Everyone in the house benefits from heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Those who live in areas prone to severe weather will agree that they simply cannot live without it. Check on Arnold Jones Services for reliable HVAC service. These systems are great–as long as they are in good working
Air conditioning innovator, Weatherite, celebrates 50 years in business. West Bromwich-based, Weatherite, has racked up 50 years of operation, a milestone that reflects the strength, stability, and success only a few companies ever achieve. Founded in 1972 by current Chairman John Whitehouse, Weatherite’s early days of business were carried out from
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has joined forces with the sector’s leading research body BSRIA to produce a comprehensive free guide for the use of refrigerant gases in building services. The new publication has been written by BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox and is available now for free
Mitsubishi Electric has launched a residential range of Lossnay Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems to provide clean and healthy air for homes. The addition to the renowned Lossnay range is designed specifically for the UK housing market and makes energy efficient, super-quiet ventilation accessible to even more homes.
A spate of fatal accidents linked to faulty repair work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in Nigeria should prompt a swift response from the international community, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Seven people died and several more were injured in at least five explosions across the
Today, the UK’s leading boiler manufacturer has relaunched its Green Heating Heroes, to help installers educate consumers on how they can reduce carbon emissions and energy bills Worcester Bosch has today announced the launch of the second phase of its Green Heating Heroes campaign. First launched in November 2021, the
Businesses prosper when the whole team thrives for success. Every company needs to have a team that has the drive to keep improving efficiency and help in boosting productivity. But like any other business, Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) companies can experience challenges, and sometimes demanding for productivity is
Industrial fans are the best solution for managing the heat emanating from electrical panels and ensuring a safe working environment. You can choose your industrial ventilation system with fans to adapt to the dimensions, processes and needs of your company. Let’s see how this works and what are the main
Joblogic and Refcom have collaborated to launch a software module in the UK that ensures F-Gas compliance. It also makes it simpler and faster for HVAC engineers to comply since they can now input the data directly into a compliant logbook via a mobile app. Legislation demands that an engineer
With the built environment contributing 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint and the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) warning of the dangers of overheating buildings, a new whitepaper is highlighting the importance of sustainable HVAC systems to construction professionals. The new whitepaper, from polymer specialists REHAU, identifies issues around
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Everyone in the house benefits from heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Those who live in areas prone to severe weather will agree that they simply cannot live without it. Check on Arnold Jones Services for reliable HVAC service. These systems are great–as long as they are in good working order. Depending on the type and size of the HVAC system, repairs to these units can be extremely costly. Fortunately, homeowners can prevent costly repairs. Here are some tips to help keep your indoor comfort levels high while keeping your HVAC repair costs low: Although some HVAC owners prefer to do the regular maintenance themselves, others lack the time or know-how to do it. In the latter group, there are professional maintenance services that will assist. Some of these professionals may even have a maintenance contract that the homeowner can sign up for, making it easy to schedule and remember. Professional furnace maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is running as efficiently as possible. For this reason, it’s recommended to schedule professional HVAC servicing twice a year – spring and fall building maintenance. One thing that homeowners can easily do at home, no matter their skill level, is clean the unit thoroughly. Over time, dust and debris can settle onto it, making it less efficient. When a homeowner inspects the outside, it will already become evident that it needs good dusting and wiping down, but they would also have to remove the cover and check the inside of the unit. The unit will gather dust on the inside moving parts, and the coolant and water lines may become clogged. For that reason, homeowners must check every single aspect of the HVAC of the following: A feather duster or soft cloth will do the trick for removing dirt and dust, while a damp cloth with mild detergent will clean off most of the stubborn grime. Depending on the location of the HVAC unit, homeowners should clear twigs or leaves from the outside before cleaning. It will ensure that nothing ends up on the inside and hinders the mechanical parts. An HVAC system will naturally add to the utility bill each month. But when the costs keep rising, and nothing else could be the cause, look to the HVAC for answers. The bill’s increase may indicate something wrong with the unit or that it requires cleaning. Make an effort to review the costs monthly to save more than a costly repair. Contact a professional to inspect the unit as soon as possible if there are any concerns. One of the first indicators that the HVAC system will need maintenance is when the homeowner notices odors and noises coming from the unit or through the vents. Immediately discontinue the use of the system until a professional has determined the root cause. Continuing to use the system, even when odors or noises are coming from it, could cause health concerns for everyone in the home and overwork the components or parts already in poor condition. Along with regular cleaning, homeowners can check a few of the functions of an HVAC system to ensure that they are still optimal. Add a checklist for the system to a seasonal to-do list to ensure you do not miss any of the details below: If any of these are broken, bent, or visibly need replacement, then it may be best to contact a professional repair service to look at the parts before using the HVAC system. If the homeowner ignores the faulty parts, it may become a costly repair later. Older buildings and homes may have an outdated HVAC system that will cost the owners more in repairs than it would replace the entire unit. As new technology hits the market, the more recent systems become more energy efficient, their parts are more durable, and they could even come standard with a repair or maintenance program. Replacing the unit could have a high initial layout, but when counting all the times the older unit would have needed repairing, the total amount would still allow the homeowner to save money in the long run. To Conclude The HVAC system is there to keep everyone in the building more comfortable. With such an important function, owners should remember to take care of their systems to get optimal results. Regular maintenance will keep the unit in tip-top condition and save the homeowner on their utility bill and costly repairs.
