Aspen Manufacturing AEW Installation Manual

INSTALLATION GUIDE

AEW & AAW Series - Vertical Wall Mount
Air Handler (Electric Heat)

1. Safety Instruction

Potential safety hazards are alerted using the following symbols. The symbol is used in conjunction with terms
that indicate the intensity of the hazard.

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WARNING

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This symbol indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which if not avoided,
could result in serious injury, property damage, product damage or death.

CAUTION

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Certied technicians or those individuals

WARNING

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and product damage or personal injury hazard may occur
without such background.

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WARNING

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installer’s responsibility to ensure that product is installed
in strict compliance with national and local codes. Manufac­turer takes no responsibility for damage (personal, product
or property) caused due to installations violating regula­tions. In absence of local/state codes, refer to National Elec­tric Code: NFPA 90A & 90B Uniform Mechanical Code.

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(i.e. automobile, space heater, water heater etc.) ensure that
the enclosed area is properly ventilated.

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these instructions. Some localities may require a licensed
installer/service personnel.

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damages caused due to modication of the unit to operate

with alternative power sources.

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meeting the requirements specied by

NATE may use this information. Property

All power sources should be disconnect­ed prior to servicing. Failure to do so may
cause personal injury or property dam-

age.

Product designed and manufactured to
permit installation in accordance with lo­cal and national building codes. It is the

When this unit is installed in an enclosed
area, such as a garage or utility room with
any Carbon Monoxide producing devices

Only factory authorized kits and acces­sories should be used when installing or
modifying this unit unless it is so noted in

Unit is not approved for outdoor installa­tions.

The unit is designed for operation with
208/240 V, single phase, 60 Hz power
supply. Aspen will not be responsible for

This symbol indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which if not avoided,
may result in moderate injury or property damage.

2. Introduction

The AEW/AAW Series air handlers are versatile upow only models
that can be recess mounted or ush mounted onto walls. These air

handlers have the following standard features:

I. Application Versatility

Front or bottom return air position. Offset hanging brackets attach to
unit and wall to allow hanging inside closet.

Can be ARI matched with most brands of air conditioners or heat
pumps for use with either R22 or R410a when proper metering de­vice is used.

II. Motor

AEW models: Constant torque ECM speeds and torques are con­trolled by software embedded in the motor to maintain constant
torque. Motors are pre-programmed at the factory.
AAW models: Dual speed PSC motor.

III. Cabinet

Sturdy, short galvanized steel cabinet with painted front panels. Cab­inet fully insulated with 1/2” faced insulation to prevent sweating and

mold growth, to encapsulate glass bers, and to provide excellent

R-value. Stick pins ensure insulation remains in place.

Units ship with disposable lter in lter rack.

IV. Modular Electric Heat Kits

Heat kits available with either circuit breakers or terminal blocks.
Available in 3, 5, 8, & 10 KW. Models with electric heat include se-

quencers and temperature limit switches for safe, efcient operation.
Modules are easily installed in the eld using molex plugs or can be

ordered factory-installed. Controls are accessible from the front for
easy service.

Electrical connections can be made from the top or left. Disconnect
does not protrude through the wall panel.

Fan time delay relay standard for increased efciency.

V. Blower

Direct drive multi-speed blowers circulate air quietly and efciently.

Motor speeds can be easily selected via motor terminals. Swing
mounted blowers can be easily removed for service.

VI. Electronic Circuit Board

Electronic circuit board provides 30 sec. ON/OFF blower time delay

extracting more heat/cool from the coil

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VII. DX Coil

High efciency ried copper tubes/enhanced aluminum ns provide
maximum heat transfer. All coils immersion tested at 500 psi then
nitrogen pressurized and factory sealed for maximum reliability. Coil

mounted Schrader allows pre-installation pressure testing.

Available with either check style owrater or TXV metering device.
Field-installable TXVs are also available.

Galvanized metal drain pan with bottom primary and secondary
drain connections or alternate right side primary. All connections 3/4”
FPT. Access door allows for coil cleaning.

