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December 18, 2018 by Matt Hanson

VariCool Renovator SWUD Replacement

Developed as a Direct Replacement
for Trane^® SWUD Units

VariCool Renovator Picture — **Exploded View**

During the 1980s and ’90s, the installations of Trane^® SWUD units happened in thousands of buildings throughout the USA. In most cases, the installation of Variable Air Volume and Constant Volume Systems units occurred during the building construction. Furthermore, the building of walls around the units enclosed them inside mechanical rooms or other hard-to-access spaces. Now years have gone by and the Trane® SWUD units are reaching the end of their lifespan. This presents a problem as well as an opportunity. While the disabling and removal of old AC units can be completed, it is quite another thing to bring in a suitable replacement unit. Building managers are routinely told that demolition of an outside wall or roof has to happen in order to accomplish the replacement task. The expense and logistics to replace the Trane® SWUD units can be enormous leading to much frustration to the end-user.

The United CoolAir Renovator was developed as a solution for the numerous Trane^® SWUD units that are in need of replacement. The design of the Renovator is to be a direct replacement for Trane^® SWUD units 42 through 80 tons. These self-contained water-cooled units ship in multiple sections and fit through a standard 36″ door or smaller. As an added benefit, all while maintaining their original factory charge. The Renovator maintains the original Trane^® SWUD footprint while simultaneously eliminating the cost of rigging, permits, and tenant disruptions. This results in cost and time savings for clients.

November 8, 2017 by Matt Hanson

A Flexible Alternative for Portable Environmental Control

The remediation industry has long relied on traditional equipment like mechanical dehumidification and desiccant systems. This is for the removal of excess moisture from flooded and fire-damaged buildings and environmental control. In many cases, these are the better choice for drying out the high moisture situations in preparation for later renovations. Still, a controversy persists whether or not air conditioning can is useful as effectively as a dehumidifier.

The answer is most definitely yes, but it depends on the unit type and application of environmental control. However, moisture removal is only one of the reasons why portable air conditioning should be a serious contender for remediation projects. Just as important as moisture removal is space conditioning during the renovation phase of the project.

How Mechanical Dehumidification Works

Portable air conditioning is not just for cooling outside tents and temporary facilities. When using the right type of portable air conditioner, it will not only dehumidify the facility but should also condition the space for the repair phase of the project.

In simple terms, dehumidification is the removal of water vapor from the air. This occurs by lowering the air temperature to its dew point, where it condenses for easy removal. Efficient dehumidification relies on two basic concepts. First, the air must be chilled as low as possible in order to effectively remove the moisture that is in the air.

This happens through the refrigeration cycle of both dehumidifiers and air conditioners. Air cooling happens as it passes over a cooling coil and a drain pan captures the moisture from the air as it condenses on the coil. Second, the ambient room or space temperature should as high as practical so that it can absorb the maximum amount of moisture from the space. This occurs by reheating the air as it returns to the room, and is done differently by air conditioners and dehumidifiers. This cycle continues until spaces have reached the desired temperature and humidity levels.

Dehumidification Versus Air Conditioning Systems

A key difference between dehumidifiers and air conditioners is how the heat from the refrigeration cycle is processed. Dehumidifiers use the heat generated by the refrigeration cycle to immediately heat the air re-entering the space. This results in dry, warm air leaving the unit.

Air conditioners, on the other hand, reject the waste heat away from the space, usually to an external air-or water-cooled condenser. The conditioned air returns to the space dry but cooler. Since maintaining a warmer ambient is important for dehumidification, good quality portable air conditioners are available with supplemental electric heating coils. This is also true in heat pump models to reheat the cooler, dry air.

The temperature is controllable with accurately for efficient dehumidification, and the availability of heating and/or cooling is useful during the reconstruction or renovation phase. Another key difference between dehumidification units and air conditioners is the way they control sensible and latent heat. Sensible heat is essentially the air temperature within the space and latent heat is the additional heat in the form of moisture in the air, the relative humidity (RH).

An air conditioner measures and controls temperature, cooling the space until the thermostat reaches its set point. A dehumidifier removes moisture until the humidistat reaches the desired RH level.
The sensible-to-latent heat removal ratio for a dehumidifier is 50-50 while an air conditioner is closer to 70-30. In other words, dehumidifiers ring out more moisture, but they generally have poor to no control of space temperature. Air conditioners have great control of space temperature but remove moisture at a lesser rate.