Air conditioning innovator, Weatherite, celebrates 50 years in business. West Bromwich-based, Weatherite, has racked up 50 years of operation, a milestone that reflects the strength, stability, and success only a few companies ever achieve. Founded in 1972 by current Chairman John Whitehouse, Weatherite’s early days of business were carried out from a sun lounger with his late business partner, Lou Simmonds, and over the last 50 years as John recalls “it’s been quite a journey”. Its defining qualities over the past five decades have been a combination of ability, agility, flexibility and responsiveness, and proof that thriving, not just surviving, is a true test of grit in business. The company began life selling Diakin air conditioning equipment and as John recalls his first ever order “was a job in Combe Abbey and was designed, installed and wired by us and worth £585.” Weatherite soon began rapidly expanding by selling more HVAC equipment, so much so, that six years later the company moved to larger premises and started its journey into manufacturing its own equipment. “This was a game changer when we received an order for a huge fan-coil unit order for local office block “Midland-House” in Halesowen – a £250,000 job. It considerably improved cashflow and helped us ride out the peaks and troughs in the AC market.” Then came the 80s when Weatherite built its first free-cooling telephone exchange cooling unit for telecoms giant BT– still one of its flagship products, albeit somewhat evolved, 42 years on. The company continued to supply over 15,000 units across the UK, first in the Midlands, then Manchester and Wales. But it was as London got to grips with the digital exchange that work really started to take off for Weatherite. “That’s when we seriously got into manufacturing as a business. When BT called, we sprang into action, designing and testing within three weeks,” he said. Another significant milestone in the mid-80s came when Tesco made its was first order for a ‘packaged’ Rooftop Air Conditioning Unit. “We had been making regular trips to Daikin’s Japanese factories and became increasingly impressed by the quality and detail of their equipment,” said John. “We soon realised that we had a number of well-trained engineers in the factory to give us the ability to manufacture our own bespoke designs. “Tesco and Marks & Spencer grabbed us by the collar and took us aboard the retail express train. We moved premises again and doubled the workforce to cope with the expanding demand as they were both developing their sales floor areas and needed air conditioning. Needless to say the 90s were a period of considerable growth and Weatherite also acquired DLT Shopfronts & Shutters Ltd, as part of an opportunity with Tesco. Now named Weatherite Aluminium Solutions Ltd, the company works for many major UK retailers and contractors delivering bespoke manufacturing solutions for commercial security systems including shopfronts and high end curtain walling systems, windows and doors. Weatherite’s free cooling and AHU systems were being manufactured at an extraordinary rate during this period before the decades of trigeneration, power generation, heating and cooling which then moved towards the more user-friendly “energy centres”, driven by Tesco’s need for onsite energy – a demand that quickly widened to other supermarkets. In the early 2000s, Weatherite started working with JLP, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Next, Primark and continued to grow its retail portfolio. In 2006 Weatherite moved into larger premises to cope with further demand for its expanding HVAC product solutions. A concerted push to target the data centre market was made in 2008 with its extensive knowledge (through BT) of IT mission critical cooling techniques, ensuring the company continued to expand. In 2012, the company celebrated its 40 years in business and grew its data centre business with clients including Virtus, EE, Equinix, Vodafone, Virgin Media, to name a few. As well as telco and retail, the company further expanded into other sectors including leisure, pharmaceuticals, and health. Weatherite was soon recognised as the UK’s largest independent manufacturers of bespoke HVAC equipment in all sectors and won its largest ever single data centre order valued at over 12 million euros, as well as industry awards along the way. Today the business turnovers over £34 million as a Group, primarily through Weatherite Air Conditioning, which represents the major proportion of that turnover with about £25 million. Like many other businesses, the company has encountered some major obstacles over the last few years but working with organisations which operate within a mission critical environment has meant the company continues to thrive. “We survived the effects of the pandemic in good shape and are looking forward to an interesting market in very interesting times, said John. Weatherite has recently doubled the size of one of its existing factories and continues to invest in new manufacturing equipment and storage areas to counter-manage the global shortage and price hike on raw materials. There are many who will affirm that John’s entrepreneurism, leadership, and willingness to take a risk on ideas are the major reason for the company’s success. “We never walk away from a problem. If we’ve got a problem, we solve it satisfactorily,” says John. However, it takes more than one person to make a successful business and marking the five-decade milestone is an opportunity to both reflect on its past and to look forward to its future. John’s son, Tim, has also worked at the business for the past 25 years and John believes an emphasis on family helps when it comes to retaining staff. “There’s a big difference between being a family business and being part of a multi-national. There is a bigger sense of belonging. We have a lot of people who have worked at the company for a long time – our staff retention is excellent and somewhere between ten and fifteen people have one or more family members working here out of a workforce of 209,” he said. “We would like to think that our continued success can be attributed
