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29 Oct

Air Conditioning Can Lead To a Happy Workforce

Posted at 12:00 AM, 29 October 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles / Tags:

As an employer it is important to consider the needs of your workforce and how you can keep them happy. I think most of us can come to grips with the fact that going out to work isn’t a favourite pastime but that doesn’t mean that you can’t try and make things a bit better for the people who work for you.

Of course, the happiness of your workforce is important but not just because it is nice to take their thoughts into account. As an employer you want to make sure that your employees are as motivated and productive as possible and the best way to ensure this is to make sure that they are happy in the work place.

Ensuring Their Happiness

It stands to reason that if someone is working in good working conditions then they are much happier. Most of us spend a great deal of our day at work and so we want to be comfortable while we are there.  This means providing good facilities, the right safety equipment and comfortable seating.

On top of that you want to make sure that the work place itself is not too hot or too warm. Unlike being at home that isn’t always as easy as just putting on the heating or opening a window because you have a much larger space to contend with.

Instead what you should do is look at installing air conditioning into your work premises. When you look into air conditioning you’ll find that there are lots of different types for you to choose from. This helps to ensure that whatever your working conditions are and how big (or small) your work premises are, you’ll be able to find something that keeps everyone happy.

Why Air Conditioning?

Air conditioning can change the temperature of the air in a room quickly and without hassle. There are different machines out there which means that there is always something to suit your needs. On top of that it is possible to set them on timers and even have them as temperature controlled.

You want your employees to be as happy as possible in the work place and a big part of this is making sure that they have comfortable working conditions which aren’t too warm or too cold. Air conditioning units are a reliable way to make sure that this happens.

22 Oct

How Technology Has Enhanced Commercial Refrigeration

Posted at 12:00 AM, 22 October 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles / Tags:

Most of us are used to the fact that technology has changed and enhanced our lives in some way. Internet on the move, smart phones and 3D TV’s are just some of the entertaining ways that technology has changed our lives over recent years.

What we don’t usually consider is how much every day gadgets around our home now perform better thanks to advances in technology. Many households now have kitchens packed full of gadgets that have been changed in some way thanks to technology – including refrigerators.

Refrigeration Systems Working Better

One way that refrigeration systems have improved since they were first started is in just how well they work.  When you consider that cars work better than they did when they were first introduced it stands to reason that something as basic as a refrigerator will have seen the same improvements thanks to technology. This means that now you’ll often find that refrigerator systems have to work less hard in order for items that have been stored to be kept cool.

Energy Efficient

This advancement in technology has led to machines becoming much more energy efficient. These days we all need to be more aware of the environment and how our actions have an impact on it. Most of us are aware of the fact we should be recycling goods where we can – using energy efficient goods is just another way to do your bit.

Of course you also have the added bonus that energy efficient goods mean that they cost less to run which can help to bring down the running cost of your business, which is always a good thing. These days you’ll find that most commercial refrigeration systems come with an energy efficiency rating so buying the most energy efficient system should not be a problem.

Making Life Easier

Technology has brought us a number of gadgets and gizmos over the years too, some of which have proved to be more useful than others. When you’re looking for new commercial refrigeration you should look for the latest innovations that can help make life easier – doors with better seals, better ways to stack items, temperature controls and much more!

We might not realise that simple items such as refrigerators have been enhanced by technology but when you look at how much they have changed over recent years, you’ll see just how much technology advancements have made a difference.

15 Oct

Building A Cold Room The Right Way

Posted at 12:00 AM, 15 October 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles

First things first, if you are thinking about building an A/C unit cold room, it’s time to do some planning.

There are many reasons to build a cold room for your home, farm or office.  Think about the future when you sit down to plan it out.  Many people find that after a certain time they need more space, or they did not need so much.  Next, think about budget.  If you are not prepared to do the job right the first time, it may be best to consider professional help in this project.  Building a cool house is a meticulous process that when complete will last years and decades with little maintenance.

The two biggest issues to deal with are sealing and R-Value.  With proper sealing and a good amount of R-value insulating, your project can be a money saving investment for your needs.  Doing a poor job, or going cheap on insulation will be more costly in the future, so allow your budget the most bang for your buck.   How you build the room is largely dependent on your climate.  Where you live, how much sunlight, and what weather you expect your room to endure are key elements to your planning.