VIII. Warranty

Five year limited parts warranty.

3. Inspection

ü On receiving the product, visually inspect it for any major shipping
related damages. Shipping damages are the carrier’s responsibility.
Inspect the product labels to verify the model number and options
are in accordance with your order. Manufacturer will not accept dam­age claims for incorrectly shipped product.

4. Installation Preparation

Read all the instructions in this guideline carefully while paying spe­cial attention to the WARNING and CAUTION alerts. If any of the

instructions are unclear; clarify with certied technicians. Gather all

the tools needed for successful installation of the unit prior to begin­ning the installation.

4A. Clearances

This unit is designed for zero clearance installation on three sides
and adequate clearance to provide access for service in the front.
A minimum of 2.5 – 3.5 feet clearance is recommended on the front
end (Fig 4A-1).

4C. Condensate Drain Preparation

ü An auxiliary drain pan must be provided by the installer and placed

under the entire unit with a separate drain line that is properly sloped

and terminated in an area visible to the home owner. The auxiliary
pans provide extra protection to the area under the unit should the
primary and secondary drain plug up and overow. As expressed

in our product warranty; ASPEN WILL NOT BE BILLED FOR ANY
STRUCTURAL DAMAGES CAUSE BY FAILURE TO FOLLOW
THIS INSTALLATION REQUIREMENT. The drains from the auxil-

iary drain pan must be installed according to the local building codes.

4D. Condensate Drain

Drain lines from the auxiliary drain pan

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The drain lines must be installed with ¼” per foot pitch to provide free
drainage. A condensate trap MUST be installed on the primary drain
line to ensure proper drainage of the condensate. The trap must be
installed in the drain line below the bottom of the drain pan (Fig.
4C-1)

should NOT be connected to the primary
drain line of the coil.

Fig 4A-1. Minimum Clearance for Air Handler

4B. Recess Mounting or Wall Mounting Option

These units are designed to be installed in a small room where they
can be mounted above a water heater or recessed into a wall. The

unit should be installed in Vertical Upow position ONLY.

If installing the air handler into a recessed wall, the unit must leave
clearance to allow the removal of the front panels. The bottom of the

unit should also rest on a sturdy platform or oor. The unit must be

level to allow condensate drainage.

These air handlers come with an offset mounting bracket that at-

taches the air handler to the wall when the unit is ush mounted to

the wall.

Fig 4C-1. Condensate Drain Trap

Since coil is upstream of the blower, all

CAUTION

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from the drain pan. Aspen will NOT be responsible for any
damages resulting from failure to follow these instructions.

CAUTION

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DO NOT USE SOLVENT BASED PIPE DOPE. THIS WILL RE­DUCE THE LIFE OF THE PAN.

The drain pan has primary (white) and secondary (red) drain connec­tions. If a secondary drain line is required, it should be run separately
from the primary and should terminate in a highly visible location.
Condensate disposal through the secondary drain line indicates that

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drains MUST be trapped or sealed. Failure

to do so will result in condensate overow

If the drain pan is constructed of nylon

or plastic; use Teon tape to connect the

drain lines to the threads in the drain pan.

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the primary drain line is plugged and needs cleaning. If a second­ary drain line will not be provided, plug the secondary drain. Drain
plugs are NOT to be reused without plumbers tape or putty. Drain

line connection should be nger tightened, then turned no more than
one complete turn as needed to ensure a rm connection. DO NOT

overtighten connection or damage may occur.

4E. Ductwork

Duct systems should be installed in accordance with standards for
air-conditioning systems, National Fire Protection Association Pam­phlet No. 90A or 90B. They should be sized in accordance with Na­tional Environmental Sys­tem Contractors Association
Manual K, or whichever is
applicable.

On any job, non-ammable
exible collars should be

used for the return air and
discharge connections to
prevent transmission of vi­bration (Fig 4E-1). Although
these units have been spe­cially designed for quiet
vibration-free operation,
air ducts can act as sound­boards, can, if poorly in­stalled, amplify the slightest
vibration to the annoyance
level.

