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