Use Our Heating Equipment to Combat Winter Temperatures

We know it’s hard to think about the cold weather, but as summer is coming to a close cooler temperatures are right around the corner. Now is the best time to be thinking about heating equipment and products to ensure that freezing temperatures don’t leave you, and your business, out in the cold.

Portable heating products are an ideal solution for warming up specific areas for worker comfort and simultaneously prevent extreme winter temperatures from causing damage to equipment or structures. Understanding the types of problems caused by freezing temperatures will help you determine the best heating solution. At Ameritemp we offer a large selection of portable heating solutions for a wide variety of situations, having the knowledge and skill to deliver the right solution for any problem.

Our large inventory of temporary heating products and equipment range from portable heaters to Powerblanket® products. Let’s look at these products in more depth:

Portable Heating Solutions

Portable heaters are designed to provide temporary heat to a certain area for a certain amount of time. We offer portable heaters that run on electricity, kerosene, natural gas, and propane. Sized for small areas to large, portable units are ideal for:

• Construction sites
• Warehouses
• Low-insulation buildings
• Outdoor venues

Products available include indoor and outdoor heaters, convection heaters, radiant heaters, and portable ductable heaters.

Power Blankets

Heating blankets are designed to provide directed heat to prevent freezing or to thaw areas that are already frozen. The patented GreenHeat™ technology creates a uniform barrier of insulated heat that is distributed across the entire surface. The lightweight heated blankets and enclosures are safe for use on a wide variety of materials and are built to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Power blankets and foam heaters are ideal for:

• Curing concrete
• Thawing frozen ground
• Keeping equipment and vehicle engines warm
• Melting ice dams
• Warming gas cylinders, barrels, and drums

As winter approaches remember that extreme cold temperatures can cause serious damage. With and proper planning and heating solutions from Ameritemp you can beat “old man winter” and continue working productively through the coldest of temperatures.

Contact us for further information on heating equipment this winter.

Energy Efficiency Improvement Act

The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act was recently signed into law, which will help promote better energy usage. The act will help save money, reduce pollution, and create jobs. It also includes three major components to encourage energy efficiency. The first is a program called Tenant Star that is similar to the Energy Star program by providing incentives for landlords and tenants to work together to help tenants be more efficient with their energy use. The second component outlines modified regulations on large electric water heaters and the third provision requires federal agencies to perform energy-use audits on commercial buildings that they lease.

The bill also includes provisions for disclosure that could benefit the HVAC industry. According to IHS analyst Omar Talpur,  “If information on energy usage of buildings was accessible to the public, building owners and businesses that were found to use an exorbitant amount of energy could be put under pressure by environmental advocacy groups and the general public to find ways to cut power consumption. This could be an important development in promoting energy efficiency as many political leaders at the state and federal levels are unwilling to pass prescriptive and punitive energy reform measures for the fear of being branded anti-business. The bad public relations which could arise from the disclosure of energy consumption could force buildings to upgrade old and inefficient HVAC equipment at a faster rate and also invest in more comprehensive HVAC controls systems.”

At Ameritemp we have a staff of qualified technicians who can help our commercial clients in the Chicagoland area with new installations, energy efficient upgrades, repairs, and more. To learn more about our services, visit our website. We also post more HVAC industry news on our Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

The Internet of Things and the HVAC Industry

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things is the broad term for connecting physical objects. This idea has led to a lot of different industries incorporating IoT into their industry such as connected cars and smart light bulbs. The HVAC industry has also started to explore using the power of the Internet of Things to improve the use of equipment.

Recently, Daikin Applied launched its Intelligent Equipment which brings IoT to the commercial HVAC industry. This technology allows users such as facility managers to remotely monitor and control an HVAC system from any mobile device. This can make overseeing multiple sites much easier for facility managers as users can quickly adjust ineffective systems, help maintain equipment, and ensure occupants are always comfortable.

It is likely we’ll also see the Internet of Things play a role in residential HVAC as more consumers want a smart home with connected devices that can all be controlled from a phone or tablet. Although we’re starting to see more of these connected devices it may still be awhile until we see a fully connected home or office. There are still several challenges that must be addressed, such as common language, storage space, and online security.

At Ameritemp, we’ll continue to watch this trend in HVAC industry and report back to our readers. To learn more about our HVAC services, visit our website and for more information on the HVAC industry be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.

The Importance of Preventative Maintenance

HVAC systems are often placed out of sight and oftentimes are only thought of when there is a problem, which is why we wanted to talk about our preventative maintenance programs for commercial and residential HVAC systems. Our preventative maintenance agreement means our customers will have scheduled inspections and maintenance checks to ensure the system is always working properly.