All main supply and return air drops should be properly sized as
determined by the designer of the duct system and should not nec-

essarily be the size of the duct ange openings of the unit. (The
duct size should never be smaller than the ange openings of the air

handler supply and return air openings.)
These models have a bottom or front return. Discard the drain ac-

cess panel in the bottom of the unit if this is a bottom return applica­tion (Fig 4E-2). In case of a front return application, the front access
panel should be removed and discarded.

Fig 4E-2.

If an accessory grill is being used, the front access panel should be
removed and discarded (Fig 4E-3).

Fig 4E-1.

A lter rack is provided for a 1”X20”X20” (AAW/AEW18/24/30/36/31/37)
or 1”X14”X18” (AAW/AEW19/20/25/26) nominal size lter (Fig 4E-4).
Inspect and clean or replace iter every month. A blocked lter can
reduce air ow to the coil and hinder the performance of the system.

Fig 4E-4.

It is recommended that wherever supply and return air sheet metal
ducts pass through unconditioned areas, they be insulated to pre-

vent excessive heat loss during heating operation. When applied in

conjunction with summer air conditioning, sheet metal duct routed
through unconditioned areas should be insulated and have an out­side vapor barrier to prevent formation of condensation.

5. Installation

Ensure that the unit is adequately sized.

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to installation. If holding pressure is not present, return coil
to distributor for exchange.

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present) are protected from heat during brazing and instal­lation to prevent leakage. Use a core removal tool to tempo­rarily remove the core when brazing. Replace the core once
brazing is completed.

CAUTION

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ü Clean coil ns with degreasing agent or mild detergent and rinse
ns clean prior to installation.

The tonnage of the outdoor unit should
never exceed the tonnage of this unit.

The coil was manufactured with a dry ni­trogen pre-charge. Release the pressure
through the Schrader valve test port prior

Some Aspen coils may include a Schrader
valve on the suction manifold. Ensure that
the Schrader valve and valve core (where

Insulation on the suction line MUST extend
into the cabinet and continue as far as
possible to eliminate condensate dripping
onto the access door.

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Fig 4E-3.

ü The refrigerant line sizes should be selected according to the rec­ommendations of the outdoor unit manufacturer.

ü Care must be taken to ensure all connection joints are burr-free
and clean. Failure to do so may increase chances of a leak. It is
recommended to use a pipe cutter to remove the spun closed end of
the suction line.

ü To reduce air leakage, rubber gommets may be present where the
lines pass through the coil case. To avoid damage, remove grom­mets prior to brazing by sliding over the lines. Use a quenching cloth
or allow the lines to cool before reinstalling the grommets.

ü Use of wet rags/quenching cloth is highly recommended to prevent
weld-related damages to the casing and Schrader valve (if present).

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6. Mounting Air Handler To Wall

1. Install the air handler in a level position side to side and front to
back. If this step is not followed, condensate water damage may oc-

cur. (Both ush mount and recess mount congurations.)

2. Determine where the air han­dler is to be placed on the wall.
Place the hanging bracket on the
wall and align the holes of the

bracket with the wall studs. Level

the hanging bracket and mark the
holes to drill pilot holes for the
screws.

3. Drill the pilot holes.

4. Secure the bracket with

screws sufcient to hold 4X the

weight of the air handler.

5. Position the air handler on the
wall with the bracket on the air
handler slightly higher than the
bracket secured on the wall.

Lower the air handler so that the

brackets engage. Check the unit
for level, both side to side and
front to back.

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ing to the capacity of the outdoor unit.

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Use Piston sizes recommended by the
outdoor unit manufacturer whenever pos­sible. The piston should be sized accord-

Failure to install the proper piston can
lead to poor system performance and
possible compressor damage.

I. Installation

Note: Photos are for basic illustration purposes only. Actual equip-

ment conguration may differ from that shown.

I-1. Disassemble owrator body

using two wrenches and un­screwing with a counterclockwise
motion.

