The Reed Institute

Based in Westfield, MA. the Reed Institute provides training on a variety of HVAC related topics. Funded by Mestek, Inc., a major manufacturer of over 36 lines of heating, cooling, and ventilating equipment, the Reed Institute works at keeping engineers, contractors, and maintenance personnel current on the changing world of building environmental control.

Reed Institute Features

- Equipment Displays
- Classroom Facilities
- Classes & Events
- Discussion Group
- Hands-On Lab
- Residential Hydronic Equipment
- Commercial Equipment
- Warm Air & Rooftop Equipment

Equipment Displays
The 10,000 square foot training center offers both class room space, a hands-on lab, and cutaway displays featuring a variety of heating and cooling equipment. Here we see convectors, a MultiPulse boiler, a gas unit heater, baseboard, and kick space heater displays.

Classroom Facilities
The main class room seats up to 100 people at tables or over 200 in lecture format. Overhead dislpays, multi-image slide shows, video, and computer data can be shown using the rear projection media center. Large access doors allow large equipment to be placed right in the classroom.

Classes & Events
The Reed Institute staff draws on the entire Mestek organization to present a variety of classes. In addition to scheduled classes, the Reed Institute has hosted several industry seminars dealing with low NOx burner technology, boiler room design, building management systems, residential heating system inspection, and radiant heating and cooling.

Discussion Group
The Reed Institute provides a clearinghouse for information, ideas, and opinions. We bring together people from all parts of the industry, manufacturing, customer service, sales, wholesale, engineers, contractors, and maintenace crews. Our open invitation to attend extends throughout the industry.

Hands-On Lab
The Reed Institute's Hands-On Lab offers experience on live-fired equipment. With over 5,000,000 BTUH of equipment connected, students can apply their knowledge on running systems. This picture shows gravity and power vented equipment in residential and commercial sizes. A variety of piping and venting arrangements are demonstrated. Oil burners, tray burners, and pulse combustion provide a variety of experiences.

Residential Hydronic Equipment
The Hands-On Lab has over 15 boiler/burner combinations including Beckett, Carlin, Riello, Gordon-Piatt, and Powerflame in oil, gas, and dual fuel configurations. Several residential systems have been piped to demonstrate steam, hot water, pumped return, pump away, baseboard, kickspace, unit heater, and radiant applications. Typically students combine classroom work with hand-on experience or demonstrations in the lab. Training goes beyond the products manufactured by Mestek to the types of systems contractors work with in North American homes.

Commercial Equipment
In addition to residential hydronic equipment the Hands-On Lab has several commercial systems in place. This Smith Series 19 runs a Sterling steam unit heater with Powerflame, Beckett, or Carlin burners. The Series 28A to the right has a dual fuel burner and is configured as a hot water boiler.

Warm Air & Rooftop Equipment
Gas unit heaters, industrial furnaces, and rooftop equipment are also part of the Reed Institute. A variety of venting arrangements demonstrate proper confirugation of gravity, power vent, and separated combustion equipment. In addition to a full size cutaway system easy access is provided to the rooftop system that provides make-up and ventilation air to the Reed Institute. A Johnson Controls Metasys controller demonstrates current building management controls.

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