07/10/2009
AHRI Coil Delisting & Update
AHRI Coil Delisting - An Update
HARDI Members,
On June 29th AHRI issued notification of changes to the Unitary Small Equipment Certification Program and on July 2nd issued a directive entitled "Frequently Asked Questions About Recent Changes to AHRI Unitary Small Equipment Section's Mix-Match Coil Certification". On July 1st HARDI issued a letter of objection to AHRI requesting they reconsider the July 15 effective date, and later ACCA sent a similar request. (Click here to view HARDI documents.)
Subsequent follow-up conversations with AHRI produced indication that no change to the effective date would be forthcoming and then today ACCA and HARDI received the same formal response from AHRI. (Click Here to view the entire response letter.)
HARDI continues to be in opposition to the decision with deep concerns for the conflicts and inconveniences that will be imposed upon our members and the industry as a whole. Short of a miracle HARDI members have no recourse but to continue to work with their suppliers, an effort which I know began the day the initial notification was issued.
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As a point of information please be aware that ACCA has advised their members to take the following actions in regard to this issue.
1. Print out any AHRI certifications that support your equipment combinations -- quickly, before they go away.
2. Contact your local utilities or other program administrators regarding consumer rebate programs, and ask them what appropriate documentation they will need to safeguard rebates for your customers who have purchased combinations affected by AHRI's change.
3. Contact your distributors and/or OEMs and ask for appropriate documentation to demonstrate matched system performance.
We will continue to keep you informed of any further development.
Regards,
Don
Donald L. Frendberg, Exec. VP/COO
dfrendberg@hardinet.org
Alert to HARDI Wholesalers of HVACR Systems
July 2, 2009
On June 29, 2009 AHRI issued the following directive to its members participating in its Unitary Small Equipment Certification Program for Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps:
"Effective July 15, 2009, coil-only ratings in the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance will be limited to coil-only ratings developed from system manufacturers' highest sales volume tested combinations (HSVTC) and cannot be more than 6 percent greater than the HSVTC. Mix-match coil-blower combinations will be delisted unless the manufacturer listing the system either manufactures the coil-blower unit or the system is rated no more than 6 percent greater than the clearly specified system manufacturers' certified combination. These changes will remain in effect until the Unitary Small Equipment Section's certification program Operations Manual is revised to address the issues in the mix-match coil Coil-Blower certification program.
What this means for system manufacturers and independent coil manufacturers (ICMs) is that by July 15, 2009, they will be responsible for reviewing their listings in the AHRI Directory to determine if they comply with the 6 percent threshold. If they do not comply, they must be re-rated or they will be de-listed. The words "clearly specified" in the above statement mean that records between system manufacturers and ICMs manufacturers must exactly match – i.e., the furnace, air-handler, and condensing unit model numbers must exactly match."
Upon learning of this directive HARDI sent a letter of protest to AHRI citing issues with the established timelines and requesting an extension until December 31, 2009. Additionally we expressed concern that HARDI was not involved in the decision process which dramatically affects many of our members and the industry.
Click Here to view HARDI's letter.
Prior to the receipt of our letter AHRI issued the following to answer any further questions with regard to their directive:
Frequently Asked Questions About Recent Changes to AHRI Unitary Small Equipment Section's Mix-Match Coil Certification
Q: What can I do about inventory in my warehouse that has been de-listed from the AHRI Directory?
A: De-listing from the AHRI Directory does not mean that affected products cannot continue to be sold into the marketplace. The only difference is that they are not listed at this time as being AHRI certified, i.e., verifying the performance stated by the manufacturer.
Q: I am in the process of installing a tax credit-eligible system, but the listing for the system was just removed from the AHRI Directory. Can my customer still get a tax credit?
A: The product manufacturer continues to be responsible for claims related to performance. As before, the final determination of tax credit eligibility is made by the IRS, and the taxpayer remains responsible for having the appropriate documentation to support a claim for a tax credit.
Q: Why is AHRI taking the step of de-listing some mix-match coil combinations from its directory?
A: The dramatic increase in the number of mix-match coil combinations entered into our directory by manufacturers has overwhelmed our ability to conduct our normal testing procedures to assure the manufacturer's stated performance. The Department of Energy requires special scrutiny of combinations having coil-only ratings that are more than six percent above the system manufacturers' ratings. AHRI has decided to de-list products that exceed that threshold until a process has been established that provides the additional testing required to verify the performance levels.
Q: What criteria do coil combinations have to meet to be listed in the directory?
A: Mix-match coil listings in the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance will be limited to coil-only ratings developed from system manufacturers' highest sales volume tested combinations (HSVTC) and cannot be more than 6 percent greater than the HSVTC. Mix-match coil-blower combinations will be delisted unless the manufacturer listing the system either manufactures the coil-blower combination or the system is rated no more than 6 percent greater than the clearly specified system manufacturers' certified combination.
Q: Where does the not-greater-than 6 percent threshold come from?
A: It was established by the U.S. Department of Energy, which requires documentation to justify ratings greater than 6 percent higher than the rated efficiency of the HSVC unit. (Source: 72 FR 59906, October 22, 2007)
Q: Why did AHRI choose to take this action now?
A: This action was taken in response to a dramatic increase in recent months in
product listings entered in the AHRI directory by participants in this certification program creating a concern that these listing could not be adequately verified under the current program procedures. AHRI and the program participants have been working on modifying the program procedures and have been given a deadline by the AHRI Executive Committee of October 1, 2009 to complete this work.
In subsequent conversation with a representative of AHRI I can only conclude that no immediate changes will be forthcoming from AHRI on this subject, if at all.
Donald L. Frendberg, Executive Vice President / COO |
