Using Chilled Water Spot Cooling 5/20/2018

Dry-cleaning and laundry facilities can be hot in the winter months which means they are downright unbearable this time of the year.  Understandably, there are lots of folks that simply cannot endure that kind of heat, and that translates to lower production rates and possibly loss of good employees in a tough labor market.

Last year, we offered several solutions to help keep your dry cleaning plant cool, and today we want to focus closely on the one that we believe is the only serious cooling alternative – chilled water spot cooling.  This system uses a process water chiller, like those used for cooling water for dry-cleaning machines, along with a heat exchanger or coil and fan to blow cold air like air-conditioning.  Duct work is run overhead to each work station with trunks rated to handle the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of the air handler and then drops pointed down at each work station.

Here are some important tips when it comes to installing this type of cooling system:

• Before installing, study the space using known figures like 2 drops per ton of water chiller, a chiller sized for the drop station amount, an air handler sized for the chiller tonnage, and a header trunk sized for the CFM of the air handler before beginning installation.
• As you are doing planning, focus on routing and how to hang the main header trunk as well as where to install the air handler, supply and return chilled water piping. 
• Tri-State recommends an 8” drop, which handles around 300 CFM, terminated approximately 7’ above the floor at each station, using an elbow on the end of each drop to fine tune the direction of air flow.
• Remember, this is a process water chiller with a high amperage compressor and pumps.  Using this system will increase your utility cost. 
• While it is rather costly to install and run compared to other options, it is much more effective and less expensive to operate than trying to add air conditioning to the entire facility.  Sometimes it is cheaper to cool people than to try cool an entire space.

If your dry-cleaning facility has hit that unbearable point, feel free to give Tri-State a call at 1-866-885-5218 or send us a message.  We are happy to answer questions and offer assistance.