Let's talk about winter and cooling! Wait, winter and cooling? It seems that should be the last thing on your mind during winter. Certainly not a time for evaporative cooling but for snuggling up next to the fireplace with a warm cup of hot cocoa and a great book. We do agree on that being a fabulous way to spend a cold winter day. However, what a lot of people do not think about is how winter is also a great time for evaporative cooling! The colder months offer an ideal time to get your evaporative cooling equipment and media ready for when the heat does return. Read along and we will share some of the best evaporative cooling tips to using winter wisely!
Seasonal Shutdown:
As the cooler days first start to roll in, that is the time to focus on seasonal shutdown. Practicing proper seasonal shutdown every year can make or break equipment longevity and media efficiency. When shutting down for the season it is important to clean and dry out everything (including your media), check all your equipment for any maintenance needs, check your media for replacement, and store your equipment properly to protect from the harsh winter weather. As winter starts to slow and spring picks up its pace be sure to follow all the steps of seasonal startup as well. Check out our Seasonal Shutdown/Startup for all the information you need on shutdown and startup season.
Replacement Season:
Media replacement is probably the best winter tip we can give, really the best tip for anytime of year! It is vital to your cooling experience to make sure your media is in good shape and replaced when needed. Old, warn out media will negatively effect your efficiency and pressure drop. Bad media can cause long term equipment damage, and overall will not offer the cooling efficiency you need to truly have a cool day! So, when should you replace that media? According to our manufacturers media has a lifespan of about 3-5 years. However, that is never exact as every application is very different. So much can depend on the water that the media is exposed to, how much the units are used, the elements, and more. Check out our media replacement page for more tips and the 8 signs you should be watching for in your media for replacement.
Shorter lead times:
One of the biggest challenges faced when the heat starts to come back is lead times. When the heat hits, everyone needs media, yesterday! At ATEC, we work tirelessly to try and keep lead times as short as possible. With increasing issues with supply chain, freight issues, factory slowdowns, summer rush, and large summer orders, our lead times can become longer than usual. One major perk of ordering in the winter months is shorter lead times and media in house for when you really need it. Winter is our big time for stocking and preparing so there is a much better chance that media can become available much faster. Always keep in mind that you can order in advance. So, for example, if you know a big replacement project is coming up in April but it's only January and you don't have place to store it till then, you can order and have a ship date closer to install. This will ensure your place in our line up and have your media there on time for maintenance!
Lower prices:
Our final tip to share for using winter wisely is potentially lower prices. With supply chain issues and rising prices, media has received a number of increases of its own. We tell a lot of people to buy during the winter months (especially October-December) as we will often receive new price increases in the new year and sometimes early spring. This is never exact and every year is a little different but typically winter is the best time to purchase before price increases occur.
We hope that some of these tips help you use winter wisely to prepare for the summer rush and summer heat! If you ever have questions about winter ordering or need a quote for media please send us an email or you can fill out our 2023 quote sheet to ensure proper dimensions and materials are ordered.
We hope you have a cool day!