The Benefits of Being Left High and Dry
Standing water in a drain pan is one of the most nefarious villains in the IAQ battle and it has been an especially formidable foe in horizontal fan coil applications. By fostering the development of rust, algae and microbial growth, it can contribute to clogged drain lines and earn a vile reputation for annoying odors and even allergy-related health problems.
Clogged drain lines can cause overflowing drain pans, which in turn can lead to ceiling damage or warpage of whatever structural material happens to be underneath the coil.
In 1990, Carrier had made significant improvements to its vertical drain pans, and an ongoing effort to incorporate customer-recommended upgrades led to a total redesign of the horizontal drain pans. The solution to standing water problems was to design a horizontal drain pan so effective that it optimized water drainage and virtually eliminated standing water. Thats exactly what Carrier has done in its new fan coil designs.
Skis and Slopes
The new horizontal drain pans for Carriers FK, FC, FB, FA and FH fan coils are now made from Lexan®, a tough, corrosion-resistant thermoplastic material that is injection-molded with special aerodynamic sculpting to optimize water drainage. (Lexan® has earned a solid reputation for durability in applications like bullet-proof glass and football helmets.)
Drain pans for the A coils have also been slanted to direct water away from the blower and toward the drain fitting. Drain pans on Slope coils now feature a ski that elevates one end of the pan, facilitating drainage. On both designs, the drain fitting itself has been relocated for better drainage. The fittings include a brass insert, which helps prevent installers from cracking the fitting or the pan by over-tightening the fitting connection.
Power-Packed Additions
In addition to the redesign of the drain pans, Carrier has made other fan coil improvements, including factory-supplied cleanable filters for the FK, FC, FB and FH models. Insulation has also been upgraded on the same models to foil-faced high-density insulation. The new insulation not only provides better resistance to heat loss for each inch of thickness, it also is easier to keep clean and free of condensate build-up.
Power plugs have also been incorporated into the redesigned FK, FC, FB and FH fan coils, in response to customer feedback. The plugs make it more convenient for the installer or service tech to connect electrical power to the fan coil control board.
The improvements Carrier has made in the fan coils are a direct response to customer feedback, and they offer homeowners significant IAQ benefits as well as enhanced reliability.