Keeping industrial workplaces cool is a challenge for many facilities. These buildings are frequently large with many heat sources inside the building as well as out. Often, this means that mechanical cooling with air conditioning is impractical and cost prohibitive. Instead, it’s essential to invest in well-designed industrial ventilation systems to help with cooling to create a successful environment for your people, products, and processes. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the reasons to prioritize cooling in your industrial facility as well as some solutions that may help in your building.
How Industrial Ventilation Systems Help Keep Industrial Interiors Cool
Whether you manage a warehouse, manufacturing facility, or chemical plant, there are many reasons to consider cooling for your industrial workplace. In many cases, traditional air conditioning simply isn’t feasible for large industrial plants.
This may be due to several reasons. For instance, it may be that you have no effective way to contain cooled air in the facility. Maybe the building lacks insulation and it’s not practical or economically feasible to insulate the existing facility. Perhaps you have large bay doors that you must open frequently for your operations. Whatever the issue, this is a common reason why traditional AC isn’t a viable option for your industrial facility.
However, one of the biggest issues is the cost. Typically, air conditioning systems cost a fortune to install and run in large industrial spaces. In order to achieve a comfortable cooling effect, you may need large, complex air conditioning systems that run in overdrive to fight the heat inside your building. These systems often are ineffective at achieving comfortable temperatures and can also cost facilities too much, making it economically impractical.
Instead, industrial ventilation systems are a cost-effective option to help keep industrial interiors cool and comfortable. We’ll discuss some of the pieces of equipment you may need for your system in a later section, but keep in mind that these systems usually cost significantly less than an air conditioning system to install and operate. This is because they use a variety of low-energy equipment to make your interiors comfortable.
Why Invest in Industrial Ventilation Systems for the Workplace?
If your industrial workplace is frequently too hot, it’s important to invest in industrial ventilation systems that fight the heat. Otherwise, you may face serious consequences. Here are some of the many reasons why you need to keep your workplace cool:
Heat Stress
Heat stress is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to high temperatures in the industrial workplace. This is where people become too hot and their core body temperatures increase. This can lead to serious dangers to workers’ health. Overheating can cause cramps, rashes, fainting, and fatigue. In some cases, it can even lead to confusion, dizziness, or even death. Dozens of people die at work every year due to heat stress, so this is a serious concern.
Low Productivity
Also, high temperatures may be affecting productivity at your industrial facility. OSHA recommends workplaces maintain temperatures between 68°F and 76°F. This is a good goal, as several studies have looked at the effects of heat on productivity and found that temperature increases over 80°F led to lower productivity and increased errors from workers. Therefore, cooling down your industrial workplace may have a positive impact on overall productivity.
Issues with Products & Processes
In addition, excessive heat in your industrial facility may also negatively affect your products and processes. High temperatures frequently cause quicker degradation of a variety of materials. This can lead to issues with products inside your facility or may even cause your equipment and machinery to break down more frequently. Depending on your application, high ambient temperatures may also interfere with your processes. Therefore, this is another reason to invest in industrial ventilation systems to help cool your building.
Solving Hot Temperatures with Industrial Ventilation Systems
If you regularly experience high temperatures in your industrial facility, then you need one of our specialists to design a ventilation system customized to your building and cooling challenges. Your industrial ventilation systems may utilize many different components to help cool the interior of your building, such as:
Design a Ventilation System with Fans for Breaking Up Hot Air
Industrial fans are a critical part of keeping workers cool in large facilities. Ceiling and floor fans help increase air circulation and move hot air through the building and out through the exhaust system. They also create an artificial breeze that can help with sweat evaporation to prevent heat stress.
There are a variety of fans that may work well for your industrial ventilation systems. For instance, HVLS (high volume low speed) fans are good at moving a large amount of air quickly through the building. Smaller fans on the floor may be helpful for spot cooling in work areas.
Consider Evaporative Coolers for Spot Cooling in Industrial Ventilation Systems
Evaporative coolers are another option that works well for spot cooling. These pass air through water-saturated pads, which can reduce the temperature of the air. Some models of evaporative coolers are only useful in industrial ventilation systems in dry climates. This is because they often add moisture into the air, increasing humidity. However, indirect evaporative coolers are a great solution that uses the same effect for air cooling without increasing humidity levels. Therefore, we may recommend evaporative coolers to help cool the air as it enters your workplace.
Include Louvers to Take Advantage of Breezes
Louvers are frequently included in ventilation systems to assist with natural industrial ventilation control. This allows fresh, cool air to flow into a building, typically from the sides, while hot, contaminated air is expelled from the roof of the building. This allows your facility to take advantage of breezes and wind to help with cooling a large area without high energy costs.
Louvers cover an opening in the building’s envelope and use blades to allow fresh air in while blocking things like insects, pests, and debris from entering the building. This makes them a great choice for industrial environments where outdoor temperatures tend to be cooler than inside the building and also in locations where frequent breezes and winds can help cool down the building and increase air circulation.
Solutions for Ventilation & Noise Control from Eldridge
Our team at Eldridge is here to solve all your ventilation and noise control challenges. We specialize in industrial ventilation systems and assist with everything from design and installation to product supply for your ventilation needs. From comfort cooling to removing harmful contaminants from the air, we can address all your concerns through sophisticated ventilation system design. Contact us today to get a free quote from our experts or browse our online shop for high quality industrial fans for your facility.