O-ring

I-2. Replace the Teon O-ring

(located between the halves).
Discard Schrader if present.

7. Connecting Ducting

1. Secure supply air ducting to the top of the air handler. Canvas con­nectors are recommended for reducing potential noise transmission.

2. If the bottom return air opening is
being used, remove the bottom pan­el. If a front return is being used, this
panel will remain in place.

3. Secure the return air ducting to the air handler cabinet.

8. Metering Devices/Liquid Line Connection

Aspen coils are available with two kinds of metering devices a) ow­rator or b) TXV. The following instructions are separated into sec-

tions by metering device.

8A. Flowrator Coils

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I-4. Braze the stub-out portion to the liquid line and let cool.

Be aware of the Teon O-ring. Be sure to

replace the O-ring to attain a proper

seal. (The Teon O-ring is located between
the two halves of the owrator)

I-3. Slide the attachment nut onto
the liquid line stub out.

O-ring

I-5. Taking care that the white

Teon seal is still in place inside
the owrater body, rmly seat the

stub and screw the attachment

nut to owrater body.

Fig 7A-1. Flowrator assembly components

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I-6. Tighten the nut to a torque of approximately 10-30 ft-lbs. Do NOT
overtighten the nut. Overtightening will impede the piston movement
during operation.

II. Piston Replacement

Note: Photos are for basic illustration purposes only. Actual equip-

ment conguration may differ from that shown.

During some installations, a piston change may
be required. If so, the installer MUST change the
piston. Use piston sizes recommended by the
outdoor unit manufacturer. If a sizing chart is not
available, use the piston size chart provided be­low to size the required piston. The size of the

Fig 8A-2

Use the chart below when matching coil with an outdoor unit with a
different nominal capacity than the coil.

piston is stamped on the piston body (Fig 8A-2).

II-6. Replace the piston with one
of the correct size. Do not force
the new piston into the body.
Make sure the piston moves
freely in body.

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coil. Failure to ensure this orientation will cause the piston
to be bypassed during operation which might damage the
outdoor unit.

II-7. Assemble the two halves correctly and ensure that the white

Teon O-ring is present between the two halves (See I-5). Slide the
13/16” nut onto the distributor body.

Pay close attention to the piston orienta­tion. The pointed end of the piston MUST
go into the distributor body, towards the

II-1. Evacuate the system as per manufacturer guidelines and rec-

ommendations

II-2. Turn the 13/16” nut once to release any residual pressure in the

coil.

II-3. After ensuring that the coil
is free of any residual pressure,

disassemble the owrator body

completely using two wrenches.
Take great care not to distort the
feeder tubes. The wrench used
to clasp the nut should be turned
in counter-clockwise direction to
unscrew the nut.

II-4. Slide the 13/16” nut over

the lineset and separate the two

halves of the owrator.

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II-8. Tighten the nut to a torque of approximately 10-30 ft-lbs. Do NOT
overtighten the nut. Overtightening will impede the piston movement
during operation.

II-9. If present, slide the rubber grommet back to position to prevent
air leakage.

Be aware of the Teon O-ring. Be sure to

replace the O-ring to attain a proper

seal. (The Teon O-ring is located between
the two halves of the owrator)

7B. TXV Coils

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II-5. Pull the piston out using a

small wire or pick. Verify the pis­ton size (size is typically stamped
on the body of the piston - Fig
8A-2). If a different piston size
is required by the outdoor unit
manufacturer, replace the piston
using the small wire provided with
the piston kit.

Fig 8B-1. Components of a typical TXV assembly

The sensing bulb and TXV body MUST be

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be covered using a quench cloth or wet cloth when brazing.

Pointing the brazing ame away from the valve and sensing

bulb provide partial protection only.

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painted green for R22 or pink for R410A. In absence of col­or, the caps will be marked with the compatible refrigerant.

protected from overheating during braz­ing. The sensing bulb and TXV body must

Ensure that the TXV selected is compat­ible with the refrigerant used in the out­door system (R22 or R410A). TXV caps are

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