dollars more than a basic air conditioning system.
iZone’s smart air conditioning allows home- owners to control up to 14 different zones and set each area to the exact temperature and air flow they want. iZone’s automation feature means they can heat or cool the areas they need when they need them, ultimately reducing running costs. And all this can be controlled from the convenience of their smart device.
While it is possible to upgrade or retrofit com-
patible ducted air conditioning systems with smart control technology, the costs will be high- er than installing iZone from the outset.
Typically, homeowners will need to pay up- wards of $1000-$1500 to upgrade their system as it usually involves a lot of labour and materi- al costs, such as patching walls, changing duct layouts, adding extra zones, adding WiFi and much more.
There are many reasons for homeowners to do their research before they install what might be their biggest home investment. Without the right system in place, they will be left with a bigger dent in their hip pocket and an air condi- tioning system that can’t be controlled using WiFi, mobile devices, or voice commands. And in today’s world, who doesn’t want more auto- mation in their life?
LEFT: Who doesn’t want more automation in their life?
ABOVE: Good planning means not having to retrofit.
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