The Hotline Newsletter

Summer 2004

That Heater is "Just Like Cambridge"

We hear this comment a lot from competitors, engineers, contractors and building owners who think another brand of space heating equipment is "just like" Cambridge. Don't be misled. Other heaters may be described in similar terms or even look similar but the patented technology inside a Cambridge S-Series Heater is quite different. No other space heater can match the low operating costs and overall performance of a Cambridge high efficiency, Blow-Thru® space heater for large commercial and industrial building applications.

Here are a few fictitious "Just Like Cambridge" comments you might hear that are a dead giveaway something's not right:

Fiction: That other heater has been tested and certified (by CSA, ETL or UL) to ANSI Standard Z83.4 and the nameplate shows a 160°F max temperature rise, so it is "just like Cambridge".

Fact: Many manufacturers are certified to the new ANSI Standard Z83.4, but only Cambridge Space Heaters have been tested and certified to the maximum 160°F rating that covers both temperature rise and discharge temperature.

The Cambridge heater can take 0°F inlet air and heat it through a 160°F temperature rise to achieve a max discharge temperature of 160°F. Beware; some manufacturers are now artificially raising their ratings by "pulling a fast one". The max discharge temperature rating for their heater is still only 120°F, but now their specs, quotes and nameplates say 160°F max temperature rise is available, but they don't tell you it is based on -40°F inlet air. In other words, if it ever gets any warmer than -40°F, forget it. They can't match the Cambridge performance because their draw-thru heater design is only certified for 120°F max discharge temperature.

The heater's max temperature capability is crucial for space heating applications. Higher temperature ratings translate into a better BTU/CFM ratio, smaller units, lower horsepower motors, the need to heat less outside air and lower operating costs.

Only Cambridge can have the heater nameplate show 160°F for both discharge temperature and temperature rise as shown below:

Fiction: I can match the Cambridge S-Series MBH (Burner Input) and CFM (Blower) capacities that are specified for your job with my "draw-thru" heater system and the building owner won't know the difference.

Fact: No way that can happen! The Cambridge S-Series Heater uses "Blow-Thru® space heating technology where our patented burner is downstream of the blower. That means the S-Series Heater, with its 160°F max discharge temperature capability, provides more rated heat output (BTU/CFM) than any draw-thru design. A draw-thru design can never match both the Blower CFM and Burner MBH ratings of a Cambridge Blow-Thru® space heater. For example, in order to match Cambridge MBH capacities, low temp, draw-thru heaters will always require a larger CFM rating that will reduce the rated heat output (BTU/CFM). That means bigger units, larger horsepower motors and higher energy costs to heat all that additional air.

Fiction: All direct gas-fired air heaters are about the same when it comes to energy efficiency and operating costs because there are no heat exchanger efficiencies to compare or worry about.

Fact: Actually there are three distinct types of direct gas-fired air heating technologies used for space heating and tempered make-up air applications. Cambridge has manufactured all three types. After over 40 years of R&D work, practical experience and hundreds of building studies we can prove that our S-Series Blow-Thru® space heater design is the most energy efficient and cost effective way to heat large commercial and industrial buildings.