Using Chilled Water Spot Cooling

Dry-cleaning and laundry facilities can be hot in the winter months which means they are downright unbearable this time of the year.  Understandably, there are lots of folks that simply cannot endure that kind of heat, and that translates to lower production rates and possibly loss of good employees in a tough labor market.

Last year, we offered several solutions to help keep your dry cleaning plant cool, and today we want to focus closely on the one that we believe is the only serious cooling alternative – chilled water spot cooling.  This system uses a process water chiller, like those used for cooling water for dry-cleaning machines, along with a heat exchanger or coil and fan to blow cold air like air-conditioning.  Duct work is run overhead to each work station with trunks rated to handle the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of the air handler and then drops pointed down at each work station.

Here are some important tips when it comes to installing this type of cooling system:

• Before installing, study the space using known figures like 2 drops per ton of water chiller, a chiller sized for the drop station amount, an air handler sized for the chiller tonnage, and a header trunk sized for the CFM of the air handler before beginning installation.
• As you are doing planning, focus on routing and how to hang the main header trunk as well as where to install the air handler, supply and return chilled water piping. 
• Tri-State recommends an 8” drop, which handles around 300 CFM, terminated approximately 7’ above the floor at each station, using an elbow on the end of each drop to fine tune the direction of air flow.
• Remember, this is a process water chiller with a high amperage compressor and pumps.  Using this system will increase your utility cost. 
• While it is rather costly to install and run compared to other options, it is much more effective and less expensive to operate than trying to add air conditioning to the entire facility.  Sometimes it is cheaper to cool people than to try cool an entire space.

If your dry-cleaning facility has hit that unbearable point, feel free to give Tri-State a call at 1-866-885-5218 or send us a message.  We are happy to answer questions and offer assistance.

KEEPING YOUR DRY CLEANING PLANT COOL

There are so many wonderful things about summer, except for the heat.  While temperatures outside will be in the 90’s, temperatures inside a dry cleaning plant can reach up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.  Such heat can lead to employee dehydration and fatigue.  To help combat that, Tri-State has come up with a few ideas to hopefully help you and your staff beat the summer heat. 

Adjusting hours – Adjusting production times to start and end earlier in the day is by far the cheapest alternative, provided customer needs can be met. 

Cooling Systems – There are both installed and portable cooling systems.  While both are effective at cooling, they tend to be expensive to install, run, and maintain.  When it comes to installed systems, Tri-State uses MagicAire Air Handlers that have water-cooled coils in conjunction with Kleen Rite Water Chillers to cool the coils.  MagicAire Air Handlers come in a variety of sizes, and you can purchase the appropriately sized chiller accordingly.  When shopping for your plant, Tri-State recommends staying at or below 2 drops sized at 8” per ton of chiller for spot cooling.  When piping, pipe just above the work station so that the air comes out above the employee’s head.  Portable cooling systems work well; in essence, they are air conditioning units with a 6” hose to point at employees.  There is, however, a flaw with this particular solution.  The air intake gets clogged with lint because many operators fail to properly clean its filter; it is an issue that can ultimately cause damage to the unit. 

Area Fans – Area fans are an economical solution to help make the inside of a dry cleaning plant more bearable during hot summer months.  Tri-State has found that the best area fans for use in dry cleaning plants come from Global Industrial.  They can be moved around in work areas as well as directly mounted to the wall.  While they obviously don’t cool the air, when properly placed, they do a great job at keeping the air moving.

Swamp Coolers – If you are in an area with relatively low humidity, a swamp cooler works well at cooling, and it can be fairly inexpensive to install and maintain.  Here’s how they work – swamp coolers are open systems that blow air into the building drawing it through filter pads soaked in water from an on-board tank and pump system. Unlike air conditioners, where air passes over a set of coils filled with a refrigerant, swamp coolers cool the air down by evaporation, and they use a lot less energy than air conditioning units. 

Ceiling Exhaust Fans – We believe this, in conjunction with small fans blowing on workers, is the most economical option for cooling dry cleaning plants, provided the exhaust fans are properly positioned.  Here’s a great example -- the shirt laundry finishing area produces the most heat because of the required operating steam pressure needed for proper finishing and production time.  Placing exhaust ceiling fans above the shirt finishing area (because they are the greatest source of heat in the building), allows the heat to be drawn out, so it naturally cools the space.  But be sure to use caution when choosing the fan size and designing the space because you can put too much negative pressure on the building.     

If you have questions about combating the heat in your business, please give us a call at 866.885.5218.  We are happy to help.