UK Air Conditioning and Refrigeration News

Compressor packs 'burn-out' warning

19/8/2019

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Will Pribyl of Green Point UK

Refrigeration contractors have been warned to be aware of the risks of uneven wear and burn-out on multi-compressor packs.

Green Point, the compressor remanufacturing and service support arm of BITZER, says the problem occurs on packs with relatively simple control systems whose default run sequence results in extended running hours for certain compressors, while other units remain underused or even idle for extended periods.

Moving with the times

13/8/2019

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The Carter Thermal Industries facility in Lea Ford Road, Birmingham

The Carter Thermal Industries Group has consolidated its Birmingham operations into one site. David Todd joined customers, guests and ex-employees to find out more.

Even a brief look through the Carters archives reveals plenty of evidence that this is a business which has never been afraid of change. The 74-year history of the Carter Thermal Industries Group – to give it its full title – is punctuated with examples of acquisitions, mergers and innovation.

Coolair takes servicing nationwide

13/2/2019

Mark Cooper heads the national technical and administrative team running Coolair's new National Aftersales Division

Air conditioning and heating installer Coolair Equipment has expanded its servicing and maintenance operations nationwide.

The company, with bases in Manchester, Cannock and Kent, has consolidated its service department into a UK-wide business under a national technical and administrative management team led by long-serving employees Mark Cooper and Karen Swallow.

VSS buys Sani-Duct

11/2/2019

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Ventilation hygiene and system surveying specialist Ventilation Surveys & Services (VSS) has acquired competitor Sani-Duct Installations.

The deal will see VSS retain Sani-Duct’s Camberley office and 15 staff, giving the Liverpool-based firm an increased national spread of employees and clients.

Three Counties makes room for growth

6/2/2019

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Sarah Frost and Mathew Smith of Three Counties Refrigeration

Three Counties Refrigeration has moved into larger premises in Bishop's Stortford as the business continues to grow.

The move to Hadham Industrial Estate comes after the air conditioning and refrigeration specialist out-grew facilities in the town’s Launchpad Business Centre.

Research targets service quality

31/1/2019

Air conditioning consultant Shaun Green is working on a research project which aims to produce a best practice industry benchmark that companies can use to compare their own service, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty performance.

He is hoping to generate support from within the industry for the study, which forms part of his MBA qualification at Henley Business School, part of the University of Reading. The research topic is ‘How do air conditioning companies’ service quality levels impact satisfaction & loyalty within the UK commercial building services industry?’

Toshiba launches updated website

26/11/2018

Toshiba Air Conditioning has launched an updated website that promises customers quick access to product support, training and technical resources.

David Dunn, managing director of sales for TCUK Ltd, said: “We have a simple philosophy at Toshiba: deliver the best products and customer support in the market. Key to that is enabling our customers to access the technical and support materials they need in order to deliver for their own clients.

ABB expands engineering centre

1/11/2018

Apprentice Lucy Tudor cuts the ribbon at the opening of ABB's UK engineering centre in Coalville

ABB has doubled the size of its UK engineering centre to meet demand for servicing variable speed drives (VSDs), developing specialist test rigs (STRs) and customer training.

Floorspace at the site in Coalville, Leicestershire, is increased from 830 m2 to 1789 m2. The site houses the latest ABB-certified workshop – one of 17 throughout the world - offering repairs and upgrades to low voltage AC and DC drives and medium voltage AC drives. The centre’s load test facilities ensure VSDs are tested under realistic conditions before being returned to a customer.

ECEX guide to maintenance

22/10/2018

ECEX has launched a guide to HVAC system maintenance. HVAC System Maintenance, a guide to effective equipment servicing, explains the steps to maintenance good practice, including how to draw up a maintenance policy, developing a maintenance strategy, details of different forms of maintenance and assessing maintenance needs.

It also looks briefly at air handling units and the F-Gas Regulation and how these impact on maintenance.

Earth Overshoot Day and refrigeration

3/10/2018

Ed Whinyates of Stonegrove Refrigeration examines ways in which we can manage the impact of refrigeration on the environment.

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date each year when mankind’s demand for ecological resources exceeds what the planet can regenerate in that year. We are now consuming 70% more globally than the earth can regenerate and the date when we used up all of our resources for 2018 was 1st August!

Ambulance service contract follows upgrade for Holborn

4/1/2018

Holborn Building Services has won the air conditioning maintenance contract for 24 sites operated by West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS).

The contract, from facilities management company J Tomlinson, includes the WMAS main headquarters, outlying ambulance station hubs, emergency call centres, drug storage areas and offices.

Tools Talk: New and improved service manifolds

23/11/2017

Introducing the updated Javac service manifolds… redesigned to meet the ever-changing needs of engineers and the industry.

The rising price of R410A, coupled with the growing influence of F-Gas regulation, now mean a large number of jobs are switching to the lower GWP-rated R32. Therefore, Javac has developed and redesigned its R410A manifolds to be dual scale and include both R410A and R32. This adds to the versatility of the Javac manifold series, allowing the installer to tackle both older R410A reclaims and new R32 charging. The Javac manifolds are available in 2-valve or 4-valve models.

Coil cleaning checklist

21/6/2017

As the temperature rises, residential and light commercial HVAC maintenance company SpeedClean explains why the correct cleaning regime can deliver major benefits.

Cleaning coils is smart for businesses because it can help ensure that systems perform properly throughout the season and without consuming excessive amounts of energy.

When coils are not cleaned regularly, particles build up in between, which makes the air handler work harder and the heat exchange process less efficient. Industry-leaders state that preventative maintenance practices, such as regular coil cleanings, are key to keep equipment running at their peak efficiency, save energy and decrease the likelihood of system failures, potentially extending the life of the HVAC system.

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