Which System Is Better?

If your only interest is maximum moisture removal in the shortest time, straight dehumidification is probably the better choice. But when moisture removal is lower and spaces will require renovation or some type of post-construction, a portable air conditioner should be your number one selection.

Portable commercial air conditioners can easily reach 2,000 CFM for a five-ton unit when in the cooling stage. However, to improve the moisture removal characteristics, lowering the fan speed by up to 50% improves its dehumidification performance. By slowing the warm, moist room air traveling over the cold evaporator coil, additional moisture can be removed.

Portable air conditioners are available in a variety of configurations and sizes as high as 30 tons for even the largest of buildings. Smaller units can have wheeled bases making them easy to transport and position. Additionally, their narrow cabinet design will pass through a standard 3/0 door opening without modification.

The Additional Benefits Of Portable Air Conditioning

The key to any job site is to maintain Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) during reconstruction and renovation. Portable air-conditioning systems offer the restoration and remediation industry an excellent tool to assist in the safe and efficient completion of restoration projects.

It’s commonplace during renovations to seal the affected area by turning off the air conditioning and isolating the airflow from the rest of the building. The goal is to maintain a negative pressure in the workspace (or positively pressurize other areas). This is to prevent the migration of air contaminants from work areas to occupied areas.

Portable air conditioning units will retain a controlled environment by maintaining specific relative humidity and temperature conditions, and they can also effectively filter the circulated air. That means the same unit that removed the initial moisture also provides an ideal workspace environment. Worker productivity maximization and space conditions improve through dust control.

The Importance of Conditioned Spaces

Conditioned space is critical for building materials and finishes applications. The installation of hardwood floors and wood paneling requires the normalization of materials at the right temperature and humidity to prevent warping or later expansion/contraction.
Controlled humidity will protect metal surfaces from oxidizing and help wall coatings dry faster and more completely. Renting a single unit for moisture removal and space conditioning is generally less expensive and requires less set up time.

Equally important is the prevention of mold and fungus. Molds like Aspergillums can grow on modern building materials such as gypsum board and ceiling tile if allowed to remain wet for more than 72 hours. Spores become airborne during repair and/or disturbance of the building and have low settling velocities, remaining in the air for long periods of time. A portable air conditioner continues to dehumidify the space and filter the return air as long as space conditioning occurs.

Selecting the Portable Air Conditioner That’s Right for Your Application

Portable air conditioning units are available in a variety of sizes and configurations. The purpose-built dehumidifier units are available through rental distributors are generally small in capacity. As an example, quality manufacturers like United CoolAir Corporation offer one of the largest selections of portable systems. These units have multiple capacities capable of conditioning even the largest of commercial spaces.

Portable horizontal air conditioning systems are the most popular and have the widest range of sizes and arrangements. These smaller horizontal units provide needed flexibility and are useful for indoor or outdoor installations. Typical cooling capacities can reach as high as 15 tons and include the option for electric heating.

Narrow Design Aides in Mobility

Since mobility is paramount for these units, they are narrow in design to navigate doorways and entrances. This includes integral unit-mounted forklift pods or casters for easy mobility. For the really large projects or where it makes sense to replace multiple smaller systems with a single unit, consider a larger, high capacity system. With sizes ranging up to 30 tons of cooling, these units include up to 80 kW of electric heating.

Narrow in design, they are easily positioned using the built-in lifting pods are stacking is possible if necessary. Trailer-mounted units are also an option for outside installation. Also available are vertical portable air conditioning and heating units. While not as popular as horizontal models, they offer both bi-directional free blow and ducted operation. Most find this a great application in large open spaces.

Typical sizes can range from three to 30 tons with up to 60 kW of heating. These narrow footprint units are easy to transport and move into position using the forklift pod. Installation can be inside or out as conditions allow.
With the right manufacturer, you can select from standalone in-line blowers and heaters. These units work in conjunction with larger tonnage portable air conditioners for more reheat capability and longer flexible duct runs.