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has joined forces with the sector’s leading research body BSRIA to produce a comprehensive free guide for the use of refrigerant gases in building services. The new publication has been written by BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox and is available now for free download from the BSRIA Bookshop. It has been prepared to help consultants, specifiers, facilities and project managers, installers and end users deal with a period of considerable change for the industry as legislation and tightening environmental and performance targets combine to increase restrictions on how refrigerants are used and what gases will be allowed in the future. The increased use of heat pumps and greater focus on climate change mitigation, including the need to address overheating in buildings, means industry professionals are faced with greater design and installation challenges and opportunities to adopt new practices, which are covered in the guide. ‘Refrigerants in Building Services’ (TG 21/2022) includes information and advice on: * Current environmental and health and safety legislation affecting refrigerants * Forthcoming changes to legislation * Energy efficiency issues * Commonly used refrigerants * Applications including DX coils, chillers, split systems, VRF/VRV systems and heat pumps * Sources of further information. The two bodies were keen to work together to promote best practice across the sector and to fully explain the implications of stringent cuts to the use of HFCs and other bans as part of proposals to strengthen the European F-Gas regulation. The UK continues to ‘mirror’ the regulation, despite its departure from the EU, and the latest proposals from the European Commission include an acceleration of the current phase down process in 2024. This could be followed by a ban on the use of HFCs with global warming potential (GWP) of 150 and above in many split systems and heat pumps from 2027. “The timing of this guide is crucial,” said Fox. “There is so much change going on in the industry and there is a danger that people will be bamboozled by all the current and proposed legislative changes. If people are confused, they can end up simply ignoring their obligations with extremely unfortunate consequences. “We were, therefore, very keen to work with BSRIA on a document that would be both informative, practical and relevant to building engineering systems designers.” Fox added that the new guide reinforced the importance of people being properly trained and holding up-to-date technical and health & safety qualifications to work with both traditional and alternative refrigerants. This is particularly important because many HFC replacement refrigerants are mildly flammable, he pointed out. It also reminds end users that they should only employ F-Gas registered firms to remain legally compliant and to achieve their environmental goals. BESA manages the UK’s primary F-Gas register REFCOM and offers F-Gas Awareness training via its online Academy. BESA and BSRIA will also be jointly presenting a webinar on May 3rd featuring Graeme Fox and BSRIA publications manager, David Bleicher. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the new guidance, understand its wider context and why it is such a timely and important publication. To book your webinar place click here www.theBESA.com
Mitsubishi Electric has launched a residential range of Lossnay Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems to provide clean and healthy air for homes. The addition to the renowned Lossnay range is designed specifically for the UK housing market and makes energy efficient, super-quiet ventilation accessible to even more homes. The residential Lossnay is designed to extract stale air continuously and efficiently from spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, toilets, and utility rooms where air can become polluted with high humidity, fumes and chemicals. The system replaces indoor air with filtered fresh air from outside. It also minimises the amount of energy lost by recovering the heat from the extracted air and transferring it to the supply of fresh air, so that it is nearer to the required indoor temperature. “The quality of indoor air is an important factor for health and wellbeing and the new residential Lossnay can help to ensure there is a constant flow of fresh air in our homes, and that potentially harmful pollutants and chemicals are being removed” said Hern Yau, Product Manager for Ventilation at Mitsubishi Electric. “Designed with energy