NEWTON, Mass., November 20, 2001--Phoenix Controls Corporation is taking another step to solve the HVAC problems that commonly plague animal laboratories by designing a new valve to improve rodent holding room environments. The pressure independent, Accel(R) II cage rack valve provides a direct connection from the cage rack to the building ventilation system. The company's airflow control valves have long been applied in critical environments that require accurate and stable pressurization. Animal cage racks are a type of critical "mini-environment" needed to safely house animals, typically rodents. These small animals are highly sensitive to even minute changes in temperature, humidity, lighting, and airborne contaminants.

The new valve has an operating range of 30-150 cfm (50-250 m³/hour) and may be used with racks which have flows in this range. The advantages of operating a ventilated cage rack are significant; increased holding room density, reduced labor for cage changing, and an improved environment for the animals. Until recently, the most common method of ventilating cage racks was to use separate supply and exhaust fans mounted on or near each rack. Now, the Phoenix Accel(R) II valve provides stable, direct connection of ventilated cage racks to the building ventilation system and solves past issues associated with frequent and inevitable system pressure fluctuations. The pressure independent device isolates the rack from such changes and thus maintains a stable environment for the animals and the room.

Phoenix Controls Corporation is a worldwide developer of precision airflow control systems for critical room environments, e.g. laboratories, vivariums, isolation rooms and pharmaceutical clean rooms. Phoenix Controls Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc.

Honeywell Home and Building Control, a US$3.4-billion unit of Honeywell, provides products and services to create efficient, safe, comfortable environments. The business unit offers controls for heating, ventilation, humidification and air-conditioning equipment; security and fire alarm systems; home automation systems; energy-efficient lighting controls; and building management systems and services.