SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS–Attendees at the 2019 AHR Expo held last week got a sneak peek at how Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. is building upon its smart room air-conditioning products. The company plans to unveil the greatest breadth and depth of Wi-Fi-enabled room A/C product options available on the market beginning in 2019.
That includes updates for the popular Friedrich Kühl line, which will now offer integrated Wi-Fi capabilities. Kühl’s advanced connectivity goes beyond enabling customers to remotely control their units via computers and smart phones. With Friedrich Kühl, users can set schedules, and even group multiple units so that they can be singularly controlled as a form of building management, similar to a larger central system.
Friedrich also is incorporating the same advanced technology as part of its WallMaster line this year. Friedrich WallMaster is a through-the-wall A/C unit designed exclusively to fit perfectly into a 27-inch sleeve. That’s essential for New York and other East coast city residents who live in historic buildings or high-rise apartments with existing sleeves that require the right-sized unit.
Integrating Smart Technology
“With other manufacturers, smart technology may be available only for certain A/C models,” said TJ Wheeler, Friedrich VP of Marketing and Product Management. “The fact that we are integrating smart technology throughout more of our product lines—from our largest down to the smallest room A/C units we manufacture—is a huge competitive advantage and a major convenience for customers.”
Friedrich’s Chill and UniFit lines also will have Wi-Fi capabilities beginning in 2019, allowing customers to control their A/C units with their smart devices. With Kühl, WallMaster, Chill and UniFit, customers will be able to choose from Wi-Fi-enabled room A/C unit options ranging from 6,000 to 36,000 BTUs from Friedrich starting this year.
For all of its Wi-Fi-enabled product lines, Friedrich is unveiling an updated, simple-to-use wireless platform interface, making it intuitive for customers to control their A/C units easily via their smart devices and set their comfort level from anywhere, at any time. Friedrich’s new platform also is designed to be compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Home.
“Smart technology not only allows for greater efficiency and control, it’s more convenient and adaptable,” said Wheeler. “That’s why Friedrich has made it a top priority to offer it throughout our product lines, to give consumers more choice and options that are designed to fit with their needs, both now and in the future.”
