Want a chance to win a mini fridge in time for the Euro 2012? Simply go onto our twitter page @GTRefrigeration, follow us and the retweet the competition to be in with a chance.
This year the European Championship will be hosted for the first time by Poland and Ukraine. This means it should be a big one so you will need to stock up on goodies for the office, and what better place to store them than in a mini fridge that can be put right next to the TV (or computer) screen!
UEFA 2012 starts on the 8th of June and finishes on the 1st of July. This means there is plenty of time to enter.
The competition will be running from Wednesday the 18th of April till Sunday 20th of May. This then leaves time for the delivery of your prize and time to stock the fridge before the first game. The winner will be announced at 9am on Monday 21st of May.
The mini fridge holds 6 litres and is a modern dome shape in black. This will be sure to fit in with your office or even next to your sofa at home. What could be better than not having to get up for a drink or snack for the whole 90 minutes of the game! If this sounds like a prize for you, go to our twitter page.
Terms and Conditions
Entrants must be aged 18 or over and based within the UK. Competition closes at midnight on 20th May 2012 and the winner will be contacted on 21st May 2012.
The exclusive agent for Gree air-conditioners, Al-Asasyah Company, in Saudi Arabia has now been announced as the leading company in air conditioning globally.
Its current market share in Saudi Arabia is now said to be around 20 percent and is seen to have made huge progress over the last 7 years. This progress is due to the owners of the Gree air-conditioners factory, Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai in China.
The factory was founded in 1991; however production didn’t start till 1996. The company was also started without a name and had an annual production of less than 20,000 units a year.
According to industrial analysts and researchers, the factory is said to be unmatched in industrial experience. The production level has now reached one third of the global air conditioners production. This was estimated in 2010 at 90 million units.
Although it produces ones third of the worlds units it currently has the capacity to produce over half at around 45.5 million units a year.
The factory includes 300 research and development labs, 3800 workers, engineers and technicians and holds more than 3500 patents.
The factory produces 7000 different kinds of units which range from window air conditioners to chillers. They provide all types of air conditioning units for all types of related issues.
Other than air conditioning units they also supply, electric fans, water dispensers, heaters, rice cookers, air purifiers and much more.
After our week of sunshine, the weather looks set to change dramatically for us over the next few days. With snow already see in the more Northern parts of England and in Scotland it looks like our early summer hasn’t lasted.
Snow, sleet and rain hounded down on Britain last night and left 10,000 people without any power across the North East of England. There is yellow weather warning for Scotland, Wales, northern England and the Midlands. This is after gale force winds reached 80 mph last night.
According to forecasters, 15 – 20cm of snow fell last night in the Peak District, Pennies and Cumbria and with this kind of weather there are many travel disruptions around.
After writing about the high temperatures in Aboyne last week, this area has also seen 2cm of snow as the weather seems to be playing bizarre tricks on us.
This, however, is a good time to make sure all air conditioning units are functioning as well as they should be. From looking at the dramatic weather changes in the last week, who knows when we will see our next glimpse of summer, could be next week with these changes! By cleaning the units out and getting professionals to check them over as we have previously written about is essential. This is especially true with the weather as unpredictable as it is now. Scorching temperatures in the office without working air conditioning is unbearable.
This cold weather is set to move south leaving behind wintery conditions although there isn’t any forecast snow and we still have a little sunshine and highs of 13 throughout the week. This, at least for the south, is normal March temperatures.
Hasn’t it been a glorious month! The weather has been beautiful all over the UK and we’ve experienced one of the hottest March’s on record. So here at GT Refrigeration we thought it would be a great time to look at the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK. So why not check out our infographic below:
We can see that the hottest temperatures recorded are all located in South, (lucky for us). Although this March we didn’t beat any temperature records (except in Scotland) the air con has definitely been on in our office all week.
We can also see that for ¼ of the year we need to have air conditioning, especially if you still want your staff to come to work even during the summer time!
If this month is anything to go by, we think that we are going to be seeing many more hotter days year on year, let us know what you think. Do you think you will be switching your air con on much earlier on in the year?
As the weather is getting hotter, it is time to think about maintaining the air-conditioning unit so it functions properly over the year.
It isn’t safe to carry out the maintenance personally so a professional service person should be called. However, there are a few checks that can be done to make sure they are running efficiently. These include: clearing the evaporator, maintaining the condenser and handling the refrigerant.
