News

Intelligent Residential Control Introduced By Carrier (27/1/2004)

Residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) just got infinitely smarter, with the introduction of the new-generation Infinity(tm) System and Infinity Control from Carrier Corporation.

As the command center for Carrier's Infinity System of furnace and air conditioning products, the Infinity Control is the first device to integrate and manage all six core comfort functions -- temperature, humidity, air flow, ventilation, indoor air quality and zoning -- into a single unit, optimizing efficiency for the greatest savings in energy costs. It also provides unprecedented comfort and diagnostic capabilities.

With its large, illuminated display, it is the easiest programmable control to use, and the first to allow a homeowner to program an entire week's "comfort schedule" using plain language prompts. It is also the first to monitor a system and provide prompts concerning furnace and air conditioner maintenance issues along with the phone number of an authorized dealer. The new and exclusive TrueSense(tm) dirty-filter detection alerts users when their air filter is actually dirty and needs to be changed, without the need for extra sensors.

The Infinity control is also the first that will have the ability to "phone home" if there is a system problem, via a Remote Access Kit available in mid-2004. In the event of service need, the system will automatically contact the dealer or homeowner through a wireless network and generate a phone and e-mail message.

"It's smart home technology that can be applied in any home in 2004," said Frank Hartman, vice president and general manager, Carrier Residential Sales and Marketing.

The Infinity Control is designed for use with Carrier's top-of-the-line, Infinity variable-speed furnaces, but any Carrier air conditioner or heat pump, including those from the Infinity series, may be added. The control can also detect Infinity series equipment and manage other system components, such as zoning, humidifiers, ventilation systems, air cleaners and ultraviolet germicidal lamps.

It features a large, easy-to-read display (2.5-by-3 in.) and intuitive buttons and prompts that make operation and programming simple -- truly an industry first. Vacation set-up is easy and, with optional zoning, up to eight zones can be named to correspond with parts of the home, as opposed to numbered the way conventional systems operate. Owners now have the ability to control air circulation through multiple fan speed selections.

A Focus on Homeowner Ease of Use

"Programmable thermostats have been around for many years to help homeowners reduce utility costs at night when they are sleeping or during the day when they aren't home," Hartman said.

"In spite of their potential to significantly save homeowners on their annual energy consumption, they have not been widely embraced by consumers or dealers. This is largely due to the devices being perceived as too complicated for consumers to understand and program, and for dealers to configure and install.

"The Infinity Control's intuitive design means that the homeowner no longer needs to spend hours with an instruction manual to program the system."

Other firsts that help simplify installation and maintenance include: "Plug-n-Play and Walk-Away" automatic system configuration; plain language system diagnostics; memory to display run and fault history; and automatic duct assessment, in which the system measures, regulates and calibrates air flow to each zone daily. The new control uses a standard four-wire connection to the furnace, compared with its predecessor, which could require up to 11 wires.

www.carrier.com