DCN August 2016 | Page 20

cooling GIVE ME FIVE!  Tim Bound of Transtherm Cooling Industries gives five maintenance tips for your cooling system. Y ou’d be surprised if I compared a cooling system to a human! But in fact they aren’t too dissimilar – especially when you think that both man and machine need regular exercise, a proper looking after, the right food and good rest to be on top form. With that in mind, here are our suggestions for keeping your cooling system in top performing shape.   Dress for the occasion We’ve all been caught out with our (un)reliable British weather. Thankfully, even if we fail to get the weatherman’s memo and get drenched or boiled by our choice of outfit, we can make sure that our equipment doesn’t follow suit, and that it works perfectly despite its location. There’s no grinding to a halt because of rain or snow – just specify your machines correctly right from the initial design stage so they run smoothly whatever the weather. If necessary, research the meteorological records for the location to find out the mean temperature, the freak hot and cold whims of Mother Nature, and average seasonal changes so you know the relative humidity and ambient air to spec up your adiabatic coolers. 20 If equipment is going to be in a corrosive environment, then choose hardwearing construction materials. If it’s going to be shipped to a coastal or desert location, then use a wider fan spacing so sand can pass through the heat exchanger without clogging everything up. If the system will be situated in an area with a lot of debris swirling around, then consider placing your machine on leg meshes. Preemptive planning will make ongoing maintenance a lot easier.   Don’t overdo it! Despite thinking machines are indestructible, they also have a shelf life and if worked too strenuously, they will collapse – just like us if we’re forced to run a marathon every day – there’s only so much both of us can