Clearing the Evaporator
In some units the evaporator is not accessible and it will not be possible to clear it without professional help. However, if it is accessible then the first step is to locate the evaporator by removing any insulation wrapped around the plenum. Once this is done, an access plate will be uncovered which needs to be unscrewed. Inside will be the evaporator unit which, to clean the underside, needs to be cleaned with a stiff brush. Just be careful of any movements so not to damage the pipes. Next the tray underneath the unit needs to be cleaned. There is a hole in the tray which can get blocked in very humid weather so pour a tablespoon of household bleach into it.
Maintaining the Condenser
In most air-conditioning units the condenser is located on the outside of the building and tends to gather dirt and dust. They are easy to clean with a commercial coil cleaner which is on sale at most fridge retailers. The fins of the condenser need to be cleaned with a soft brush as they are prone to damage. Do not use water as this can turn any dirt into mud and it will get stuck between the fins. During the winter the condenser unit should be protected to stop blockage and ice damage.
Handling the Refrigerant
In most air conditioning units the refrigerant used is Freon and if this is too low or too high then there is a possibility that no cooling will happen. If there is a suspected Freon problem a specialist must be called to sort the refrigerant lines.
What can be done without professional help is checking the lines running from the condenser to the evaporator. If the insulation is worn this needs to be replaced with the same type as it will slow down the efficiency of the air-conditioning unit.
If you’re a caravan owner, do you choose to get air conditioning on your caravan that blocks up the roof light and stops the sunlight and breeze to come through, or do you get hot and bothered with the overhead window in the summer? It’s a problem that most caravan owners can face!
However, Dometic, a caravan appliance manufacturer launched the FreshLight2200 which could be an answer to the problem but now there is a smaller version for compact motorhomes and caravans called the Dometic FreshLight 1600.
The Dometic Freshlight 1600 is designed for smaller vehicles up to 6m in length and integrates an air conditioning unit with an overhead roof light, removing the dilemma of which feature to go for.
It features an integrated ventilation and automatic blower system, it cools the caravan with fresh air as well as providing a window, which can even be fitted with a pleated blind to match the rest of your interior design.
As we know, some air conditioning units, mainly the older versions can eat up energy. However, the Dometic FreshLight 1600 is energy efficient and uses just 620 watts to cool and 800 watts when switched to heating mode. Its cooling capacity reaches 1550 watts.
Have you ever considered cooling for your caravan?
The annual growth of food sales increased by 2.3% in February as consumers began stocking up on food in the cold weather. The latest report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) state sales picked up after negative growth in January.
As the temperature shows no sign of getting warmer, people have been driven to buy increased amounts of cupboard foods such as tinned goods, pasta and soups. Winter vegetables, frozen goods and comfort foods have also been popular, such as pies, pizzas and puddings.
With this boost in consumer spending, food retailers have the increased pressure of ensuring they have a consistent supply of these popular goods. Just as important, is the requirement for the frozen and refrigerated produce to remain fresh and stored at the right temperature. Therefore it is important for all retailers, ranging from large nationwide companies to small local shops, to maintain their refrigeration equipment. In order to benefit from this increase in demand, the products provided need to meet consumer expectations as well as health and safety standards.
Eventually when the weather changes with the seasons to summer, demand for chilled foods and frozen desserts is likely to increase. Once again, the need for top quality refrigeration equipment will arise. It is recommended that providers of this specialist equipment pay attention to the weather and stay alert to the changing demands food retailers experience, as they will require refrigeration services on an regular basis.
Panasonic has raised the bar for green appliances by launching its new technology, Econavi.
Appliance Trader Limited (ATL), the dealers of Panasonic air conditioning in Jamaica explained in a news release that Econavi is precision sensor technology and program control software that will help save energy. It does this by adjusting appliances according to usage and environmental conditions.
The software can be used on a variety of appliances found in the home including, fridges, microwaves, washing machines and air conditioning units.
John Walter, the Commercial Operations Manager at ATL said: “The Panasonic Econavi air conditioner boasts one of the largest energy savings in its class in the world today, up to 30 percent.”
The reason it is such a huge energy saver is that it has a powerful sensor, which detects airflow according to the level of movement in the room and as a result self adjusts. Walter also added: “This technology, undoubtedly, is a stellar plus for our local market where energy bills are considerably exorbitant and fickle.”
Panasonic has a goal of becoming the world’s number one in green technology by 2018, which is its 100th anniversary. They are well on their way to achieving this as they expect to make 60 percent of its revenue from its environmentally safe products.
Hiroki Kaji, the President of Panasonic Latin America said, “The environment is a key factor in all our business activities and we can encourage eco-innovation”.
