The benefits associated with hiring the right emergency heat repair HVAC contractor:
Restoration of the heat in your home;
Protecting you and your family members from the elements;
Eliminating the potential for electrical fires;
Eliminating the need to burn smelly, dangerous accelerant-based heaters;
Developing a positive relationship with a skilled professional in the case of future needs arising;

What are the risks associated with hiring the wrong emergency heat repair HVAC contractor?

This is where you have to be careful.  The very nature of an emergency situation implies that you are basically in a frenzy.  You want your heat restored.  At times like these, many people make the mistake of not being thorough during the hiring process.  That is a mistake – and one that can be serious.  Here’s what can happen:
You end up paying far too much for services rendered;
You end up paying for substandard services;
The contractor that shows up to your home takes advantage of the fact that you are in an emergency situation;
Low-quality work standards may cause the need for various other, more expensive repairs;

So how can I ensure that I’m hiring a quality emergency heat repair HVAC contractor?

It’s not really that difficult to do.  You just need to slow down, take a few deep breaths and refer to the following tips:
Realize that when you are in an emergency situation, that is the best time to be logical and not panic;
Realize that while any emergency service technician is going to charge you hefty fees, that’s no reason for them to outright rob you;
Make sure that you have a clear understanding of what you are going to be charged and what services are going to be provided;
Get everything in writing before any work is performed;
Go with your instincts concerning the professionalism and character of the emergency heat repair HVAC contractor that you are considering hiring;
If you get bad vibrations from a given contractor, call another one.  Don’t be in such a hurry to have your heat restored that you make a bad decision that you will regret.

Heat can either flow through the walls or ceiling of the space.  It can flow to cooler air via a grille or a vent that could have a fan to assist the movement of the airflow.  Heat can also be removed by your building’s air cooling system or removed by a dedicated air conditioner.

Portable spot coolers from Spot Cooling Systems are an excellent, economical choice for cooling your IT wiring closet or server room.   They are available in many different sizes to meet the demands of your equipment and space.

This is the maximum.  Operating at that temperature generally will not provide the same level of performance and longevity as operating at lower temperatures.  Because of this, IT equipment manufacturers publish a recommended operating temperature for their equipment.  Recommended operating temperatures are between 70F (21C) and 75F (24C) with the goal of no higher than 77F (25C).

The ExtraCooler portable air conditioner is available in various sizes and electrical voltages to meet every wiring closet and server room needs.  Spot Coolers are perfect for maintaining the recommended operating temperatures in your IT Closet or Server Room.  They are mobile, easy to operate and built to last.  For everyday, weekend, emergency or contingency planning, give us a call and your cooling needs will be taken care of by the experts at Spot Cooling Systems. 

The show created many opportunities for Spot Cooling Systems to meet with existing customers as well as prospective customers.  To show our appreciation for all who visited our booth, Spot Cooling Systems had a drawing for a 3 in 1 Portable Cooling System, the Zone Aire.  This portable spot cooler provides three distinct functions in one conveniet unit:  air conditioning, dehumidification and air circulation/fan.  It’s ideal for garages, dorm rooms, workshops, home offices, attics and basements.  Anywhere you need quick, convenient spot cooling and dehumidification.  

The winner of this portable spot cooler was 

Betty M. Smith CPM, CSM

Senior Property Manager of Prescott Realty Group

Congratulations to Betty and Thanks to all who visited our booth.  

Spot Cooling Systems, Inc. of  Carrollton, Texas will offer Port-A-Cool’s extensive line of evaporative cooling units that are designed for portable spot cooling and can reduce temperatures by 30 degrees F using tap water. Various models are available to suit any budget and accommodate 500-4,000 square feet. Spot Cooling Systems, Inc. will also offer factory trained and authorized service and maintenance of Port-a-Cool units.

This agreement furthers Spot Cooling Systems, Inc. commitment to growing their product offering to markets not traditionally covered by emergency cooling companies. Spot Cooling Systems, Inc.  commitment  includes offering a broad product selection, competitive pricing, and fast delivery.