Preventative maintenance can help customers save money, increase energy efficiency, reduce system failures, and extend the life of the HVAC system. Our PMA customers also typically receive discounts on parts and services performed throughout the year.

We are currently scheduling spring visits, which for commercial customers include cleaning the inside coil, condensate pans, condensate traps, and condensate lines to prevent obstructions, cleaning the outside coil and straighten the fins to encourage efficient operations, and checking the refrigerant levels to ensure there are no leaks. Our technicians are also equipped to handle residential HVAC systems and can show homeowners how to inspect, clean, and change air filters and we offer summer tune-ups where we check refrigerant levels, inspect all electrical components and controls and cleaning evaporator and condenser coils.

To find out more about our preventative maintenance programs, visit our website. We also post more HVAC news and company updates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

The Market for Energy Efficient HVAC Equipment

A new report from BCC Research finds that the global market for sustainable HVAC equipment will reach $116.6 billion by 2019. Sustainability measures have already been undertaken by many commercial buildings in Illinois, which recently ranked 1^st in the US in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the US Green Building Council. Many architects, construction firms, and engineers have worked together to earn LEED certified buildings in Illinois and there are over 400 LEED certified projects in Chicago and more than 1,000 in Illinois. As more and more people focus on sustainable buildings we predict that the state will begin to see even more LEED certified buildings.

For our part, Ameritemp offers a full range of energy efficient HVAC equipment. For new construction projects we can help customers design and install a new HVAC system that provides comfort while helping the building save money with energy efficient equipment. For older buildings, we offer upgrades to help buildings run more efficiently, quieter, and consume less energy. We also have experience with difficult retrofits to improve efficiency and performance. Additionally, our trained technicians can help with the maintenance of your HVAC system to keep it running at peak performance.

To find out more about how we can help your building run more efficiently, visit our website. We also update our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ with more HVAC industry news.

Ameritemp’s Residential HVAC Services

Doesn’t it always seem like your heater breaks on the coldest day of the year? Or your air conditioner isn’t running properly when the temperature is reaching over 100 degrees? Let Ameritemp help you keep your residential HVAC system running properly all through the year with our preventative maintenance service contracts. This program can help homeowners and multi-family residences ensure that their HVAC system are always in working order and help reduce costs as a poorly maintained system may consume more energy than a properly maintained system. Additionally repair costs can quickly add up if the system hasn’t been maintained over the years.

Our technicians our highly-trained and can service all brands, even ones we didn’t install and all of our installers and technicians are NATE certified. No matter what preventative maintenance package our customers choose they will receive priority service, courteous technicians, access to our 24/7 emergency hotline, and more.

To find out more about how you can get consistent year-round comfort visit our website. We also share more HVAC news and company updates on our social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

The Commercial Heating Industry

As the weather is upon us we thought now was a good time to talk about our heating services for commercial customers. Winter for the Chicago area this year is predicted to be one of the coldest since 1904. We can help building owners, retail spaces, and restaurants prepare for the cold with our replacement services, upgrades, and repairs. We can also work with our customers to help create a planned maintenance program to ensure that their HVAC system is always in working order. Our planned service program will help your system run at peak efficiency so that you have lower operating costs and keeps your equipment running as long as possible.

Our experienced team has worked with industrial spaces, food and beverage plants, corporate buildings, and more and we understand the importance of quality service. It is crucial for customers to ensure their heating system is working properly before the weather changes and we encourage readers to visit our website to learn more about our commercial services. And we are equipped to handle emergency service for companies that require immediate assistance. We also actively post more company updates and HVAC news on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

What Kind of Winter Can We Expect?

With the winter season on its way, it is helpful to predict the average temperature range so that you can plan how to keep you and your family safe and warm. While summer was particularly humid, it looks like we’re in for a cold winter, especially in the Midwestern United States.

The Polar Vortex

While many people may wish for a mild winter, it looks like the Polar Vortex will bring cold, unsettling temperatures for winter. Cold air will make its way down from northern Canada, starting in the late fall and continuing through winter 2014-2015. This trend will likely bring rain and snow for Midwestern US, with cold air blasting through several winter days.

Yes, it looks as though the significant US snowstorms of last winter may just repeat themselves. This cyclical action is largely a side effect of temperatures worldwide recently becoming warmer. It is an indirect result of the ice melts in the Arctic, and it is likely to increase the number of cold snaps we will feel once winter starts here compared to last year.

Weather Preparation for Homes and Businesses 

While the cool air and snowy conditions that are coming our way this winter will benefit ski resorts, as well as children building snowmen, it requires some planning on your part. An effective way to keep your home or business safe and comfortably warm for the people inside these locations is to purchase quality heating equipment, such as furnaces, fireplaces and generators.