efficiency in mind, the heat recovery feature also ensures as much energy as possible is reused from the extracted air”. The system is designed to operate continuously at ultra-low noise levels, making it the ideal solution for residential homes and apartments where comfort is key. Occupants can enjoy all the super-quiet, fresh air benefits of effective ventilation, without wasting energy. The new residential range comes with optional NOx (nitrogen oxide) and particulate matter filtration, with a unique third filter pocket which can be used for additional filtration of NOx emissions. This means that buildings in even the most polluted environments can be supplied with clean, healthy air, and the inbuilt filter provides easy access for regular maintenance. “Ventilating our indoor spaces is more important than ever, but we also need to be as energy efficient as possible” adds Hern Yau, “This new Lossnay will deliver good indoor air whilst recovering energy to minimise waste.” A built-in automatic summer bypass also allows the units to bring in fresh air from outside without recovering heat, in order to reduce the risk of overheating. This provides the ideal solution for cooling down a dwelling that may have overheated during the day once the outside temperature has dropped in the evening. Using temperature sensors, the unit can automatically enter bypass mode when it detects the space is hotter than desired and the outside air is cool enough. A built-in LCD controller allows for easy control and commissioning of the unit, and offers a clear display showing normal, boost, and purge modes. Up to four speed settings can be commissioned digitally to ensure constant and accurate settings. Click here for more information on the Lossnay range.
A spate of fatal accidents linked to faulty repair work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in Nigeria should prompt a swift response from the international community, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Seven people died and several more were injured in at least five explosions across the city of Abeokuta, according to reports in the Cooling Post. As a result, local officials have banned refrigerant sales and shut down the industry’s service and maintenance operations. Initial reports suggest the explosions may have been caused by counterfeit or damaged cylinders, contaminated gas and human error; and the state authorities have issued dire warnings to anyone who ignores the ban. Two engineers were killed while reportedly recharging an air conditioning unit and a young child was among the victims of another incident when a technician was trying to repair a domestic fridge. It is thought that in some cases engineers were putting the wrong gas into the units. BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox said these reports were probably “the tip of the iceberg” and called for a concerted response from the “worldwide refrigeration and air conditioning community”. Fox, who is a former president of the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration European Association (AREA), was instrumental in setting up an international ‘Refrigerant Driving Licence’ scheme for safe refrigerant handling on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). EmergingWhen the project launched six years ago, UNEP was growing increasingly concerned about the lack of understanding and training to improve safety in many emerging markets. The idea was that the developed nations would share their expertise with emerging industries to improve safety and professionalism. “These latest reports from Nigeria emphasise just why this scheme is so important. It was delayed because pandemic travel restrictions prevented the experts from training the trainers in each pilot country,” said Fox, who is also head of technical for the UK’s main F-Gas register REFCOM. “It now needs to be restarted without delay. Accidents are happening daily, and it is a miracle we have not had more deaths especially with the growth in use of new alternative gases, many of which are flammable.” The phase-out of HCFCs and ongoing phase down of HFCs has led to the development of alternatives with lower global warming potential – some of which operate at higher pressures and some of which are toxic and/or flammable. Many manufacturers have warned that some are being used as ‘drop-in’ replacements for their equipment when they are not appropriate or safe. “In the UK, we enjoy the support of the long-established refrigerant handling registration scheme REFCOM that has helped to drive up professional standards across our industry. We have a moral duty to share that expertise with other countries – and save lives,” said Fox. He also warned against complacency in the UK and Europe pointing out that there was a recent near miss here when an engineer vented flammable R290 (propane) in a kitchen served by a grease extract system that could easily have ignited and caused severe damage. “The growing amount of flammable gas being used by our industry means we must up our game on competence training – something we are focusing on strongly through the BESA Academy. Getting our own contractor base trained up is clearly a priority, but we should be simultaneously sharing our knowledge with our colleagues around the world. “The demand for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment continues to grow rapidly worldwide and we should be extremely proud of the important role our industry plays in every aspect of modern life. However, greater commercial success also brings greater responsibility,” said Fox.www.refcom.org.uk