Consider this, it’s not always how thick the insulation is that counts, it is also the quality.  For instance it is a complete waste of time to ever consider building a cold room with blown fibreglass or cellulous. These materials are simply not designed to withstand riggers of a well-built room.   Wall, roof and floor, all need special consideration. Some 4 inch walls will be fine, but sometimes you will need to consider a 6 inch wall.  For many applications the floor is not as important.  The best process of flooring is a layer of foam or stiff insulation, under the final layer of plywood that is painted with deck paint.

Again, sealing is key to doing it right, and the outside is just as important as the inside.  Tape, caulking and foam insulation are generally the best, each being used at specific areas.  The R-value goal should be at or above R-30 on all your application.  You will have to determine the thickness or material desired.  Some choose a Styrofoam insulation, or blown in professional foam insulation works nicely.

Be sure to choose an A/C unit that matches the space you are designing and be sure that it has the needed “breathing” room.  By planning well, and out of direct sun, your room can be safe, inexpensive, wise investment.

15 Oct

How To Improve the Air Quality in Your Home

Posted at 12:00 AM, 15 October 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles

Most of us are used to the fact that the air outside our homes is smoggy and full of dirt from passing vehicles, people smoking etc. however what we don’t often consider is the quality of air inside our homes. In actual fact if we don’t take care of the air inside our homes then it could be better to step outside and get some air rather than stay indoors.

However no one wants to live inside a home where the air is dirty and possibly doing our health some damage. The good news is that you don’t have to put up with this because with a few subtle changes you could really improve the quality of the air in your home.

Keep Up With Your Housework

No one wants to live in a dusty home, but actually it could be doing more damage than just looking unsightly. Try to get into the habit of using a damp cloth for all of your dusting needs because this will prevent dust from settling again too soon. If you are really concerned about having air that is as fresh as possible try to buy nontoxic cleaning products and use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

A Bit Of Fresh Air

If the weather is cool enough then try to have the windows open as much as you can, especially if you are cleaning or cooking where smells can affect the air quality. Even on colder days if you can bear to have the window open for a small amount of time, you’ll really notice the difference with the quality of the air in your home – after all, air in your rooms will soon become stale with all of the windows and doors shut.

Avoid Pollutants

It is easy to be drawn into buy candles or installing a wood-burning fireplace but these let pollutants into the air which really decreases air quality. In fact these have the same affect on the air as smoking cigarettes does. Try to avoid these, use nontoxic candles and keep windows open where you can.

Air Conditioning Units

Air conditioning units are a great way of keeping the air in a room circulating and as fresh as possible. You can buy these units in all shapes and sizes which means that whatever you are looking for there will be something to suit you. It is also possible to get air purifiers to work alongside these to help keep the air in your home in an even better condition.

8 Oct

What To Expect From Your Commercial Refrigeration Supplier

Posted at 12:00 AM, 8 October 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles / Tags:

If you work in the hospitality or catering industry (or indeed any industry where food or other products need to be kept cool) then it stands to reason that you are going to want refrigeration systems that are up to the job. When you’re refrigerating items in bulk the fridges that we’re all so used to seeing at home just aren’t enough, even just from the point of view of not having enough space!

So, if you’re someone that needs commercial refrigeration you might want a little guidance on which is the best purchase for you and your needs. What should you be expecting from a commercial refrigeration supplier?

Knowledge and Experience

When you are investing in something like commercial refrigeration you probably want some help on what to buy and why that would be the best purchase for you. Speak to the supplier about your requirements and what they might have to suit your needs. Their experience in this industry should give them a good background as to what would work well for your circumstance and what you might want to avoid.

Make sure that you ask plenty of questions about their products and why they are suitable. If the refrigeration supplier doesn’t seem to know or be willing to share their knowledge then it could be worth moving onto a supplier that will tell you more.

A Range of Products

When it comes to refrigeration everyone will have different needs and ideas of what they feel is perfect. When you contact a refrigeration supplier they should have a range of products on sale, so that there is something for everyone.

Of course, a range of products is all well and good but unless you know about them all it can be hard to choose what is best. Ideally you want the commercial refrigerator supplier you are dealing with to give you advice on their products and recommendations on what is best for you.

Services To Suit You

With anything that you buy you probably look for value added services and making sure you get the most for your money and commercial refrigeration should be no exception. Find out about their delivery services and how they can get your units to you – it could be worth looking at what installation and set-up services they offer. Make sure you speak about any warranties and guarantees that they offer too, because you should expect your products to last a long time and a guarantee can give confidence in this.

