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Amana Heat Exchanger to Surpass 2 Million Cycles 2-27-09

Amana Heat Exchanger Nears 2 Million Cycle Mark.

A Record That Surpasses 100 years of Residential Service

By Mark R. Klein, FKM mklein@fkmagency.com

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., February 27, 2009 – Relentlessly, every day, an Amana furnace here turns on, its burners firing full blast until the temperature in the heat exchanger hits a blazing 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, before shutting off and cooling down to 200 degrees – torturous cycle that’s repeated over and over. Sometime this year, that same heat exchanger will surpass the two million cycle mark, a staggering milestone that Amana engineers believe is well in excess of 100 years of typical residential service. It’s an achievement that quite possible represents a heat exchanger lifetime of more than 200 years in Anchorage, Alaska, 300 years in Atlantic City, New Jersey, or even 500 years in Beverly Hills, California. “I think we left the ANSI standard in the dust, “jokes Jim Fisher, product manager-gas furnaces at Goodman Global, Inc., which manufactures the Amana brand of heating and air conditioning systems. Appropriately, Amana brand engineers call their product the Million-Air® Heat Exchanger. If they keep cycling the unit, they may have to rename it the Three

 Million-Air Heat Exchanger. “We started testing our Amana brand heat exchanger to make sure it would surpass the ANSIZ21.47 test of 10,000 cycles for gas-fired furnaces, “Fisher explains, “and we just kept it going. The original unit’s been cycling on and off ever since, repeatedly firing up and then cooling off. ”We are not aware of any other heat exchanger that has ever reached the two million cycle achievement, “Fisher says.

Most Critical Part of Furnace

 Amana Million Air Heat Exchanger.

Heat exchangers are the most critical part of a furnace, subject to extreme temperature cycles that can create significant stress and potential material failure. It’s also where efficiencies or inefficiencies occur with heat transfer. Amana’s patented Million-Air heat exchanger draws on three technologies designed to vastly improve heat transfer by taking advantage of the physical properties of the unit’s stainless steel tubes. “The result is a strong, long-lasting heat exchanger that to our knowledge is the most durable heat exchanger ever produced,” Fisher says. The Million-Air’s stainless steel tubes are formed using wrinkle-bend technology, explains Fisher, “which minimizes the manufacturing stresses that can be placed on the material.” The wrinkles also create turbulence inside the tube – an environment that enhances heat transfer. A dual-diameter tubing design forces hot gasses to pass from larger to smaller diameter tubes, a process that releases heat and increases the velocity of the gas. This, says Fisher, ensures that hotter gas remains in the chamber longer for optimum heat transfer to the home. Muffler-joint technology helps strengthen tube joints in the heat exchanger, as the Million-Air leverages the properties of thermal growth. Where the stainless steel tubes are joined together and to the vestibule panel, the larger tube is drawn to a narrower diameter, and then fitted inside a smaller tube. During operation, the larger tube gets hotter and expands; consequently, the joint becomes stronger. The same thermal principle is employed where the tubes are joined to the vestibule panel.

97% AFUE Rating

 Approaching two million firings, the technology behind the Million-Air’s strength and durability has lived up to the test. Amana brand is known for its industry-leading warranties, and the Million-Air heat exchanger is no exception. A Lifetime Unit Replacement Limited Warranty is offered on any Amana gas furnace with a Million-Air® heat exchanger. Online warranty registration is required within 60 days of installation. The Million-Air is a key feature of all Amana brand gas furnaces including the AMVM96 gas furnace – a fully modulating,  variable-speed, high-performance unit that offers homeowners a 96% AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating, one of the best in the industry. “It’s gratifying to build and sell a heat exchanger that can take a million on-and-off cycles, but it’s amazing to have one that can continue to perform as it approaches two million cycles,” Fisher says. “This is why we get up in the morning. To make reliable products that last and last and last, exceeding the expectations of millions and millions of satisfied homeowners. “For more information on the Amana Million-Air heat exchanger and Amana gas-fired furnaces, visit www.amana-hac.comor call1-888-292-6262.

 About Amana

  Amana ® is a trademark of Maytag Corporation and used under license to Goodman Company, L.P. For more information, dealers can call 888-292-6262, or visit www.amana-hac.com.Houston-based Goodman Global, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning products for residential and light-commercial use. For more information about Goodman Global, Inc., visit www.goodmanglobal.com