Quick & Easy™

Question: What is it?
Answer:  The Quick & Easy™ is a new ceiling register product that consists of an 8 inch round metal collar anchored to a 10 inch square flat metal plate, two slide-on metal mounting rails, a push-in metal trim ring, and a round air valve assembly designed to slide inside the round collar and lock into a special groove for an air tight seal. Both manually operated (Model 100M-R) and motorized (Model 100A-R) air valves are available. They are used in residential and light commercial buildings to control the volume and distribution of supply side air to the interior sections of the structure.  

Question: What are the advantages over conventional metal louvered registers?
Answer:  The Quick & Easy™ ceiling registers provides easier installation, lower installed cost, improved aerodynamic airflow control, quieter operation, and enhanced visual appeal when compared to conventional metal louvered registers. 

Question: How are they installed?
Answer:  First, expensive insulated register boxes (boots) are not required.  Flex duct is simply pulled over the Quick & Easy™ register collar and banded at the base of the metal plate. Rigid duct is slipped over the crimped end of the register collar and attached with sheet metal screws. Rigid duct insulation is then pulled over the register collar and likewise banded at the base of the metal plate. The two supplied mounting rails are slipped over opposite edges of the metal plate and anchored across two ceiling joists. Sheet rock is installed and a round access hole is cut using the inside edge of the collar as a guide. The trim ring is then inserted through the access hole and pressed into the collar for an airtight seal into the room.   After the sheetrock is textured and painted, the valve assembly is simply pushed up and into the access hole until it snaps into a special grooved ring in the register collar. Manual and automated (motorized) registers look identical and are installed in the same manner except that a previously installed modular cable is plugged into the automated valve assembly prior to locking it into place. No scheduled maintenance is required for either the automated or the manual valves and years of trouble-free operation can be expected.  

Question: How is the Quick & Easy™ different from other competitive products?
Answer:  Residential ceiling register/dampers are still being manufactured today as they were fifty years ago.  They are generally rectangular in shape with adjustable louvered damper elements designed to “throw” supply air in a preferred direction, e.g. toward an outside wall or window. The rationale long ago was that directional “throw” was necessary to compensate for the added heat load caused by poor or non-existent outside wall insulation and poorly constructed and very leaky single glazed windows. A rectangular register box (boot) is also necessary to house the damper mechanism and to provide a round collar for attaching the generally round supply air duct to the register box. Modern building materials and construction techniques being used today have greatly reduced the added heat loads from exterior wall surfaces and windows and thus the need to direct conditioned air predominantly in their direction. The new Quick & Easy ™ ceiling register requires no register box or boot and provides a round, sealed, insulated, non-turbulent and easily-controlled air passage from the supply duct directly into the room interior. Unlike conventional registers, the Quick & Easy ™ register provides a 360-degree coverage pattern, can be easily adjusted for the desired airflow, and is completely sealed and quiet when closed.  

Question: What installation and service benefits to contractors can be derived from this product?
Answer:   

A.  Reduced installation time is achieved because the contractor does not have to deal with rectangular register boxes (boots) which must be carefully aligned during installation and must be properly sealed and insulated to meet most building codes. The Quick & Easy ™ ceiling register is round and requires no special alignment during installation. It is completely sealed from the duct into the room and is doubly insulated by the act of simply pulling the flex or rigid duct insulation down to the base of the steel plate for banding and by later insulating the entire attic, including around the register collar.  

B.  The installed cost per register drop is less because the installation time is less and the Quick & Easy ™ hardware costs are generally less than conventional register boxes and register/dampers.  

C.  Both manual and automated Quick & Easy™ ceiling registers are easily adjusted by the homeowner to balance and control airflow. This can greatly reduce the number of contractor call-backs and complaints from customers.  

D.  Airflow from Quick & Easy ™ ceiling registers is uniform in all directions and is directed outward so as to eliminate the “chill” effect that otherwise occurs with conventional louvered registers, where airflow is directed downward directly onto occupants. 

E.  Quick & Easy™ ceiling register are quieter than conventional metal louvered registers. They do not rattle or whistle and, unlike conventional registers, are completely sealed when closed.    

F.  Inventory control is greatly improved because the same Quick & Easy™ register is used at all register locations.  Round 8” duct (flex or rigid) is connected directly and other duct sizes are connected through reducing (or expanding) collars. Conventional installations require a number of different sized register boxes and register damper/grill assemblies to accommodate all the various duct sizes normally used for supply side distribution.   

G.  The circular appearance of the Quick & Easy ™ ceiling register is aesthetically pleasing to customers.