Today, the UK’s leading boiler manufacturer has relaunched its Green Heating Heroes, to help installers educate consumers on how they can reduce carbon emissions and energy bills Worcester Bosch has today announced the launch of the second phase of its Green Heating Heroes campaign. First launched in November 2021, the campaign aims to encourage homeowners across the UK to live a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, while giving installers the tools they need to help communicate this message to their customers. With talk around the impending energy price hike increasing further, Worcester Bosch hope that installers will use the campaign’s tools and resources to confidently speak to their customers on the benefits of upgrading heating systems to efficient ones. For example, according to the Energy Savings Trust, up to £365 can be saved on energy bills per year if a G-rated boiler is switched to an A-rated one. The digital campaign will go live from 1st February until March 1st 2022 and will feature across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and via Google Display. Martyn Bridges, Technical Communications and Product Manager at Worcester Bosch, comments: “Our industry is going through a monumental change, which is already beginning to show with talk around the energy crisis. In addition, we are awaiting the Boiler Upgrade Scheme which will be introduced on 1st April, where homeowners can apply for a £5,000 upgrade to replace a boiler with an air source heat pump. “With 3 million inefficient boilers currently installed in UK homes, and with various future-proofed technologies available to replace them, we believe there is a huge opportunity to educate homeowners on the benefits of upgrading their heating system. This is why we have launched the second phase of the Green Heating Heroes campaign – to help spread this message far and wide and inspire people to make a change.” To find out more about the Green Heating Heroes campaign, please visit worcester-bosch.co.uk/professional/green-heating-heroes.
Businesses prosper when the whole team thrives for success. Every company needs to have a team that has the drive to keep improving efficiency and help in boosting productivity. But like any other business, Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) companies can experience challenges, and sometimes demanding for productivity is easier said than done. If there are no steps to follow, taking your HVAC business to the top won’t be possible. Take this list as a guide to improve productivity in your company. Organize Your Parts And Equipment In any business, the organization must make sure that you have provided everything that your team needs before proceeding to the job. Contractors must ensure that their trucks are organized and in good working condition. They must have the necessary equipment loaded and ready in the service vehicle. In addition, the technician must ensure that all the parts and tools he’ll need for the job are complete. Also, make sure to regularly check the warehouse for inventory to ensure your contractors have all the materials they’ll need. Utilize Technology Your HVAC business will stay ahead of other competitors if you take advantage of the technological solutions available in the market today. Your company can use the software that is ideal for customer relationship management (CRM) and dispatch. You can also automate workflow with service management software that can be utilized from the field to the office. This software has a user-friendly interface and allows you to access its customer data storage, tracking tools for technicians, GPS tracking, and more. Implementing different solutions is best during the year’s off-season when fewer customers call. When your business and your staff can adapt to new technology, they can keep up with the demands of their tasks and responsibilities, which results in efficiency and a boost in productivity. Invest In Training For New Skills There is a big possibility of a shortage in skilled workers this year of 2022, as baby boomers are retiring from the industry. Almost all HVAC businesses in the market are at their peak right now with regards to positioning in the industry, but with all the retirements this year, the current struggle is to find qualified technicians who would stay for good in your company. The generation of employees nowadays prioritizes career growth, they usually gauge their stay in a company based on the path that the organization can offer them. What you can do is to train them generously as it contributes to employee retention. You can even hire and onboard younger technicians to build them up. There are two types of training that employers can give: Technical training – training for certification and licensing. They can also opt to take additional certifications if they want to remain in the field their whole career. Company-specific training – leads to career growth internally since some technicians may eventually want to transition into management roles. When employees know that they can develop their skills and knowledge in your