Air Conditioning | Page 2

Andrews Sykes Air Conditioning Services – Good Practice Notes: Legionnaires’ Disease

One year on from outbreaks in Edinburgh and Stoke-On-Trent, Legionnaires’ disease, whilst increasingly less common, remains a potential issue for building owners, facilities managers and occupiers – especially in commercial and public buildings

Legionellosis is an infection caused by a bacterium named Legionella Pneumophila. Legionella are natural inhabitants of water and can be detected in rivers, lakes and streams.

Patients with Legionnaires disease usually have fever, chills and a cough. Some patients have muscle aches, headache, tiredness and loss of appetite. Chest x-rays will often look like pneumonia, even to the trained eye, therefore it is difficult to distinguish Legionnaires disease from other types of pneumonia by symptoms alone. read more

Achieving Peak Performance

Over the final weekend in June 2013, whilst most of the country was watching Wimbledon or Glastonbury, two intrepid teams from Alton Rugby Club in Hampshire set out on one of the most arduous hill-climbing events in the UK. One team included Sam Law, Southern Business Development Manager for Andrews Air Conditioning, and their objective was to climb the 4 highest peaks in Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland one after the other. And, as if that wasn’t tough enough, they aimed to complete all four ascents, descents and travel between the mountains, within 48 hours. read more

Lights, Camera, Aircon!

Andrews Air Conditioning Services – keeping film production rolling

In the high pressure world of film and TV production, it’s all about keeping your cool and delivering a quality product to a tight deadline. Production, recording and editing suites are high cost facilities which are in constant demand, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They generate considerable quantities of heat and, because of the need to avoid contamination or noise intrusion, reliable air conditioning is essential.

Expensive, sensitive, and high maintenance – not the just actors but the equipment too

That’s why Bristol-based Films@59, the UK’s leading post production and specialist camera provider, relies on Andrews Air Conditioning Services to ensure their essential people and sensitive equipment don’t break into a sweat. With over 70 air conditioning systems across their two Bristol sites, Films@59 are a major client of Andrews Air Conditioning for a range of services including Planned Preventative Maintenance, Emergency Breakdown Repair and their on-going R22 System Replacement programme. read more

Another in our series of ‘Good Practice’ notes

Q & A: Which Air Conditioning System is Right for Me?

Of course, this depends on context and many other factors, but some general ‘good ideas’ apply.

Compact air conditioning installations, suitable for small commercial buildings, generally use single split designs, which comprise an outdoor compressor unit and an indoor fancoil unit.

The outdoor unit houses the cooling fan, compressor and the condenser heat exchanger, while the indoor unit houses the evaporator. The indoor and outdoor units are connected by pipework, through which a refrigerant (coolant) liquid or gas flows, to cool the indoor air. read more

Andrews Sykes – New shirt sponsorship deal with Charlton Athletic Football Club

Paul Wood, Managing Director of Andrews Sykes is delighted to announce “We have committed to being shirt sponsors to Charlton Athletic Football Club for the forthcoming season, 2013/2014. We anticipate and hope the year will be an even better experience than this fantastic season has been for us and the club.”

Paul Wood, MD Andrews Sykes and Ben Kensell, Chief Commercial Officer for Charlton confirm the deal on a handshake in the dug-out

Steve Reeve, Sales and Marketing Director added “In what are challenging times for any company, making this kind of commitment must be only for sound business reasons, and after reflecting carefully on a very successful year, we can state with confidence this has seen a very positive initiative for our business and one we see as having achieved a great return on a not insignificant investment. As a result, the decision to be shirt sponsors for the new season is very much in line with our plans for the next phase of our development” read more

Making Dental Practices More Comfortable

Andrews Sykes Air Conditioning Services – helping with the patient experience

Keeping patients and staff comfortable at all times is imperative for creating a calm and serene environment, especially within a dental practice. A bright, airy waiting room, an area for children to play and magazines or books for adult patients can go some way towards creating an inviting environment – but installing air conditioning will further enhance patient comfort, helping to reduce anxiety.

Comfort isn’t just about considerate treatment

Air conditioning within a dental practice offers a number of benefits. Air conditioning allows for temperature to be controlled, keeping it cool throughout the summer and warmer in the winter. Temperature control is a key comfort factor and ensuring patients and staff are comfortable it also boosts productivity, as well as presenting patients who are more relaxed. read more

Q & A – Do I need planning permission to install air conditioning?

Planning Permission is very commonly required for the installation of air conditioning equipment but, due to the infinite variety of specific circumstances, the best advice is always to discuss your proposals with the relevant Local Planning Authority and Building Control Service before starting work.

For more information please read about Air Conditioning regulations.

Q & A – Will Andrews Air Conditioning be able to maintain or repair a system which you didn’t install?

Yes. Andrews Air Conditioning are experts in the maintenance and repair of all types of air conditioning and we commonly take over the maintenance of air conditioning which has been in place for some time. During our initial maintenance visit we will assess the performance of your air conditioning and make recommendations for any repairs or replacements which are necessary in order to bring the system up to the required standard for an ongoing maintenance contract.

For more information please visit our Air Conditioning Maintenance page read more

Q & A – What is F-Gas?

F-Gas is a term used to describe any of a range of fluorinated gases such as CFCs, HFCs and HCFCs which are, or have been in the past, widely used in refrigeration-related applications such as air conditioning. Some F-gases are ozone-depleting whilst others are known to contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

The F-Gas Regulations are EU legislation designed to strictly limit the release of F-gases into the atmosphere. By law, all air conditioning systems containing over 3kg of F-Gas refrigerant must be checked for damage and leaks at least once per year by an F-Gas certified contractor. Andrews Air Conditioning Services holds F-Gas certification accredited by REFCOM and approved by DEFRA and our annual F-gas checks and certification can be incorporated into one of our Planned Maintenance Contracts. read more

Planning Ahead for R22 Replacement

Why should owners of air conditioning using R22 refrigerant consider replacing it?

Any air conditioning over 10 years old probably uses R22 refrigerant, an ozone-depleting CFC which was banned in most new systems in 2002. By EU law R22 systems will become unserviceable at the end of 2014, meaning that it will be illegal to repair them in the event of any failure. It is not economical to repair the systems as spare parts and recycled R22 are expensive and in short supply.

Modern replacement systems use more environmentally friendly refrigerants and are up to 60% more energy efficient than R22 systems, meaning that owners often pay back replacement costs in energy savings alone within 3 or 4 years. read more