Johnson Controls unveiled its new Vertical Stacked Water-Source Heat Pump Sound Room in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. The Sound Room contains two working Johnson Controls vertical stacked water-source heat pump units, allowing customers to experience first-hand the best-in-class sound performance of the high-efficiency 13 EER model and the premium-efficiency 16 EER model in a residential setting.

“Johnson Controls is the only manufacturer to offer two performance platforms for water-source heat pumps,” said Karl Washburn, principal engineer, acoustics, Building Technologies & Solutions at Johnson Controls. “Both units are engineered and manufactured to minimize noise and have undergone independent sound testing according to AHRI 260. The new Sound Room complements our recently released Sound Application Guide for the vertical stacked heat pump and gives customers the opportunity to listen to the units before purchasing them.”

The quiet operation of VS-WSHPs can be attributed to cabinets that are isolated from the wall structure to prevent vibration and noise transmission. The optional isolated chassis further reduces noise and vibration to contribute to a quieter, more comfortable environment for occupants and a more marketable facility for building owners.

Designed to replicate a room in a condominium, the 250-square-foot Sound Room demonstrates one of several applications for VS-WSHPs that also include high-rise apartments, dormitories, renovated office space, assisted living communities and other multi-story buildings with repeating floor patterns, as well as the replacement market.

“High-rise construction, whether two stories or twenty stories, presents unique HVAC challenges,” said Dan Tyson, product manager, Indoor Packaged Equipment, Johnson Controls. “The challenge is to maximize floor space for occupants and still create efficiencies during and after construction. Our vertical stacked heat pumps feature design and construction details that provide the flexibility you need—things like a compact footprint, the flexibility and comfort of a four-pipe fan coil system at the cost of a two-pipe system, optional individual tenant metering and easy service access.”