Published: 18. 08. 2016 - 12:24 The advances in technology within trench heating and cooling has allowed consultants to design more sophisticated heating and cooling systems within modern buildings. With this in mind, it has become necessary to formulate a new testing standard aimed at trench heating and cooling. The new testing standard is the BS EN 16430 “Fan assisted radiators, convectors and trench convectors”. This standard has far reaching implications for the building services industry. Finally trench heating and trench cooling systems of different manufacturers are comparable with each other. This new standard will provide planning security for these systems to consultants and architects.
This new standard consists of the three parts:
Part 1: Technical specifications and requirements,
Part 2: Test method and rating for thermal output,
Part 3: Test method and rating for cooling capacity,
and should have been given the status of a national standard in all EU-member states by June 2015 latest.
The aim of the BS EN 16430 is to determine
- performance data, to allow a like for like comparison between different products of different manufacturers.
- provide technical data for the design of the systems according to the project-specific requirements.
The new standard not only deals with the thermal performance of a unit. Also the quality of the products itself will be looked at. This includes e.g. the requirement of pressure testing of all coils/convectors and electrical and mechanical safety of the units according to the EN 60335-2-80 and EN ISO 12499. For fan assisted units, the manufacturers have to test and publish noise power data at various fan speeds. This is a significant information, as units should be selected against the thermal requirements of the project, not exceeding the noise criteria in this project. Latest EC-fan-technology allows the use of fan assisted units, even in residential buildings with strictest noise requirements. The thermal performance test will be carried out in a test chamber, known from the BS EN 442, dealing with radiators and convectors. As with the BS EN 442 the new BS EN 16430 for trench systems bases all thermal performances on the reference air temperature. This is a temperature measured 2 metres away from the perimeter, in a height of 750mm above finished floor level. This makes sure that the products provide the performance in the area occupied by persons. Do not mix the reference air temperature with the entering air temperature into the coil. Specially in cooling mode, there can be a significant difference between these two temperatures, ending with the conditions in the occupied area being very different from what expected from your client.
To make sure, the products you selected are in line with the BS EN 16430, the actual testing standard for trench heating and trench cooling systems, please ask the manufacturer for the CE Declaration of conformity for the product. The BS EN 16430 should be mentioned in this document, if the units are tested in accordance.
Detailled information about the new BS EN 16430 testing standard are available here:
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