Air distribution guide – Rinnai 37AHB SERIES User Manual
Page 29

Rinnai Corporation Hydronic Furnace (37AHB) Manual
29
Air Distribution Guide
Hydronic Furnace, He/ She should adhere to the 
following basic rules whenever possible. 
 
1. Duct joints shall be, as a rule, sealed to prevent 
leakage of air which may cause objectionable sound. 
2. Round ducts are favored to rectangular (on the 
supply side) as they offer greater rigidity and higher 
efficiency. 
3. Fitting selection and placement should also be 
carefully studied as the correct fitting and its location 
will avoid excessive pressure drops and likely noise 
problems. 
4. Figures 25 and 26 illustrate the critical distance as 
regards high velocity ducting system design. 
Additionally, when laying out the header section for a 
typical high velocity system, the following factor must 
be considered: 
Unless space conditions dictate otherwise, the 
take-off from the header should be made using a 
90 
o
tee or 90
o
conical tee rather than a 45
o
tee.
By using 90
o
fittings, the pressure drop to the
branch throughout the system is more uniform. In 
addition, two fittings are normally required when a 
45
o
tee is used and only one when a 90
o
fitting is
used, resulting in lower first cost.
 
Practically speaking, the design of a high velocity 
system is basically the same as a low velocity duct 
system. If concerns about noise were not a factor, 
duct runs could be sized according to the smallest 
permissible duct diameter which would be governed 
only by the available external static pressure. In 
opposition, since noise reduction is paramount in 
residential designs, the designer must take special 
care to ensure that all duct sizes are compatible with 
velocity limits that are associated with both the 
discharge and return sides of the planned system. 
 
To all intents and purposes, duct sizing calculations 
are based on fan performance and air side accessory 
pressure drop data that are provided by original 
equipment manufacturers. The importance of 
ensuring that the total pressure drop of the longest 
circulation path does not exceed the available static 
pressure and that velocities does not exceed the 
recommended limits cannot be overstated as these 
will ensure a quieter system that will deliver the 
required capacity to a given space. 
It is absolutely overriding for the designer to verify 
available static pressure for both supply and return 
ducts. The following tables (tables 3 and 4) provide 
information about duct sizing (specific to hi-velocity 
system) and the redesigned 37AHB series furnaces 
respectively. 
 
To employ table 3 the designer must have generated 
at least the following information: total system required 
airflow (in CFM), and maximum number of 3 inch 
diameter supply legs based on 50 CFM per leg. 
 
Table 4 “Specification Sheet” summarizes the 
performance and other technical characteristics of the 
37AHB series furnaces and their subsystems. 
 
Some specification numbers are generated by 
numerical methods and are therefore statistical means 
based on the testing of three or more samples. 
Use both tables in conjunction with good engineering 
practice together with all codes and ordinances having 
jurisdiction.
Figure 25:
Recommended Critical Distance between Elbows and 90
O
Tees for a Typical High Velocity System
.
Figure 26:
Recommended Critical Distance between Elbows and 90
O
Conical Tees for a Typical High Velocity System.
