Friedrich Recognized for Solving Major IAQ Challenges Facing Lodging Industry – HVACNews

Company Pushes Room A/C Boundaries with Award-Winning, Patented Options.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – January 31, 2022 —From pathogens to airborne pollutants, one of the toughest challenges for today’s lodging industry is how best to ensure comfort and safety of guests by improving indoor air quality (IAQ).

Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. is helping address these issues head on with some of the most advanced, award-winning room-by-room IAQ solutions, specifically designed for lodging and multi-family properties.

That includes the Friedrich FreshAire™ PTAC. Most recently, this cutting-edge PTAC unit captured top honors in Engineering Systems’ 2021 Commercial Comfort Product of the Year competition in the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)/Ventilation category. The award recognized FreshAire PTAC’s innovative make-up air capability, industry leading MERV-8 filtration, and a full suite of new FreshAire™ IAQ accessory options that work to kill mold, bacteria and viruses.

The patented make-up air capability of the FreshAire PTAC helps solidify Friedrich’s leadership as one of the first companies in the U.S. to offer advanced, comprehensive room-by-room air conditioning solutions that meet rigorous standards for delivering safer, healthier indoor air. As an all-in-one HVAC and IAQ solution, FreshAire PTAC also offers simple installation and maintenance, providing lodging properties with a cost-effective option that helps decrease reliance on whole building dedicated outdoor air (DOAS) systems.

“For the lodging industry, Friedrich offers solutions that are highly localized and customizable in ways that central systems simply can’t match or are not practical to use,” said TJ Wheeler, Friedrich Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing. “And in situations where you don’t necessarily want to circulate air throughout an entire building—such as when trying to prevent the spread of pathogens—room by room A/C units with advanced IAQ capabilities are particularly effective.”

Other industry-leading IAQ options designed for the lodging industry include Friedrich’s award-winning VRP® (Variable Refrigerant Packaged) Heat Pump single packaged, in-closet system. Friedrich VRP now comes in three sizes with its newest space-saving 7,000Btu version.

Designed to accommodate the latest trends in the lodging industry where smaller, better insulated rooms are increasingly common, the smaller one-ton unit called VRP® studio takes up less space and provides precise heating, cooling and dehumidification capabilities. Like Friedrich’s larger two- and three-ton units, VRP studio allows for customized comfort and sophisticated indoor air quality performance in compliance with ASHRAE 62.1 requirements for MUA (make-up air) to help create quieter, cleaner and more comfortable environments while also offering simplified installation and maintenance benefits.

Now available with Friedrich’s enhanced FreshAire IAQ options, VRP units incorporate the latest design and best practices for exceptional indoor air quality with powerful MUA capabilities, enhanced MERV 13 filtration, air purification and UV-C technologies to help eliminate pathogens and pollutants. Patented technology uses Friedrich’s Precision Inverter® compressor and main cooling system to optimize temperature and humidity level of incoming air.

“From budget friendly motels to luxury resorts, how to deliver better quality IAQ is the new normal for all lodging properties,” said Wheeler. “We’re proud to be able to offer effective and efficient solutions that maximize safety, comfort and peace of mind for property owners and their guests alike.”

SOURCE: Friedrich Air Conditioning Co.