Is the cooling tower you're considering AS3666 compliant?

Unlike some cooling towers in the market today, our KT range of cooling towers definitely comply with AS 3666. We recently launched this new range of towers, after a lot of time developing the product.

And, paramount among the many considerations we looked at is the compliance to AS3666. You can see in the photo shown here the smooth interior surface and the grade to drain. For more details check out our website by clicking here.

Now to a bee in my bonnet, the lack of policing of the requirements of Australian Standards in the HVAC market. Being an old hand in the industry, I personally know of products sold today that do not comply with AS3666.

Now, you may say that this is a matter of interpretation of the standard, right? I think that it is more than that.

When some of these products are labeled as AS 3666 compliant, when they are sold with rough and ribbed internal surfaces that can never in one's wildest dreams be seen to either grade to drain, or are easily cleanable.

While towers are supposed to be registered through the local council it would appear that very few are actually inspected for compliance to the standards.

The money spent on registration by the owner or the cooling tower should ensure more than just the correct filing place for the paperwork.

There are a few people in our industry that have technical knowledge on towers and the experience to be able to inspect cooling towers for compliance if local councils do not have the man power. Why are these people not being utilized for this task?

I believe this could only be seen as beneficial to our industry.

Next time I’ll get down to performance capabilities of these same towers.

Now for a real cool range of cooling towers

It's been a few years in the planning and development, but finally, it's here: our very own KT cooling tower range. Definitely, the latest and greatest, but I'm biased.

We looked at major issues and concerns facing cooling towers both in Australia and around the world. We studied these one by one and applied advanced 3-D CAD/CAM software to come up with this amazing cooling tower range.

There are more features than you can poke a stick at. Checkout our website by clicking here.

Here are some really noteworthy ones: Modular panel construction. Doesn't sound much, but this lowers manufacturing costs, minimises shipping volumes and reduces assembly time on site. The panels are very lightweight and compact. So, that means easy transport, including through most building lifts.

Made of high performance laminate, which combines the strength of pultruded FRP, with the benefits of chopped strand matt. This gives our towers maximum structural strength. Again, this provides longer service life than what you will find in the market today. And, remember FRP does not corrode.

The towers are an induced draft, counterflow design: the most efficient there is. And, it comes with a small footprint. That's 35% less plan area compared to crossflow towers.

Vertical air discharge reduces the chance of air recirculatin, while simplifying layout considerations.

The KT range has been designed to ensure maximum efficiency with low energy consumption.

More on this amazing towers in my next post.

Meet a different type of air handling unit

Allow me to alert you to something I think is unique in air handling. And, it's one of our products: the F. Muller Air Handling Unit (AHU).

The AHU uses an intelligent control unit (ICU). This can be used as a stand-alone controller, or it can easily be integrated with building management systems, thanks to the built-in RS 485 connection. Interface is easily achieved in botrh new and retrofit situtations.

Programming is done directly through the controller or by using the building management system. Functions include fan blower control, PID control, adjusting setpoint, setting timer to stop/start and so on.

Intelligent control means a user can take full advantage of the in-built energy efficiency. Control precision is + 0.5˚C.

Each F. Muller AHU can be supplied with chilled water control valves, temperature sensors and motor controllers. This simplifies installation, as all that is required, after positioning, is the supply of power and chilled water to the cabinet. Hence, installation time and associated costs are reduced.

Ruggedly built, the AHU has a high strength steel or aluminium alloy structure. Dual skin construction (with foam sandwich) not only helps overall structural strength but also helps provide greater energy efficiency.

F. Muller AHUs are highly efficient and feature low-noise multi-blade centrifugal blowers for extremely quiet operation.

Finally, our units come in three configurations: horizontal, vertical and suspension types. Operatiing modes are total fresh air, total return air or fresh air return. Working range is -20˚C to +40˚C.

Legionaires Disease: Some Thoughts

Legionnaires strikes again. The tabloids have the industry on the run and the general public in a panic about the safety of air conditioning systems.

"Whose cooling tower was it?" will be the most asked question. The real answer to this is: it does not really matter.