Even if you already have this equipment, the use of proper maintenance and safety procedures will help your place to heat up safely. If you start up unchecked equipment, the risks of dangerous situations increase. For example, turning on your gas fireplace at the start of the winter season without getting it checked first by a professional opens up risky situations, such as explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

To stay safe and warm during the cold weather coming for the winter season, we recommend you use a professional to install your new heating equipment or to provide a thorough maintenance check of your current heating devices.

Rental Chiller Equipment from Ameritemp

While Labor Day may mark the unofficial end of summer, the weather never seems to get the memo. Weeks or even months of hot weather likely still lay ahead of us. Now might be the perfect time to rent a temporary chiller for process or comfort cooling requirements.

Ameritemp offers a variety of chiller designs to suit your demanding chilled water requirements. We inventory temporary air-cooled units, ranging from 5 tons to 500 tons (applications down to 1 ton available). Ameritemp inventories various design configurations and ancillary equipment to meet your site conditions.

Available Features

• Water, brine and ammonia chillers
• Low temperature (-40F)
• Containerized; skid-mounted; trailer mounted
• Voltages: 208/230V, 460/480V, 4160V

Applications

• All types of HVAC comfort cooling applications
• Supplemental cooling
• Emergency response
• Food processing
• Ice rinks
• Industrial/ specific operating conditions
• Process cooling
• Low process cooling temperature requirements
• Cold storage/ warehousing
• Refinery and chemical production projects
• Scheduled outages and turn-around projects
• Testing requirements
• Standby services

We offer chiller rentals for almost every scenario and will help you to find the solution that matches your needs. For more information on these and other applications Follow this link to submit a form that will help us to effectively address your cooling needs: http://www.ameritempgroup.com/rental-chiller-equipment.html

Don’t be fooled by what the calendar says and have the continuing heat negatively impact you, your business, or event. Call Ameritemp today at 800-579-7368.

The Ameritemp Challenge and the Importance of Generators

We’ve recently provided generators and Light Towers to the Great Lakes Snocross (GLX), a program with the primary goal to provide a safe, friendly and well-balanced competition in Snocross races. The main objective for the participants is to develop an excellent conduct of sportsmanship throughout the competition. GLX functions exclusively as a non-profit educational organization.

On February 8, Ameritemp Group was featured by GLX Snocross by dedicating the day of races as the  Ameritemp Challenge. GLX dedicated the races to our company as a thank you for the donation of generators and light towers provided. GLX uses this equipment throughout the season for making snow and providing an extreme experience of watching the races for the spectators.

A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator (often an alternator) to generate electrical energy. This is a specific case of engine-generator. Diesel generating sets are used in places without connection to the power grid, as emergency power-supply if the grid fails, as well as for more complex applications such as peak-lopping, grid support and export to the power grid. Sizing of diesel generators is critical to avoid low-load or a shortage of power and is complicated by modern electronics, specifically non-linear loads.

The packaged combination of a diesel engine, a generator and various ancillary devices (such as base, canopy, sound attenuation, control systems, circuit breakers, jacket water heaters and starting system) is referred to as a “generating set” or a “genset” for short. Set sizes range from 8 to 30 kW (also 8 to 30 kVA single phase) for homes, small shops and offices with the larger industrial generators from 8 kW (11 kVA) up to 2,000 kW (2,500 kVA three phase) used for large office complexes, factories. A 2,000 kW set can be housed in a 40 ft (12 m) ISO container with fuel tank, controls, power distribution equipment and all other equipment needed to operate as a standalone power station or as a standby backup to grid power. These units, referred to as power modules are gensets on large triple axle trailers weighing 85,000 pounds (38,555 kg) or more. A combination of these modules are used for small power stations and these may use from one to 20 units per power section and these sections can be combined to involve hundreds of power modules. In these larger sizes the power module (engine and generator) are brought to site on trailers separately and are connected together with large cables and a control cable to form a complete synchronized power plant.

Diesel generators, sometimes as small as 200 kW (250 kVA) are widely used not only for emergency power, but also many have a secondary function of feeding power to utility grids either during peak periods, or periods when there is a shortage of large power generators. Ships often also employ diesel generators, sometimes not only to provide auxiliary power for lights, fans, winches etc., but also indirectly for main propulsion. With electric propulsion the generators can be placed in a convenient position, to allow more cargo to be carried. Electric drives for ships were developed prior to World War I. Electric drives were specified in many warships built during World War II because manufacturing capacity for large reduction gears was in short supply, compared to capacity for manufacture of electrical equipment.[1] Such a diesel-electric arrangement is also used in some very large land vehicles such as railroad locomotives.