The Future of Environmental Control

Today’s portable air conditioners are easy to install with features like Camlock power connections, duct collars, built-in circuit breakers, and more. Many include multiple ducting options with high static pressure for long duct runs. Quality units are also equipped with an internal thermostat and offer an option for remote control if required.

Always choose a reputable portable air conditioning brand with a proven track record of performance. They are your number one source for getting a unit that best fits your application. However, not all portable air conditioning units construct to the same standards. It is not uncommon to find traditional building air conditioners, or even rooftop designs, modified for portable use.

Summary

These units exist for stationary installation and cannot withstand the continuous movement and transportation requirements necessary for portable equipment. When used in portable applications, they are prone to refrigerant leaks, component failures, and reduced life expectancy.

Finally, it’s also important to evaluate the suppliers of portable air conditioning rental equipment available in your area. While most will be helpful in getting you started, choose one that will help you select the right size, type of equipment, and accessories for your application. Technical support exists in the event of a malfunction, and if they carry an inventory of equipment should it be needed quickly.

September 1, 2017 by United CoolAir

Improving Indoor Air Quality

Most air conditioners recirculate indoor air during the heating or cooling phase. While this saves energy, there is a very serious health cost to pay when people breathe indoors air versus outside air. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air quality is two to five times MORE TOXIC on average than outside air. This is true even in the most heavily polluted United States metropolitan areas. In fact, in metropolitan areas, some inside air contains one-hundred times more toxic than the outside air.

Why Is the Inside Air So Toxic?

It’s a combination of a great many factors, some of which we’ll discuss below. For now, just know that the toxins found in the inside air contain mostly all human-made elements. These toxins are heavily concentrated during seasons when we don’t open windows, such as the warmer seasons when we run air conditioning. Furthermore, newer buildings that are “better insulated” tend to have inside air that is more toxic than older “drafty” buildings.

Toxins that Diffuse Out of Common Indoor Items

Many buildings have carpet and furniture that absorb and emit toxins. The foam on the back of the carpet and in the stuffing of the furniture provides a constant source of volatile organic chemicals. These (VOCs) are well-known carcinogens and irritants and are found in many other indoor items. This includes fixtures such as drapes and shower curtains. Do you know that funky “new odor” you smell when you hang the new shower curtain? That’s VOCs leaching out. They continue to leach out into the air even when you don’t smell them anymore. Needless to say, your nose is not the best guide when it comes to toxins in the inside air.

We Bring Other Nasty Chemicals Indoors That Contaminate Our Air

We use pesticides that emit toxins into the air we breathe. Popular industrial cleaners contain toxic chemicals like phthalates, perchloroethylene, or “PERC), triclosan, ammonia, chlorine, and 2-Butoxyethanol. There’s paradichlorobenzene in mothballs. Flame retardants found in mattresses, clothes, electronics, and the composition of polybrominated diphenyl and ethers–PBDEs, both highly toxic. These same nasty chemicals plus PCBs (phthalates) are found in many plastic products. This includes toys, plastic plant pots, food containers, lamps, picture frames, eyeglass frames, and plastic organizers. Particleboard furniture emits formaldehyde for as long as you have it in your space!

Does your carpet, furniture, clothes, or other products state they are “stain-resistant?” Does your cookware say “non-stick?” If so, these items contain perfluorinated acids (PFAs) which cause birth defects! Then there are all the nasty chemicals in our building supplies such as the methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. These chemicals find their way into spray foam insulation along with resins found in paint, varnishes, and tiles. There’s also radon gas from your flooring and toxins released from the mold.

What Are Health Costs?

We’ve already mentioned cancer and birth defects but other health hazards occur from toxic indoor air. For example, scientists now believe that toxic indoor air may be partially responsible for the soaring rates of autism and Asperger’s in children. It can also cause nervous conditions like ADD and general anxiety. There has been linkage to Heart diseases due to many of the nasty chemicals found in toxic indoor air too. Asthma and allergies that have been on the rise are also thought to have a toxic indoor air linkage. In fact, many chronic illnesses occur due to or exacerbated by toxic indoor air. These include sinus issues; skin rashes; dizziness; runny nose; persistent cough; achy joints; digestive issues; irritated eyes; nausea; poor concentration; memory loss; weakened immune system; and general fatigue.