business, they are more than likely to stay. You can also upskill your technicians with the new trends to keep their skills updated and aid them to avoid future mistakes. This kind of activity inspires your new and old employees as it can boost their confidence, morale, and satisfaction to be at their best. Improve Company Culture How is the company culture at your workplace? If you’re noticing a decline in productivity, perhaps you can look into the working environment of your staff. A hostile workplace can lower productivity, increase errors, encourage absenteeism, and produce a number of mishaps. Your employees are more likely to show enthusiasm at work if there is respect and value within their workplace. To determine what needs to be improved in the company’s culture, it’s encouraged that you conduct surveys or one-one check-ins with each of your employees once or twice a month. By doing this, you are showing your team the concern and respect that they deserve, Additionally, you’ll be able to get feedback and suggestions straight from them and formulate solutions to increase their trust and comfortability in the company. It would also be a great idea to improve company culture, by arranging team-building activities wherein all the employees can participate to build camaraderie and rapport with each other that can eventually improve workplace culture. Allow Customer Reviews Customers who need services are likely to search and read reviews from fellow clients. It’s a way of getting information on which company can offer quality work. There are platforms that customers can leave reviews about HVAC businesses. Customer testimonials can help you gain the trust of your customers and get more leads and prospects. You can utilize these testimonials by adding them to your website to help raise the brand image. In Conclusion HVAC businesses can look forward to success if they can start planning different ways to improve efficiency and increase productivity. It’s essential to be organized and always ready when the customer call. Training for additional skills and using technology also empowers your employees to do their jobs better. Productivity also increases when they have a good amount of support and receives feedback from satisfied customers.
Industrial fans are the best solution for managing the heat emanating from electrical panels and ensuring a safe working environment. You can choose your industrial ventilation system with fans to adapt to the dimensions, processes and needs of your company. Let’s see how this works and what are the main differences between the industrial fans for specific purposes. Why is an industrial ventilation system so important? The energy consumption inside large factories and industrial warehouses is much higher than the one used in private homes and small buildings. This is why it is important that the electrical panel remains at a constant temperature and does not overheat, causing damage to machinery and risks for workers. In these cases, fans for electrical panels are the best solution because they allow a constant temperature, consume little energy and keep the parts of the panel in good health, extending their life. In this way the factory consumes less, requires less maintenance and is always perfectly safe. Depending on the size and needs of the workplace, you can choose a more or less powerful and more or less sophisticated wall or ceiling industrial ventilation system. Here are the various types. Types of fans for electrical panels These machines are divided into two macro-categories: Small size filter fans for electrical panels Wider and more powerful roof mounted heat extractors The choice of one option or the other depends on a number of factors that characterize the place to be cooled. First of all, the size of the space to be cooled must be evaluated. Then you have to take into account the amount of electricity and consequently the amount of heat that is released from the electrical panel and that is to be blown away by the industrial fans. Industrial ventilation systems, in fact, suck hot air out from electronic components which, by lowering the temperature, have a longer life and less maintenance needs. At the same time, cold air is sucked out from the work environment to maintain a constant and adequate temperature for both machinery and workers. Why should you choose this solution? Fans for electrical panels are a compact solution, small in size and highly efficient, for cooling the air in workplaces with particular characteristics. Remember that you can install them in your workplace, in the wall or ceiling version, only if the place respects these conditions. The external air has a lower temperature than the internal one. The air present in the environment has no oily characteristics, nor is it rich in dust. The space requires a minimal cooling capacity. If fans are useful for cooling electrical panels, in fact, the same cannot be said for more complex industrial processes that require a much larger and more sophisticated air conditioning system. In short, an industrial ventilation system is the ideal solution for small rooms where production and factory processes develop little heat and which do not need intense refrigeration. Listen carefully to an expert in industrial ventilation and cooling systems to find the right machinery for your work environment.
