FAN COILS AND CHILLED BEAMS
John Lightfoot, director of Quartz looks at the basics of chilled water fan coil units.
Back to basics T
o start this introduction to chilled water fan coils let’s use the CIBSE definition to describe what a chilled water fan coil is: ‘a package assembly comprising coil(s), condensate tray collection, circulating fan & filter, all contained within a single housing’.
Horizontal ducted units
The most popular type of fan coil used in the UK, it has the advantage of being hidden above the ceiling, which places it out of sight and also helps to reduce the sound level experienced in the conditioned space.
It allows ceiling grilles to be strategically placed to provide air distribution that will not cause draughts. Condensate pipework that would otherwise be unsightly under the ceiling can easily be accommodated out of sight above the false ceiling or alternatively pumped away with the assistance of a small condensate pump.
Cassettes
This variant of fan coils is designed to fit easily into a false ceiling tile grid providing ease of installation thus reducing installation costs. It will normally produce slightly higher sound levels than its ducted equivalent but provides an optimum balance of aesthetics and ease of installation. The better designed cassettes have discharge air vanes that are designed to make the most of the ‘Coanda’ effect which keeps the cool discharge air ‘hugging’ the ceiling thus helping to avoid creating cold drafts.
Wall mounted units
Wall mounted units are available in several variations, the main two being high level and low level units. High-Level units with front top discharge are very popular where there is a false ceiling which has insufficient height to fit horizontal ducted units. Normally the cases of surface mounted fan coils are made as small as possible, simply so they can fit into as many places as possible. This compactness however quite often prevents any controls or larger sized valves being fitted inside the cabinet which means when these units are fitted just below a false ceiling level their controls and valves can be fitted out of sight within the false ceiling.
Low-level units with top discharge can often take up floor space which can be unpopular with landlords and their tenants, so tend to be avoided if at all possible. In some cases, however, the only route possible for pipework is at a low level which leads the designer to select low-level units so the amount of pipework visible is kept to a minimum.
Ceiling mounted units
Ceiling mounted units are commonly used where either a false ceiling is not available, or if it is available, the ceiling void is so shallow it is impossible to fit a ducted fan coil unit within it. If a false ceiling is not available, consideration will have to be given to the services (pipework and electrics) connecting to the fan coil. A further consideration will be to ensure the discharge grille is a sufficient distance from the
Non-To o
38 June 2017
Toxic Process Co
oolin
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Hydratech DTXDTX
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