A lot of workplaces get extremely hot. When you’re working with hot equipment like welders, torches, and furnaces, the heat can get intense. Even tools like grinders can run hot, and when you add to that the heat your body generates when you’re involved in tough, physical labor, it’s hard to keep cool. When the mercury is rising outside in the summer months, and through the long, hot autumns that seem to be more and more common these days, workplaces get unbearable.
So, of course, you’re looking for a way to cool off your workspace. The simple solution that many people settle on first is an industrial fan. Shop fans have long been a feature of workplaces, but can they really keep you cool? In some situations, perhaps. Otherwise, you will have to seek an alternative cooling solution.
There are some situations under which an industrial fan can actually be effective. You might benefit from a big fan in your shop if:
The most important thing to understand about fans is that they don’t cool the air at all. They can only move around the air. Therefore, the only way a fan can effectively cool your workspace is if you have access to a reservoir of cool air. If, for example, the machine shop is the only part of your workplace that gets hot, you can vent air with a shop fan and bring in cool air from other parts of the building. During the cooler months where there’s an extensive reservoir of cool air outside, a fan can certainly help.
The other thing that helps a fan be effective is having exposed skin. When the air temperature is low enough, the air will take heat away from your body, helping you to stay cool. However, when the air temperature reaches about 95° F, the air is too hot and won’t take heat away. At this point, the only benefit of a fan is that it can evaporate sweat or other liquids off your body, which leads to cooling. Again, though, you need exposed skin for this to work.
Unfortunately, it’s rare to have both of these conditions in a workspace. For much of the year, the outside air isn’t cool enough to be an effective cool reservoir. Sure, the air outside is often cooler than inside your industrial facility, which can act as a solar oven the way many are designed and constructed. But it’s not cool enough to keep the workplace cool. Plus, in most workplaces, you are likely to have a minimum of exposed skin. You’ll be wearing protective clothing in many cases, and you’ll also be smeared with grease or machine oil that keeps your sweat from evaporating effectively.
So what can you do if you can’t cool your workplace with a shop fan? An industrial evaporative cooler is a better alternative in most situations. That’s because, in addition to moving air around, an industrial evaporative cooler can cool the air, dropping its temperature as much as 30° F in one pass over the cooling media. A big evaporative cooler like the Portacool Jetstream 270 can cool more than 22,000 cubic feet of air per minute. This can quickly drop the temperature in even the largest industrial facility.
Plus, with a Portacool, you can wheel the cooler around your shop easily. This lets you focus the cool air where you want it most. That way all the people in the shop stay productive and focused, while avoiding heat-related injury. It also means you don’t have to take as many breaks to remain compliant with OSHA regulations about working in high temperatures.
If you’re looking to keep your workspace cool, Portacool has the solution for you. With a wide range of sizes, you can find a cooler that can fit in your workspace and handle the cooling demands. To find the right Portacool model for you, please visit a local retailer today. If you want to make a bulk order or have other inquiries, please contact us online.