About Port-a-Cool

Port-A-Cool, LLC began production of evaporative cooling products and accessories in 1990 and quickly became a global industry leader. The company is headquartered in Center, Texas, and is dedicated to both industrial and residential products. Established as the ideal way to cool industrial work areas, as well as professional football players on the sideline. Port-A-Cool, LLC, is a trusted manufacturer of high-performance, yet economical, evaporative cooling systems. For more information on Port-A-Cool, LLC, and its brands, visit www.port-a-cool.com.

About Spot Cooling Systems, Inc.

Since 1984, Spot Cooling Systems has provided portable air conditioners and spot coolers on demand throughout Texas, the United States and around the world.  The units are used for hospitals, computer rooms and high rise buildings, data centers, retail outlets and residential applications.

Spot Cooling has been a pioneer in the perfection of portable air conditioners.   As one of the early developers in portable air conditioner rental and sales, they recognized the need for improvement in the existing spot coolers on the market.  To meet the need for high-quality American-made products showcasing the latest technology, Spot Cooling Systems created the highly versatile ExtraCooler line of spot coolers. Spot Cooling Systems, Inc. has earned a distinguished reputation for steadfast service and unmatched value.

For more information on Spot Cooling Systems, Inc. and its brands visit www.extracooler.com

This series on Environmental Threats and Their Costs starts with the biggest threat to computer hardware, temperature.

Temperature

Temperature is the main environmental threat to computer hardware. The generally accepted, ideal temperature is between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 24 degrees Celsius).

Excessive heat degrades network performance and causes downtime. As the temperature increases, a heat sinks fan works harder to cool the central processing unit (CPU). Continuous overworking causes the fan to fail, leading to a machine overheating. A machine shuts down when it reaches an unsafe temperature in order to prevent permanent damage. An administrator must then be located, day or night, go to the machine, and reboot it after it has cooled. Consequently, services hosted by a down machine are unavailable until it is restarted, which can take minutes or hours. If the server hosts critical services (e.g., e-commerce, user validation, email) that are not distributed to backup servers, revenues can be lost, users cannot login, and communications are interrupted. If the shut down is not done properly, data can be lost.

Excessive heat and rapid temperature changes also damage equipment. Rapid temperature increases can increase humidity, while rapid drops can cause water in humid air to condense on equipment. Together, heat and moisture accelerate the break down of materials used in microchips, motherboards, and hard drives, which is called premature aging. In worst cases, a machine won’t shut down when the temperature exceeds safe levels, and circuits are damaged. Ultimately, heat-damaged equipment must be replaced, increasing the cost of network maintenance.

Controlling temperature is becoming more important and more difficult because of changes in equipment design and greater use of network services. New equipment runs hotter because it runs faster and does more work. Also, more circuits are placed closer and closer together, trapping heat in a smaller space. Smaller equipment also means that more equipment can be placed in the same space, usually packed tighter together. The increase in density of equipment causes a rise in the amount of heat dissipating in a rack cabinet. Increased network usage also increases heat, so as usage levels change during the day, so does the temperature and the need for cooling. For networks that operate near capacity 24 hours a day, every day of the year, there is little, if any, time for machines to cool down.

Look for our next article which addresses the problem of humidity in the server room.

Similar to a conventional air conditioning system, a spot cooler pulls air into a condenser, cools it, then circulates it back into a given space. But spot coolers are different in that they’re portable – often on wheels – and easy to move or transport. This attribute alone makes the spot cooler a convenient solution for various business and industry needs. For instance, spot coolers can temporarily stand in for faulty or broken air conditioning systems until repairs can be made. In business settings where temperature is vital – for example, in server rooms, computer rooms, and media rooms with large amounts of electronic equipment – an immediate spot cooling installation can make all the difference.

Portable Air Conditioners are also ideal for use in areas that don’t usually have air conditioning, but which temporarily require it for a specific project. For instance, if an event were to be held in a normally non-air conditioned space, a spot cooler could quickly turn that space into an event-ready venue. What’s more, spot cooler can be controlled on demand, enabling the user to make cooling adjustments as they’re required. This makes them particularly useful in settings where groups of people will be gathering – such as company or industry events. And finally, spot coolers are usually available in various size units, making them an ideal temperature control solution for jobs both big and small. From large events to small space cooling needs, spot coolers have proven to be practical tools for temperature control needs.

