We present a list of the main applications for smartphones and tablets designed by air conditioning and refrigeration manufacturers, which have different characteristics ideal for the user.
by Duván Chaverra Agudelo
In recent years we see how technology, in all aspects, advances by leaps and bounds and surprises us with launches and innovations that always seek to offer more advantages and comforts to users.
The HVAC/R sector is no stranger to this phenomenon, and year after year different advances are known, mostly directed towards energy efficiency, environmental care and comfort. However, even these three aspects do not end up satisfying the constant needs of the client and therefore, with the arrival of smart phones and tablets and their massification, users and companies understood that there was a new market niche, still very little explored, but with an immense added and complementary value for the equipment that is marketed.
Then the manufacturers of our industry understood that they had to be protagonists and that was how the applications (Apps) were born in which you can control the installed equipment remotely, make calculations, know new trends, and further strengthen the brand-customer relationship.
Next, we will present some of the most outstanding Apps of the companies in the sector, both for Apple's iOS system and for the Android system integrated in different mobile brands.
Apps from manufacturers
Danfoss, for example, has nine different applications, according to the needs: Danfoss IR, KoolApp, FittersApp, Installer App, Kool Code, Kool App Compass, CoolGame 2, ECL Comfort 310 Portal and Butler App.
One of the most striking is the KoolApp, Refrigerant Rule that uses the smartphone as a fast and easy-to-use temperature pressure converter. It is designed for installers, distributors and manufacturers of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, but can also be useful for professionals from other industries and students.
For its part, the KoolApp Compass provides an easy and quick way to search the most complete compressor comparison database on the market. It allows you to search for any compressor, regardless of its brand, and get the best alternative according to the needs.
Other prominent applications of this company serve as identifiers of problems and errors; there is even a knowledge game on industrial refrigeration to compete with colleagues (CoolGame 2).
Similarly, Lennox Industries has designed a group of Apps called, Lennox, Lennox iComfort and Lennox ComfortCenter.
The most recent is Lennox iConfort, which allows you to control the temperature in a house from anywhere in the world using intuitive temperature dials. It also allows you to mark the thermostat to save energy for as long as the user is not at home. For the use of this application you must have a Lennox iComfort Wi-Fi thermostat.
Carrier, on the other hand, has for the Android and iOS operating system a list of seven applications: Carrier Rooftops, Airflow Calculator, Carrier Chillers, MyInfinitve Touch, Carrier Commercial Literature, Totaline Mobile Technician and Totaline Mobile Technician HD.
The Airflow Calculator application stands out, which seeks to give the user a guide through the airflow measurement process and that allows him to automatically calculate the air flow in a round or square duct. The user can use a Pitot tube or anemometer. Upon entering the size of the duct, the program will automatically calculate the number of holes in the probe and their locations. After entering the probe measurements, the airflow is calculated and saved. The application explains the process step by step.
Also striking is the Carrier Rooftops App that allows users anywhere in the United States or Canada to carry out the on-site selection of rooftop units, both for replacement and for new construction, and also estimates the energy savings through one of its lines. Users can enter an existing Carrier or competing equipment unit or model number and obtain the model according to their needs.
Meanwhile, Daikin has its official application for both platforms called Daikin ENVi Intelligent Thermostat. It is a controller for the residential sector adaptable to all comfort settings: temperature, weekly schedule, holiday calendar, as well as weather forecast. The user receives their own secure and customized web interface to make the changes they want, from wherever they are.
For its part, Emerson offers a package of five applications: HVAC Check & Charge, Emerson PT Pro, WRMobile, Emerson X-Check, Vilter Docs.
Highlights include the Emerson PT Pro app, which offers access to temperature and pressure conversions. With this application the user can select a refrigerant and write a temperature (in C or F) and see what a saturated pressure would be (in BAR or Psig). You can also introduce a pressure and see what the saturation temperature is for that pressure.
In air conditioning, Samsung offers the Smart Air Conditioner app, which offers the ability to control the brand's smart air conditioner. With the smart device the user will be able to turn off or on the equipment without any problem from outside the home. This function is only applicable to Samsung cassette and duct type air conditioning models.
The Brazilian controls company Full Gauge also has its application called Sitrad. This is the mobile version of the remote management software of the company's controls. With this application, the user manages remote installations, intervening and modifying variables or functions of the controllers in industrial, commercial and residential systems, such as cold rooms and air conditioning.
Bitzer is no stranger to technology and features its Bitzer Refrigerant Reference Tool application. It is a refrigerant temperature pressure ratio application that focuses on the most common refrigerants found in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry. Instead of scrolling through many rarely used refrigerants, this app offers users the ability to select the refrigerants they want. In addition, it is a PT application with the possibility of using metric and imperial units at the same time.
Trane also joined the mobile trend through its Tracer BAS Operator Suite app, which works with the company's automation systems controller called Tracer SC. Some of the features of the application include: alarm manager, observe the active and historical alarms in your system, their severity and and the reason that generated the alarms; recognize new alarms and add comments for others to see, keep the alarm log tidy, with the delete alarm function; respond to cold/heat calls by adjusting setpoints, prioritizing equipment and occupancy.
Finally, it is important to note that when visiting the application stores and putting keywords such as "HVAC", "air conditioning", "refrigeration", you will find countless additional applications designed by the users themselves that can also be useful according to the needs. It is advisable to read the comments before accessing them, as many can include viruses that damage computers.