OmegaAir and Alpha Aire — DOAS That Pull 100% OUTDOOR Air

When it’s hot and or humid outside, it can be just miserable if you don’t run your air conditioner! However, since most air conditioners recirculate toxic inside air, it can be a difficult choice on what to do. Do you open your windows and just try to bear the hot sticky feel? Or do you close your windows and feel comfortable while knowing you’re breathing in all that toxic air?

The design of Alpha Aire and Omega Air 100% outdoor air systems like all UCA air conditioning equipment are for indoor installation. Air handlers and condensers require no exterior mounting space, which is critical in multi-floor, urban applications. Indoor unit mounting preserves the architectural integrity of the building by keeping the roof and perimeter free of obstructions. In addition to eliminating the roof loads, installation and maintenance costs are lower. In this way, the equipment protection from the elements, and security enhancments happens because of limited outdoor access.

June 28, 2017 by United CoolAir

Why Use Commercial Temporary Air Conditioning

Commercial temporary air conditioning is essential to many businesses. Consider the following scenario. You’re building a new facility and you brought in a portable job site office trailer for your staff. Back in March, this worked out just fine. When it got stuffy inside the space, you and your staff just opened a door and let Nature cool things down. But now… it’s summer and there’s an oppressive heatwave with scorching temperatures and high humidity. Your employees can hardly breathe and production is slowing to a grinding halt as all they can think about is the utter misery. Your secretary is threatening to quit. You’re driving thirty miles at lunchtime just to take a shower. You need commercial temporary air conditioning to get your lucrative project back on track.

What Are Some Of the Other Uses For Commercial Grade Temporary Air Conditioning?

The most common use is when the central HVAC system at a business suddenly stops working and they can’t get it repaired quickly enough. In these cases, commercial temporary AC makes an excellent “plan B” to keep business moving along at a normal pace. In most of these cases, the cost of commercial temporary air conditioning is negligible compared to the profits lost. This happens when a central air HVAC system is down and neither clients nor employees can function in the space.

There are also many other uses for commercial temporary AC that you may not have ever thought about. For example, in a heatwave, they may be used in greenhouses to save vulnerable plants. They may even be used in the crop fields combined with tarps. Staging wedding receptions, seminars, trade shows, and other special events inside a large tent or other temporary structures is another common example. This situation is where there is a serious need for commercial temporary air conditioning.

Interpretive centers inside campgrounds or parks also sometimes use commercial temporary air conditioning when the weather gets really hot. It gives campers and other users of the parks an opportunity to get out of the blistering heat while still learning about nature. Large outdoor events, where the main center(s) of activity are outside, often set up “cooling zones” with commercial temporary air conditioning. In this way people can cool off and avoid heat stroke and other maladies associated with high temperatures. It’s also useful for first aid stations at such events.

Apartment Complexes and Housing For Seniors

Many parts of the country include apartment complexes and housing for seniors simply does not have AC of any kind. In some cases, the cost is prohibitive. In other cases, it is not sensible to go to the expense of installing a permanent cooling system due to the moderate climate. However, in both of these scenarios, there are temporary times when air conditioning becomes absolutely essential to prevent illness and loss of life. We’ve all heard the horrifying stories of seniors and others dying from heatstroke because a major heat occurred without conditioning in place. In these temporary conditions, extreme heat actually becomes dangerous to human life. In this case, property managers can turn to commercial temporary AC as a method to avoid catastrophe.

Likewise, community shelters, senior centers, and disaster relief centers are all structures that may not have permanent air conditioning. This may be due to funding issues or just the temporary nature of the structure. In any case, commercial temporary air conditioning can be an economical way of dealing with the summer season.

Is There Any Advantage To Using Commercial Temporary AC Long Term?

This may sound like a paradoxical question to some but it’s actually a very practical question for many businesses that are looking to save money. If you need to cool a structure for only one month out of the year every year, you can actually save a lot of money by using the commercial temporary AC unit. Instead of going to the much larger expense of installing a permanent HVAC system with central air conditioning. The same could be true if you only need it for two to three months out of the year. You’ll need to do some numbers crunching to determine which is most economical for your specific situation.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why commercial temporary AC can be necessary, and in some cases, an economical choice. All businesses should keep this option on the table when considering air conditioner temporary cooling.