24 Sep

A Look At The Different Types Of Air Conditioning Units

Posted at 12:00 AM, 24 September 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles / Tags:

Perhaps unsurprisingly air conditioning comes in many different shapes and styles. Some of this is governed by customer taste and making sure there is something to suit everyone but a lot of it is down to the capabilities of different units and making sure that there are different systems to suit the needs of everyone.

This is good news because it means that there is something to suit everyone, including specifications needed and budget.

Small Split System

If you are looking for a small or basic air conditioning unit then a small split system unit could be perfect for you. These are generally used in places where just one room needs to be air conditioned at a time.

This type of system is made up of a small indoor unit which is in charge of cooling and heating the air. This is connected to a small outdoor unit which allows unwanted heat from outside to be kept there. Even once you decide you would like a split system unit there are different brand name and types to look at, so make sure you do a little research to see what is going to suit you and your needs best.

Medium Split System

If when you assess your needs you decide a small split system isn’t going to be up to the job then you might want to step it up a gear and get something slightly larger. A medium split system works in much the same way as the smaller sized air conditioning unit. The main difference is the capability of these larger units, which will be able to air condition more than one room within a home or business premises at a time.

Multi-Split System

If you have a larger premises that you want to air condition then a multi-split system could be the right choice for you. These are suitable for office suites and even larger apartments. They are connected to a bank of outdoor units, which are usually stored either on the roof of a building or in a central room designed to house these units safely.

Industrial Cooling

If you have a large premises and you want to make sure that the whole place is temperature controlled then you might want to look at larger industrial cooling units. These work in much the same way as smaller units, they’re just more tailored towards larger premises where a smaller unit just won’t do the job.

17 Sep

A Look At The Refrigerant Used In Air Conditioners

Posted at 12:00 AM, 17 September 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles

For an air conditioning unit to work it needs to have a refrigerant added to it. This works within the coils of air conditioning units to cool and dehumidify indoor air – which is exactly what we want air conditioning units to do. As you might expect, the refrigerant we use has changed over the years – after all, technology is always bringing us new options and air conditioning units are certainly no exception.

Previous Refrigerant: R-22

In the past air conditioners have used a refrigerant called R-22. Most (if not all) air conditioning units used to use this refrigerant. However, it was discovered just a few years ago that R-22 contains an ozone-depleting chlorine. The fact that it is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) means that the government took steps to phase out the use of this type of refrigerant. Now you won’t find any new units with this type of coolant and even older units are having this phased out. Now thanks to the Clean Air Act of 2010 the manufacture of systems that need this has been prohibited. In fact by 2020 the production of R-22 itself will stop, so all of these systems will need to be replaced.

What We Use Now: R-410A.

Since R-22 is no longer seen as a viable option, it makes sense that there needed to be an alternative. Now you’ll see that most cooling systems now use R-410A as their choice of refrigerant. This refrigerant has no chlorine and therefore is seen as ozone-friendly – great news!

Another great thing is that this type of refrigerant used in the right way can actually be much more efficient that previous coolant products so as well as being great for the environment; it can be great for your bank balance too!

Buying a Unit

If you’re looking to buy an air conditioning unit then make sure you buy an R-410A system now. It is not possible to buy R-22 units new but there could be some second-hand systems out there. What you need to remember is that over the next few years R-22 will stop being made altogether and this could mean that you’re left with a system that doesn’t work. Instead it is far better to look ahead and buy a system that you know is going to work in the long term.

10 Sep

A Quick Look At Back Bar Bottle Coolers

Posted at 12:00 AM, 10 September 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles

If you work in the hospitality industry then it stands to reason you are going to want to make sure that you do everything you can to keep food and drink fresh. Most people are aware of the need for decent commercial fridge and freezer set-ups to ensure that food is kept to the high health and safety standards demanded of food made for public consumption.

However, you also need to give consideration to the rest of the customer experience and make sure that everything is perfect – which includes giving them ice cold drinks. For this reason you need to look at some sort of back bar bottle cooler system, so that drinks are kept cool.

The good news is that if you look into bar coolers and refrigerators you’ll find that there are lots of different choices for you. This means that whatever you are looking for, you can feel confident that there will be something to suit you and match your needs.

Choosing The Right System

First of all you need to think about how much space you have available. Usually bars are quite limited where space is concerned so you obviously don’t want to end up with a set of back bar bottle coolers that are too big. Think about how much space you have available and make sure that whatever you do invest in is going to fit in the space available.

