Winters brings in WinAIR PFD series to tackle IAQ issues in schools

NEW YORK, United States, 10 April 2025: Winters Instruments, which manufactures industrial instrumentation, said a combination of ageing infrastructure, growing respiratory health concerns and budgetary crunches have put schools across North America under immense pressure to quickly improve IAQ on a dime in recent years. Making the announcement through a Press Release, Winters said that in this niche sector, the future points to a rising need for versatile, cost-effective ventilation solutions.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, nearly half of all schools in the United States suffer from poor IAQ, Winters said, adding this contributes to a myriad of respiratory health issues and problems with academic performance for students.

According to Winters, these concerns grew particularly loud during the COVID pandemic, and continued to rise, as the wildfires of 2024 drew attention to the problem of smoke infiltration into school buildings. The average North American school is now nearly 50 years old, and many rely on outdated and worn mechanical ventilation systems. Despite repeated announcements of funding by governments, cost remains a major hindrance to HVAC upgrades, Winters said.

Winters said that one way to bring costs under control is to cut down on the number of moving parts in an HVAC system; in that regard, the company said, its PFD WinAIR Differential Pressure Gauge can be the solution for it.

Winters said the PFD effectively replaces the need for two separate gauges when it comes to measuring different inlet pressures in an HVAC system. It conveniently displays pressure readings from both inlets on a single dial face, and even eliminates the need to do time-consuming calculations from readings on two gauges, the company added. This not only reduces procurement costs, but also helps school boards cut down on the cost of staff time needed for maintenance, Winters said.

The PFD is a diaphragm-actuated, resistance-free pressure gauge that can be used for measuring positive, negative or differential pressure of air and noncorrosive gases, Winters said.

With a full-scale two per cent accuracy rating, its precise measurements also greatly reduce wear and tear on other HVAC parts in the systems where it is installed. The PFD has already found great success in many applications, including filtration equipment, ventilation and duct systems, clean rooms, fans and blowers, paint booths and dust collectors.

Winters said the PFD is available in a broad range of pressures from very low “H2O to 150″ H2O, including a variety of pressure scales.

Its large 4 dial is easy to read at any distance, and with the convenience of a lens-accessible re-zero screw, this product is field-calibratable, Winters said. Its housing is constructed of industrial-grade, die-cast aluminium. According to the company, it can withstand operating temperatures as hot as 150 degrees F (60 degrees C) and cold temperatures as low as -40 degrees F (-40 degrees C). Winters said a variety of accessories are available with WinAIR, including mounting adapters, which come standard with the product.

Winters said that as with all instruments, Winters warranties WinAIR against manufacturing defects for a full five years.