PREPARE NOW FOR THE RETURN OF SUMMER HEAT
Houston meteorologists are forecasting temperatures to be near a record 81 degrees this week. It is only February, but it’s going to already feel like summer here in Houston! I’m certainly not ready for the summer time heat to return but that got me to thinking. Now is the time for companies to do ventilation system upgrades in order to be ready for the return of the dreaded summer heat.
Working in Hot Summer Temps
In Houston, we have learned to live with high humidity year-round. It’s when the hot summer temperatures return that things really become unbearable outside and sometimes inside. The US Climate Data website (www.usclimatedata.com) shows that from May to September, the average daily high temperatures are 84, 90, 92, 93 and 88 respectively. With the sun beating down on the roof of a building in these summer months, the inside temperature can increase by more than 20 degrees if not adequately ventilated.
Studies have shown that people begin to feel the effects of heat at 77 degrees and that for every degree above that, productivity decreases by 1%. That means that a person working in an unventilated warehouse in Houston during June will potentially only be working at 67% of capacity. Recently I wrote an article discussing the warehouse simulation, published in ASHRE Journal, which determined actual cost measures due to reduced worker capacity.
Ventilation System Upgrades
The starting point for upgrading a building’s ventilation system should be to increase the airflow to keep the inside temperature as close to the outside temperature as possible. If there are no significant heat sources inside the building, we recommend adding fans that will provide an air change rate of 6 per hour to keep the temperatures inside and outside equal. With the temperatures balanced, adding spot cooling fans or High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) fans will be more effective at providing air movement which can result in a perceived temperature reduction of 8 to 10 degrees. With these ventilation system upgrades, a person working in a Houston warehouse in June would increase from 67% to 95% working capacity. That’s a dramatic increase in productivity to justify upgrade costs!
Act Now
Now is the best time to start a ventilation system upgrade. Factory lead times are usually around eight weeks for ventilation equipment orders and fan installations take around four weeks. Installation lead time must factor in scheduling around the day-to-day operations going on inside a building as well as availability of installation crews. If you get ahead of the last minute rush and order ventilation equipment today your facility could be ready by late April, just in time to help beat the summer heat!
Conclusion
I have used my home city of Houston as an example, but ventilation system upgrades can pay for themselves anywhere. Regardless your locale, summer temperatures get high compared to other seasons. Now is the time to get equipment ordered so full impact will be felt this summer by your workers. Call Eldridge to help decide what ventilation equipment is needed and let’s get it ordered today!