Description
The Best Indoor Pollution Control System
There is no doubt that the best method to clean the air in a room is to remove polluted air and replace it with clean air from outside or some other source. This is the method chosen by ASHRAE the leading source for providing advice and specifications on all things air purification, heating, refrigeration and HVAC in general. The LAC-MAU provides the power to both remove dirty air and bring in clean air. The 900 CFM volume will provide 6 air exchanges for a 1100 square foot space.
Pair Make-Up Air with Air Purification
Adding make-up air to your air purification system is a great way to augment your efforts to provide clean air for any space. Many experts agree that a mix of both air purification and make-up air is a good plan for optimizing the clean air potential in any room. The cost of a mixture of the two technologies is no where as expensive as just make-up air. The amalgamation of the two technologies provides a cleaner and more pleasant indoor environment. Many municipalities require a certain amount of make-up air for commercial locations.
As we help shop owners open new smoking establishments and commercial kitchens we run into reports of occupational permits requiring make-up air. Some municipalities are demanding 100% make-up air. However, 20% seems to be the more common percentage required. The idea of dual technology use is supported by both the International Mechanical Code and ASHRAE .In Standard62.1(2013b). “allows that filtration and air cleaning, together with recirculation, can be used as a substitute for a portion of outdoor air ventilation. This is conditional upon detailed analysis of contaminant sources, rates of contaminant removal by air-cleaning systems.” The international Mechanical Code in their 2021 version, Chapter 4 on ventilation specifically states that recirculation of air that is contained completely within such spaces shall not be prohibited as long as it is popperly purified. This can be found in note b in Table 403.3.1.1
Pointing to this section of the ASHRAE document and the International Mechanical Code is more often then not, enough to get a stubborn building inspector to act in a reasonable manner. We can help you with documentation to help you along as you go through the steps to open your commercial venture.
Three Duct Adapter Sizes
The LakeAir LAC-MUA-900 is available with 3 different duct adapter sizes. These sizes are 12, 10 and 8 inch. The larger the duct size the more air you can efficiently move with your make-up air unit.
The reason air flow drops in duct work is friction. The smaller the duct the larger the amount of friction and the smaller air flow. The type of ductwork makes a difference as well. today the most popular ductwork seems to be flexible round ducting. In comparing the 3 duct adapter sizes available lets look at a 20 foot run of round flexible duct work. The table belows illustrates how the diameter of your air duct and the duct type influence your loss of air flow due to friction.
| Duct Type | Duct Diameter | Duct Length | % of Air Flow Loss to Friction |
| Flexible Round | 12 inch | 20 feet | 0.18% |
| Flexible Round | 10inch | 20 feet | 4% |
| Flexible Round | 8 inch | 20 feet | 13% |
| Sheet metal | 12 inch | 20 feet | .01% |
| Sheet metal | 10 inch | 20 feet | 2.5% |
| Sheet metal | 8 inch | 20 feet | 7% |
Bigger is better and Smooth Surfaces Make a Difference
The table above clearly demonstrates that using a larger duct size is to your advantage. There is almost no loss of air flow in a 12″ inch duct. If you are running a very short length of duct the size is not as important. The longer the run the more friction the air will experience. For instance is our first row where the duct was 12 inch flexible, at 20 feet there was a .018% loss in air flow, when the duct length was increased to 50 feet the percentage of loss went up to 0.44% To get more information you may want to consult an HVAC technician. We will try to help
The friction losses in the top 3 rows are when flexible duct work is used. Because of the way it is constructed the friction is nearly doubled compared to smooth sheet metal ducting. While metal ducting is more costly, it is also twice as efficient. We urge you to take all of these matters into account as you plan your clean air project.
WIFI on Board
All LAC-MUA units are WIFI / Bluetooth capable. There are two ways to order your unit. Your first option is with WIFI ON Board. When you order your make-up air unit like this it will come with a standard 10 foot power cord. Plug the unit in to a 120 volt power source. Install the Smart Life App on your phone or on a tablet you want to use to control your make-up Air unit. you will then be able to pair the units and your device. On / Off and speed control functions will now be controlled by your chosen device.
Wall Switch Control
The other option in ordering your LAC-MAU is wall switch control. In this configuration you will run power to the Make-up air unit through the switch. This allows the unit to be controlled at the switch. You will also be able to control the make-up air unit through the Smart Life App on a phone or tablet. If you have issues with unwanted individuals changing your settings you may need to install a tamper proof box over the controls.
Three Finish Options
The LAC MUA is not intended to be seen by customers or visitors to your smoking establishment. However in some cases it will not be practical to hide the unit. For this reason the LAC MUA is available in material finishes. These choices are Galvanized Steel, Black and White. Galvanized steel is the more affordable option. A black finish will be the easiest to keep clean and hide in a dark ceiling. White is provided as a 3rd option and is the most expensive.
Back Ground Noise Levels
In our product testing we recorded a background noise level of 71.6 decibels. You should note that these readings were taken with the unit on high on both the exhaust and intake ends. It should also be noted that there was no ducting attached to any of the duct adapters. Adding ductwork will greatly reduce the over all noise. In most cases the LAC-MAU will be located away from main traffic areas and not out in the open as it was in our testing. You should experience much quieter conditions when you use this product in a realistic setting.
Dual WIFI vs Single WIFI
The LAC-MUA-900 is available in both dual and single WIFI control. Dual WIFI control costs $50.00 more than single. That $50.00 allows you to balance you system easily. It is possible and probably even likely that your ducting on the fresh air side will be different than the ducting on the exhaust air side. One side will likely encounter more friction than the other. The dual control allows you to balance to two sides. When the exhaust and the intake are out of balance undesirable things can happen. Doors can slam or pop open. Many building codes require that you make-up air be balanced. The dual control option allows this to be easily at a much lower cost than other highly sophisticated systems.
For Exceptionally long runs of ducting add a Power Vent
Some buildings offer little choice where you can exhaust dirty air. It is at times necessary to have very long runs of ducting. To effectively move the dirty air from one end of a building to the other it may be a good idea to add a power vent.
Power vents use a powerful fan to remove the air from a room and send it on its way down the ducting. To achieve the desired affect it might be necessary to incorporate the power vent along with one or more mak up air units.
These multiple units can be controlled together with the WIFI features. If you need help determining whether you needs additional power vents or mak-up air units, contact our technical experts at 800-558-9436.
System Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS
Capacity……………………………………………………. .. 150-900 CFM
Unit size………………………………………………………… 32 x 16 x 12″
Unit weight.. …………………………………………………………….45 lbs.
Shipping weight………………………………………………………..65 lbs.
Power usage…………………………………………… 115VAC / 5 amps
Sound level…………………………………………………….. ..36-72 dB(A)
True Variable Speed………………………………………………… ..1-100%
Duct Sizes……………………………………………………. 8 / 10 / 12 inch
Cabinet finishes………………………… Galvanized / Black and White
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