Security grilles, registers, and diffusers (GRD) may serve the same function as their commercial counterparts, but their performance levels are starkly different. Specifying a security GRD for a secure facility, such as a behavioral health or correctional facility, under the same performance assumptions as commercial GRD could lead to trouble.
What Performance Issues Occur When Security Grilles, Registers, and Diffusers Are Specified Like Commercial GRD?
The differences in performance between security GRD and commercial GRD derives from the internal pressure drop. Not taking into account the higher internal pressure drop of security GRD will cause performance to fall short of expectations, leading to:
Less total airflow
Stale conditions
Difficulty maintaining the intended temperature
How Does the Performance of a Commercial Diffuser, a Medium-Security Diffuser, and a Maximum-Security Diffuser Compare?
A comparison of three KEES products illustrates the differences in performance between a commercial diffuser, a diffuser suitable for a medium-security environment, and a diffuser suitable for a maximum-security environment, with size and CFM held constant.
Commercial: KEES LSD Stainless Steel Louvered Diffuser | Medium-Security: KEES SDP Security Perforated Diffuser | Maximum-Security: KEES 15D W Passageway Grille | |
CFM | 440 | 440 | 440 |
Neck Size | 12”x12” | 12”x12” | 12”x12” |
Static Pressure (“ wg) | 0.07 | 0.15 | 0.37 |
Noise Criterion (NC) | 22 | 32 | 37 |
Throw Distance (ft @ 50 FPM) | 16 ft | 17 ft | 19 ft |
How Would the Example Maximum-Security Diffuser Perform if Specified Like the Example Commercial Diffuser?
This chart compares the performance of the same KEES commercial diffuser, medium-security diffuser, and maximum-security diffuser with the static pressure value of the commercial diffuser held constant to illustrate the performance issues that arise from incorrect specification.
Commercial: KEES LSD Stainless Steel Louvered Diffuser | Medium-Security: KEES SDP Security Perforated Diffuser | Maximum-Security: KEES 15D W Passageway Grille | |
Static Pressure (“ wg) | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 |
Adjusted CFM | 440 | 300 | 180 |
Adjusted NC | 22 | 20 | <20 |
Adjusted Throw Distance (ft @ 50 FPM) | 16 ft | 12 ft | 12 ft |
With a reduction in CFM of 440 to 180 between the example commercial diffuser and the example maximum-security diffuser—a 41% difference—it would be difficult if not impossible to maintain the appropriate temperature or required amount of fresh air circulating into a space. This would risk the space’s inhabitants of exposure to uncomfortable temperatures and poor indoor airflow distribution that could lead to increased mortality rates.
Trust the Experts at KEES When Specifying Security Grilles, Registers, and Diffusers
As a leading manufacturer of security grilles, registers, and diffusers, KEES understands how to optimize these products for performance. We help our clients specify the right type of security GRD that achieves their desired performance while meeting risk level requirements. Trust KEES’s expertise and wide range of options when specifying security GRD for any secure application.
Learn more about KEES Security Grilles, Registers, and Diffusers.
