Valance Cooling
Valance Cooling
(OP)
Would anybody on this site have experience with Valance Cooling? See the url in the attachment. Basically, it's a chilled water cooling coil within an aluminum housing, suspended below ceiling height on an exterior wall. No fans.
The concept looks good from an energy use viewpoint, but I question the responsiveness of the system to thermal loads. Condensate may also be a concern. It drips from the coil, onto the internally lined (0.25"/6mm thick rubatex) aluminum housing, and then runs ON TOP OF THE INSULATION to a 3/4"/19mm PVC pipe that is inserted between the insulation and the aluminum housing. The pipe/insulation juncture is then filled with some type of waterproof sealant.
A client would like us to use this in a health care environment, although it looks residential(?) in application to me... The Valance Unit would only handle shell/skin loads, as the room minimum airflow requirements would be handled by a separate conventional supply/return air system.
The concept looks good from an energy use viewpoint, but I question the responsiveness of the system to thermal loads. Condensate may also be a concern. It drips from the coil, onto the internally lined (0.25"/6mm thick rubatex) aluminum housing, and then runs ON TOP OF THE INSULATION to a 3/4"/19mm PVC pipe that is inserted between the insulation and the aluminum housing. The pipe/insulation juncture is then filled with some type of waterproof sealant.
A client would like us to use this in a health care environment, although it looks residential(?) in application to me... The Valance Unit would only handle shell/skin loads, as the room minimum airflow requirements would be handled by a separate conventional supply/return air system.





RE: Valance Cooling
The VA Hospitals have been using passive radiant ceiling panels for heating and cooling at the perimeter - fast response, but no condensation issues, just watch the chilled water temperature and use pipe dewpoint sensors on the CHWS to the radiant panels to avoid condensation potential. And work with the Architect to optimize the window thermal performance, solar performance, and try to get exterior sunshades.
RE: Valance Cooling
I once inherited a Valance design before final submission, I looked at it very closely. I trashed it out (the vendor was furious at me). This thing costs an arm and a leg to do what? cooling?. Nothing justifies its cost. On top of that, you'll get a proprietary system in your hands.
RE: Valance Cooling
As I indicated, I (hope) I'm aware of (most?) of the potential problems. But the client will not take the problem list seriously. "The vendor says it will work fine, and I've seen it in a Retirement Home across state. Do it." And yes, I know that a Retirement Home is a far cry from a JCAHO hospital, but the client/manager chooses to ignore this reality.
This is my dilemma. I'd like to find someone who has actually designed, had a Contractor installed, and then lived with (and maybe dealt with) some of the subsequent problems. With maybe pics of mold inside the Valance units, exterior condensation problems, etc. This Valance system alone is pushing $250,000 for this space, and it frustrates/saddens me to know that it's going to be in the dumpster within a couple years.
At this point about my only option is to write my CMA letters...
RE: Valance Cooling
RE: Valance Cooling