CHICAGO—For the lodging, multi-family and commercial building industry, it’s sure to be a breath of fresh air when Friedrich, a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of heating, cooling and other air-conditioning products, launches its new PTAC system at this year’s AHR Expo in Chicago, January 22 to 24.
Called Friedrich FreshAire PTAC, the company is once again pioneering what’s possible for achieving exceptional indoor air quality by introducing the first-ever PTAC to combine an energy efficient inverter compressor with the ability to bring in conditioned make-up air (MUA).
Friedrich FreshAire PTAC is a game-changer for being able to meet ASHRAE 62.1-2013 standards, which require bringing in a specific amount of outdoor air and providing MERV 8 filtration—something that in the past only could be achieved with much larger, more complex and expensive systems. The new Friedrich unit is the only PTAC to incorporate a MERV 8 filter for outdoor air, greatly reducing air particles, allergens and other air impurities brought into the space. Unlike other PTAC units on the market that ineffectively try to improve air quality with inferior secondary refrigeration systems that also increase energy consumption, Friedrich’s FreshAire PTAC makes it convenient for property owners to deliver outstanding room by room indoor air quality, easily and efficiently.
Comfort Level Increased
“FreshAire PTAC not only saves building owners money over the long run, but also greatly increases the comfort of occupants,” said TJ Wheeler, Friedrich V.P. of Marketing and Product Management. “We’re proud to be able to offer a simple, convenient and reliable solution designed to meet the highest standards for indoor air quality in the industry today.”
Easy to install and maintain, cost effective and simple to operate, Friedrich is the first large-scale air-conditioning manufacturer to incorporate inverter compressor technology into a PTAC system. Thanks to Friedrich’s Precision Inverter compressor with variable speed technology, the units are designed to deliver only the amount of cooling or heating needed for the room at any given time, saving energy and money while maintaining even, consistent temperatures. Other benefits include improved dehumidification as compared to single speed PTACs. The inverter compressor also operates quietly by eliminating the abrupt starts and stops to ensure the ultimate comfort of guests and residents.
FreshAire PTAC with Precision Inverter compressor technology makes it simple for property owners to get what they need: Friedrich offers just two capacity options that can deliver the lowest and highest capacity on the market.
Friedrich Introduces Advanced Dehumidification Option for VRP
The inspiration behind Friedrich’s FreshAire PTAC is based on the company’s award-winning VRP (Variable Refrigerant Packaged) Heat Pump system. Introduced in 2017, VRP also utilizes Precision Inverter Compressor technology that combines variable refrigerant flow technology with the convenience and simplistic design of a closet-mounted single packaged unit. The Friedrich VRP FreshAire system was named a 2017 AHR Expo finalist in the Indoor Air Quality category.
This year, Friedrich unveils a new dehumidification option for VRP solving a major issue for property owners in high humidity regions, like the Gulf Coast, South and Midwest, where warm, moist air can cause significant maintenance issues and increase mold, unpleasant odors and allergens.
By utilizing a hot-gas reheat circuit, the new VRP dehumidification option borrows energy that is wasted in a typical air-conditioning cycle, and uses it to reheat the return air so the unit can continue to dehumidify longer. Combined with the exceptional make-up air capabilities and other indoor air quality advantages that come standard, VRP is a simple, flexible, easy to install and maintain in-closet solution that eliminates the need for costly and complicated large, specialized systems.
“At Friedrich, we’re always pushing the limits on how we can improve air quality while delivering outstanding comfort,” said Wheeler. “Our new VRP dehumidification option has made what was already an exceptional air-conditioning solution even better.”
