Page 56 - Climate Control News May 2020

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Managing ventilation systems during outbreak
Tools to save time and money
HINTON REFRIGERATION COMPANY had the task of two convenience store installs and wanted to make sure they were high quality jobs.
Founded in Oklahoma City in 1952 by Argus Hinton, the company was well known for provid- ing quality grocery store refrigeration installa- tion and service in the area.
For over 60 years, the company has grown to become industry experts in refrigeration, com- mercial HVAC, and residential installation and service while upholding the high quality, integ- rity and customer service that Mr. Hinton origi- nally instilled in the company.
Hinton Refrigeration took a different ap- proach to each install.
For the first convenience store Hinton used 5 technicians and five days to weld in the piping using the typical brazing method.
With brazing, the technicians had to con- stantly bring torches up and down ladders to in- stall the piping on top of the walk-in coolers. They also had to deal with the tight spaces af- forded to the convenience store set up.
Additional people were needed to keep the valves cool during brazing and to watch out for the cooler’s white panelling so they didn’t burn it while brazing.
Once the brazing was done, they would check for leaks and usually found 4-5 pin holes per weld. Around 80 fittings were used.
For the second convenience store, Hinton used ZoomLock flame-free refrigerant fittings to install the piping using two technicians over two days, cutting the man-hours by 44%.
The company was able to train apprentices on the appropriate use of ZoomLock in 15 minutes versus the two-week training needed on proper and safe brazing techniques.
They also found that by using ZoomLock, there were no pin hole leaks. The install was quick and fluid. By installing ZoomLock, Hinton Refrigeration was able to save in labour costs and add to their bottom line.
Hinton Refrigeration demonstrated how to save time and money with two convenience store installs.
EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS HAVE re- leased revised recommendation on how to man- age ventilation systems during the Coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, Eurovent said the latest re- search is that the virus (SARS-CoV-2) is spread through droplets released into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
The droplets do not remain in suspension, but generally fall to the ground or land on other sur- faces at a short distance from the infected person — this is why social and physical distancing are effective in preventing the spread of the virus.
“There is currently no evidence that the coro- navirus can spread through ventilation or air conditioning systems,” the statement said.
“There is no doubt that the concentration of the smaller airborne droplets, which may con- tain viruses including viruses other than SARS- CoV-2 should be kept as low as possible. This can
be achieved by correctly operating mechanical ventilation systems.”
The general Eurovent recommendation is to maintain and operate ventilation systems in ac- cordance with instructions and applicable hy- giene standards.
As a precaution for the pandemic risk period, the following measures may be useful:
Increase ventilation rates and increase the percentage of outdoor air in the system
Extend the operation time of the ventilation system
Check that the ventilation units are properly set up and they are serviced correctly in accord- ance with the manufacturer’s instructions
Consider maintaining the indoor relative hu- midity above 30% (where possible)
As soon as new reliable information about the disease and how it spreads is available, the rec- ommendations will be updated.
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
Manufacturers update recommendations for industry.
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