What is the least expensive arrangement for a fan coil unit?

a. Plenum Unit
b. Basic Unit
c. Flush Unit
d. Cabinet Style

The answer is simple, because the name is part of one of the above answers.  The answer is (b) Basic Unit, as it only has a fan and a coil and doesn’t include a filter or a cabinet.  The unit is mounted above the ceiling, and air is drawn into the fans through the plenum area above the false ceiling.  There must be an inlet grill and a filter in the false ceiling to allow the return air from the room to flow into the plenum and fans above.

What component of a fan coil unit ultimately defines the height of a horizontal unit above the ceiling? 

a. Coil
b. Filter
c. Motor
d. Fan

The coil and filter can be built to whatever height is required, and the motor is simply a part of the fan assembly.  The answer is (d) Fan, because the housing of the fan has the most height of all the listed components.

When is a belt driven design required over a direct drive design?

a. Need for greater capacity
b. Static pressure implications
c. Motor considerations
d. Increased air flow requirements

The answer is – all the above. Direct drive units have a defined maximum number of rows for cooling and usually have motors for single phase designs. Belt drive units can offer higher external static resistance (extra ductwork, grills, etc.) and can also offer more air flow. Normally, a belt drive unit will have a larger overall size due to the requirements of (a) through (d) above.

True or False?

A cabinet style unit is the same as a basic unit but has an insulated cabinet surrounding it?

a. True
b. False

The cabinet style unit has the same internal fans, motors, and coils as the basic unit. Therefore, the answer is (a) True. Cabinet style units are used more often, because they are quieter. The downside to cabinet style units is that they require increased height, which is not always available.

Why does a vertical floor cabinet unit always have its air supply delivered through the top of the unit?

a. Maximum height restrictions
b. Cooling coil implications
c. Filter implications
d. Cabinet arrangement requirements

All the above are correct.  They are all reasons why the top discharge is required on this style of unit.  The bottom air inlet into the unit defines the filter and cooling coil mounting that is required to meet the maximum depth of the unit design.  The fan must be in a blow through pattern across the cooling coils.  Most heights for these units are a maximum of 25” tall.  Once all these components are set in place, then the discharge must be through the top to stay within the 25” height criteria.

Southwest Coil Company’s Monthly – “We got a beef!”

Fan coil selection is predicated on the sales engineer being provided with reliable, accurate information.  Many times, this is not the case.  Inaccurate static pressure and cooling load requirements are often not realistic causing oversized units to be selected.  Guessing versus professional analysis creates a lot of unnecessary problems.

And one more thing!

With our decades of knowledge and experience, we can make accurate selections for you while providing the fastest shipments in the industry.  We have standard shipments in the range of 8 to 10 weeks, and expedited shipments are available in either 10 or 20 working days.