Ultimately, portable air conditioners can provide a flexible and efficient solution to potentially significant temperature control problems. They’re also easy to install, and can be arranged for quickly and easily via specialists in power generation or temperature control. In situations where temperature control issues could pose an emergency – such as in hospital settings – fast resource arrangements are vital. The fact that spot coolers are compact, easy to transport, simple to use, and easy to arrange for quickly makes them ideal for a wide range of businesses and industries.

Sudden changes in temperature, both at home and at work, they can disappear contained in the computers, sometimes irrecoverable.

Sudden changes in temperature are not only bad for humans. The computer also suffers, but instead of catching a cold may suffer a loss of data. These problems arise mainly in summer and are caused “by the rise and fall of temperature in offices and at home because they are put on and remove the air conditioning,” says Miguel Ruiz, Recovery Labs technical director .

Computer parts themselves being out of step with those variations of degree and that computers do fail and can not access the data. To avoid them, do not put the computer to the equipment if you turn off and on much or attempt to restart after the ruling.

YOU MAY LOSE YOUR DATA IF THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES

At 35 degrees and a fever.

While all computers have a fan system that generates a flow of air to prevent overheating, there are problems if the machine much temperature increase and down at once. “Working at 35 degrees is a problem for any electronic device, said Ruiz, although the problem is that the computer does not reach 100 degrees, but then reduced. The PC may be about 45-50 degrees in temperature, while the hard disk can reach 60.

The hardest thing, the blackout, dust and water

Blackouts are the main causes of data loss in computers, according to figures provided by American Power Conversion “, followed by the storms. The powder is also another enemy in the computer malfunctions, also if it affects the hard drive, increases the problem. Damage from water have led some companies to design a keyboard resistant to liquids and even sudden shock.

TIPS FOR NO SPOILER ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

Do not plug them barefoot
One of the recommendations made from American Power Conversion “. Nor can we plug in electrical equipment with wet hands.

Without antenna storm
In cases of storm, not only necessary to unplug the power cord, but also the antenna. Should be in televisions, computers and audiovisual equipment in general.

Cables without tape
The joints or seams should not be made with tape, transparent tape or other materials not approved. If you have a device with a bare wire, change it immediately.

No gluing them to the wall
This rule also applies to computers that have the ventilation system in front and behind, so they need space to drive and take the air. The same goes for televisions and stereos.

A plug for each
You must use a socket for each application. And connect each device at a different time so as not to produce an electrical overload.

Unlike air condoners, evaporative coolers contribute moisture to the environment because there is no compressor with circulating cold refrigerant to dehumidify.  Evaporative cooling is used in dry cleaners, restaurant kitchens and shops where high moisture and low operating costs are acceptable.  Air conditioners remove moisture from the environment, dry the air and improve the quality of the environment.

Construction – Not all portables air conditioners and spot coolers are built the same.   Sheet metal cabinets are better than plastic cabinets.  All residential units are housed in plastic cabinets and some of the inferior quality commercial units have plastic cabinets.  Superior commercial grade units are made of sheet metal and will last about a decade with continuous use. 

Warranties - The major (and most expensive) components of a portable air conditioner unit or spot cooler are the compressor and the fans.  It is important these are covered.  Other components tend to be relatively inexpensive to repair or replace.

Cooling Capacity – 12,000 equals one ton by official weights and standards.  When comparing units, sometimes a sell may claim their unit is, say, one ton capacity.  Make sure to ask what the BTU capacity is for the particular unit you are considering.   A seller may call a 10,000 BTU their “one ton unit” and another may call a 14,000 BTU spot cooler a one ton unit.   That’s a 40% difference in actual cooling capacity in two spot coolers that are both called “one ton”.

Controls – For reliability and simplicity of use, simple mechanical controls are a better option.  Some manufacturers provide a digital thermostat (typically a battery operated residential wall thermostat) mounted to the unit to set the temperature.  While helpful in rare cases, cold air actually falls on the thermostat from the front of the unit and gives an incorrect reading, shutting off the a/c unit when the rest of the room needs cooling.  Some portable units offer wall-mounting the digital thermostat which detects the temperature at the place on the wall where the thermostat is mounted.  In most cases, simpler is better for controlling your portable air conditioner.  A dial-type temperature controller is less complicated, more reliable and does not require new batteries.  If the temperature rises, the dial-type thermostat will call for the unit to engage, activating the air conditioner and will usually last several trouble-free years.