You’ll also need to think about how many bottles you are likely to need to store at any one time. A lot of this will come down to how busy you think your establishment is going to be, after all you’re going to want to make sure that you have enough for everyone.

When you do look into back bar bottle coolers try  to make sure you buy something that is rated as energy efficient. This can really help with running costs, after all these systems are going to be switched on all of the time so you really want to try and avoid something that is too expensive to run!

On top of all of that, you want something that is going to fit in with the style and decor of your premises. The good news is that there are lots of different types available, so finding something that looks exactly how you need it to should not be too much of a hassle at all.

4 Sep

How Long Will A Commercial Freezer Stay Cold For If It Breaks?

Posted at 12:00 AM, 4 September 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles / Tags:

No one wants to think about their freezer at home breaking, let alone a commercial system not working as it should. At the end of the day, the chances are you have lots of expensive food stored ready to serve to your customers so when a freezer stops working this is far from ideal.

The good news is that if your freezer breaks, it isn’t going to ruin all of your food completely – because the inside of the unit will stay frozen for at least a little while. It is hard to say exactly how long a freezer will stay cold once it stops working, simply because there are so many conditions that could affect it.

How Long Will My Freezer Stay Cold?

If the weather is very warm then this could have a massive affect on how long the freezer works. When the weather is warm freezers have to work harder in order to freeze food thoroughly, so it stands reason that if this doesn’t work then the food inside could be ruined quicker.

The amount of food you have stored in the freezer will have a massive affect on how quickly it defrosts too. If the freezer is packed solid then foods will keep each other cool and keep everything frozen much longer.

How Can I Keep It Colder For Longer?

The conditions in which you keep your freezer will also affect how quickly it defrosts. You really want to make sure that warm air is not let into the unit wherever possible. Try to avoid opening the freezer door unless you really need to. If you do need to open it then get everything out of it that you need so you don’t need to keep coming back to open it again.

If you notice that food is left on a shelf  on its own then try to move this so that it is near other food as this will help everything to be kept as cold as possible.

It goes without saying that if your commercial freezer unit stops working then you need to look at getting this repaired or replaced as soon as possible. Make sure you have details of freezer maintenance companies and suppliers on hand, so if you ever need them you know you can call them without having to spend ages hunting out and researching the number.

27 Aug

3 Simple Methods to Troubleshoot Ice Maker Issues

Posted at 12:00 AM, 27 August 2014 by acladmin / Category: Articles

We live in an age of convenience, and have access to amenities that simply make our lives more pleasant.  Ice, for example, is no longer hard to obtain.  Most refrigerators come with an automatic ice maker built-in.  Many people use independent ice machines to distribute ice in large amounts and they provide a convenient and inexpensive way to portably chill beverages and keep items cold that would otherwise spoil.

If there is a malfunction with an ice-maker it can be just as aggravating and troublesome as it is useful.

Follow these tips to efficiently locate and remedy what might be causing your ice maker to fail:

Firstly, it’s a good idea to make sure all the appropriate hoses are connected and the water supply is good.  If that’s not it, there may be frozen build-up in a hose or inside the machine.  This can be fixed easily by defrosting the ice maker (unplugging all connections and hoses) and letting it melt and drain from the hose or interior.

Check the evaporator plate. Depending on the type of machine, this may look like a plastic grid, into which water is distributed from the hose.  Check this for discoloration, such as a copper colour showing through.  If this is detected, it may mean that the lining of the plate has worn off, and the ice can no longer drop off into the reserve after the freezing process.  This piece can build up a frozen layer that will hinder the making of ice.  If that is the case, defrosting may also quickly solve this issue.  If the lining is in fact worn off, it is at the owners’ discretion whether or not to replace this piece.

Finally, there is a heating module underneath the evaporator plate that is built into the under-side of the ice-maker.  The purpose of it is to slightly melt the bottom of the finished cubes so they can be harvested into the reserve.  Without taking the ice maker apart, though, this part cannot be seen, and is located in the bottom of the unit.  Place your hand on the bottom to feel if it is hot or warm.  If you find that it is, this could mean it has over-heated and malfunctioning.  You will likely need to replace the control module that regulates this part.

There are many facets of how the automatic ice maker quickly and efficiently produces ice for our convenience.  This has been an outline of some of the most common and simple problems and fixes, and you should always consult your owner’s manual for model-specific parts and maintenance routines.