Joblogic and Refcom have collaborated to launch a software module in the UK that ensures F-Gas compliance. It also makes it simpler and faster for HVAC engineers to comply since they can now input the data directly into a compliant logbook via a mobile app. Legislation demands that an engineer must track and record any movement of refrigerant gas in an official logbook. There also needs to be a back-office system that shows all the work completed on equipment. Says Greg Hill, Principal Consultant at Joblogic: “While it is possible to record work completed on paper-based systems this can be time consuming and lead to errors when a second person inputs the data into the back-office system. With each piece of equipment and all the cylinders having their own logbooks, it can take time to find all the necessary paperwork, discover what needs completing on an asset, do the work and then fill in each of the logbooks with all the correct information. “Using the Refcom F-Gas Tracking Module, the engineer will know what work they need to do before they arrive to ensure that they have the right tools and equipment to get it right first time. Having completed the work they simply input the relevant information into the Joblogic Refcom App on their phone or tablet which will then automatically populate the online logbooks and the back-office systems to save time and avoid any errors.” Further time savings are possible if a company decides to use QR codes to identify individual assets within an HVAC system since the engineer can then simply scan the equipment to find out about its service history and the work that needs doing. This will also automatically find the form for that asset to make it easier and faster to complete and record the job. With each asset in a system having its own logbook, automating the track and trace system will save hours of time so that the engineer can complete more work. Says Graeme Fox, Head of Technical for Refcom: “We wanted a software system that would report data straight into the correct forms to ensure compliance. We also wanted to make the task simpler and faster for our members and take advantage of all the technology that is available to ensure accurate track and trace, such as for example using QR codes. “It is vital that HVAC engineers are fully compliant with F-Gas legislation and there have been occasions where data has been missed or the logbook has been incorrectly filled in so that a job was not compliant. This is generally an honest mistake and people may not even realise that they have not met the legislative needs.” All Refcom members will receive a free user licence for the new software module which includes a back-office reporting system, logbooks and the facility to add the mobile app for an engineer. This allows an organisation to plan and schedule future maintenance work and customise and produce reports in whatever format they want. For a free demonstration of the Joblogic Refcom F-Gas tracking and compliance software visit https://www.joblogic.com/features/fgas-compliance-software/.
With the built environment contributing 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint and the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) warning of the dangers of overheating buildings, a new whitepaper is highlighting the importance of sustainable HVAC systems to construction professionals. The new whitepaper, from polymer specialists REHAU, identifies issues around building overheating, air quality and sustainability, and the need to decarbonise new and existing buildings to meet net zero targets. Citing UK Green Building Council findings that heating and cooling is responsible for large quantities of buildings’ ‘in use’ emissions, it explores the impact of sustainable HVAC systems on construction. Following CCC warnings that not adapting the built environment to changing climates could pose major risks to occupant health from overheating, the whitepaper looks into thermally activated building structures (TABS) technology’s role in resolving this. A means of space heating and cooling, TABS uses pipework embedded within a building’s concrete structure, running either an elevated chilled water temperature for cooling requirements, or low-temperature hot water for the premises’ heating needs. “TABS is growing in popularity because they are economical and efficient, yielding up to a 47% reduction in annual energy costs when compared to traditional HVAC systems,” says Franz Huelle, Head of Technical at REHAU Building Solutions. “This is because whether for heating or cooling requirements, water flows of different temperatures influence the temperature of the building’s concrete structure. “By opting for such a system, specifiers eliminate the need to regulate temperatures in individual rooms with their own specific load requirements. Instead, the pipework allows the building’s mass and thermal dynamic behaviour to be used to maintain comfortable conditions, almost like a living organism.” Commonly used for larger buildings, TABS processes activate the large thermal mass of concrete structures, acting as a buffer for varying cooling or heating loads throughout the day. REHAU’s whitepaper explores the benefits of the technology’s high thermal inertia, large surface areas and radiative heating and cooling properties, including reduced carbon emissions and increased occupier health and comfort. Franz challenges: “When it comes to selecting an appropriate HVAC system, everything always comes down to one fundamental question – does this technology offer a compelling business case? As our new whitepaper identifies, given the pressures to deliver buildings that meet future sustainability needs, TABS should definitely be considered under these parameters. “For example, because these systems can continuously expel heat throughout the day, they are well-placed to tackle the urgent threat of buildings overheating in the warmer months. This is of particular importance as weather patterns become more extreme and high-performance insulation becomes the standard in new-build properties. “Contractors, specifiers and developers may therefore need to engage more specialist assistance to meet these challenges and other longstanding priorities such as lowering construction and maintenance costs,” concludes Franz. “TABS’ ability to realise these benefits while decarbonising the nation’s building stock explains why building professionals should read this new whitepaper and explore the technology’s viability going forward.” For more information and to download REHAU’s new whitepaper, click here.