No cooling tower manufacturer sells their product with Legionella as part of the purchase.

This latest outbreak will start the push by manufacturers of air cooled and adiabatic systems that only their product is “safe”.

The reality on this side is that because these systems are no where neare as efficient as water cooled systems we use more energy, create more pollutants and we could say ultimately create the potential for harming more people than the number of LD cases recorded each year.

It is about time the industry and in the so called “voice” of the industry, AIRAH start educating the general public rather than let the tabloids run riot. I think the last article I saw AIRAH produce on related topics was no more than a sales article for Muller Industries.

Let me explain something here. It is only when there are outbreaks from HVAC systems that legionella is noteworthy. About two years ago I finally thought that the Legionella “scare tactics” employed by the tabloids to sell their product had run it’s course.

On page 22, in a one column by perhaps 30 lines, there was an article about a case of two people having contracted LD. When I saw the headline I thought “about bloody time” someone had some common sense.

The reality was as I read the article that the people had contracted LD from potting mix.

Why was this LD case relegated to page 22? Simple. Potting mix does not sell papers.

Now let’s get back to the statement I made that cooling tower manufacturers do not sell their product with LD.

So where does Legionella come from? From many sources. You will find that the general consensus about Legionella is that it is a naturally occurring bacteria, found in the soil and ground water.

This has always fascinated me. Consider if you will, a cooling tower situated on the 40-something floor or higher. Where does the soil come from? Dust particles? Surely they would be bone dry. So that leaves water bourne contamination as a possibility. So the logical source of contamination in a lot of cases must be the local water supply.

Interestingly all responsibility for control of the disease has been shifted to the HVAC industry and to building owners. Who actually should be responsible for providing “safe” water?

I’ll leave the industry with those thoughts.

Wireless fan coil unit latest HVAC innovation

In this game, especially of late, there hasn't not been much by way of innovation in HVAC. I don't want to blow my own trumpet but there is one of note at F. Muller, where I work.

I refer to the Wireless Fan Coil Unit (WFCU). Check out this site for more details.

The beauty of these units are that they are more affordable to install and cheaper to maintain.

There are a number of configurations available. And, with remote control you get a flexibility that you cannot find in hard-wired units.

These units also boast a host of features that include: die-cut aluminium ripple fins, that provide more cooling for each unit of energy input
and a unique slit-fin design that allows heat exchange from copper tubes to the air, by creating turbulent air movement flowing over the fins.

It's worth a look if you're in the market for a fan coil unit.

Please feel free to let me have your comments on this unique product.

Till my next post....

What about a board of review?

The recent F. Muller reunion and a discussion with a friend of mine made me realize that our industry could use an independent board of review.

There are many instances where manufacturers or suppliers of equipment face disputes over performance issues. Many times the manufacturer is held to account even when it is not the manufacturer's problem.

The usual leverage used is non-payment for equipment. Many contractors, who have now gone bust, used this ruse to fund their next project.

A board of review I was considering would be set up and paid for by the industry. The panel would be made up of independent experts. People like Clive Broadbent, Terry Watt, Stan Wesley etc. People with a wealth of knowledge and practical ability that could be utilized in many different situations.

What do you think?

F. Muller reunion, why not

The idea of an F Muller re-union is not a new one. On the first of December, 2006, a reunion took place at the Oatley RSL.

Organised by Stan Woods of Soler and Palau and Dennis Greacen. I was there and it was great to catch up with people like Brian Farmer, Teddy McBride, Bob Windwood, Dave Raines, Keith Coil, old Jack or should I say Sir Jack Leslie OA, Mike Leary, Matt Cosgrove, James Demitriou, Carl Sarelius, Glenn Reeves. And, the list goes one.

The wealth of industry knowledge in that room was amazing.

Doing this on a larger scale can only help promote a more contiguous industry.

So, next year (2007), we intend to get this together on a much larger scale, to help promote the industry as a whole.

Your comments are welcome and if you have contacts from F Muller, please get in touch with them and myself. You can also use our website to get in touch with us (see link).

Hope to be hearing from you.