Powrmatic Ltd, heating and ventilation specialists are launching a range of high wall splits, cassettes, ceiling floor and multi splits from Midea Air Conditioning next month in the UK.
Paul Greenough will lead their sales team as he has many years of experience selling domestic and commercial air conditioning equipment. He has worked closely with Midea since 1999.
Midea had a group income of over $20 billion and is now recognized as global giants. Considering the economic downturn it is always a pleasure to hear good news.
Phil Brompton, the Managing Director of Powrmatic Ltd said “We are delighted to be partnering Midea in this exciting project of both our companies. The extensive range of Midea commercial air conditioning products will enhance our portfolio offering customers a high quality competitive alternative product.
We are confident that with this excellent product range and the experience Paul brings to us, Powrmatic will make a lasting impression on the UK air conditioning market place for years to come.”
The range is due to be launched next month at the ACR show which we have previously mentioned.
Inverclyde Royal Hospital (IRH) and Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) has had state of the art refrigeration facilities at the Greenock and Paisley premises by ACE Refrigeration, to help cope with the increased catering demands.
ACE Refrigeration has provided the IRH and RAH with a cooking and freeze production facility, working directly with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and BAM Construction.
The new facilities enable the catering teams at IRH and RAH to produce in excess of 4,000 meals per day and meet patients’ catering need for the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. The brand new state of the art sites have helped GGC centralise its production, saving money, reaping large economies of scale and increasing the consistency and quality of the food created.
The Paisley equipment includes seven chill rooms, four rolling blast freezers, seven freezer rooms and three chilled production rooms and the facilities have a combined floor space of 1200 cubic metres.
Both of the jobs were finished on time.
Sales director of ACE Refrigeration, Shane McKenzie said, “When we were asked to undertake the work, we knew that it was going to be a big job.”
“In order to produce more than 4,000 meals a day, facilities like Inverclyde Royal Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital require robust refrigeration equipment because a hospital never sleeps.”
“Staff, patients, visitors you name it, they need looked after, which is why it was crucial for us to finish both jobs on time.”
“We had to import the blast freezers from Italy. The blast freezer we needed had to be able to produce 500 kilograms of frozen produce on two trolleys per hour, which not a lot of other manufacturers could match up to. The Italian equipment meant that we got the best value for money and production efficiency for the sites.”
The company used custom manufactured equipment to suit the unique requirements of IRH and RAH, for example the three specially manufactured compressor packs installed in the Greenock’s site basement, the design of which makes sure there is a maximum possible decrease in power usage.
Facilities Manager, David Macdonald at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said, “The experience brought by ACE Refrigeration was invaluable to the design of the facilities and they met our exact needs.
“They really are the specialists in the area and worked closely with us throughout the entire build to ensure we got what we wanted.”
Want a chance to win a mini fridge in time for the Euro 2012? Simply go onto our twitter page @GTRefrigeration, follow us and the retweet the competition to be in with a chance.
This year the European Championship will be hosted for the first time by Poland and Ukraine. This means it should be a big one so you will need to stock up on goodies for the office, and what better place to store them than in a mini fridge that can be put right next to the TV (or computer) screen!
UEFA 2012 starts on the 8th of June and finishes on the 1st of July. This means there is plenty of time to enter.
The competition will be running from Wednesday the 18th of April till Sunday 20th of May. This then leaves time for the delivery of your prize and time to stock the fridge before the first game. The winner will be announced at 9am on Monday 21st of May.
The mini fridge holds 6 litres and is a modern dome shape in black. This will be sure to fit in with your office or even next to your sofa at home. What could be better than not having to get up for a drink or snack for the whole 90 minutes of the game! If this sounds like a prize for you, go to our twitter page.
Terms and Conditions
Entrants must be aged 18 or over and based within the UK. Competition closes at midnight on 20th May 2012 and the winner will be contacted on 21st May 2012.
Gree now produces one third of the world’s air-conditioning units
The exclusive agent for Gree air-conditioners, Al-Asasyah Company, in Saudi Arabia has now been announced as the leading company in air conditioning globally.
Its current market share in Saudi Arabia is now said to be around 20 percent and is seen to have made huge progress over the last 7 years. This progress is due to the owners of the Gree air-conditioners factory, Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai in China.
The factory was founded in 1991; however production didn’t start till 1996. The company was also started without a name and had an annual production of less than 20,000 units a year.
According to industrial analysts and researchers, the factory is said to be unmatched in industrial experience. The production level has now reached one third of the global air conditioners production. This was estimated in 2010 at 90 million units.
Although it produces ones third of the worlds units it currently has the capacity to produce over half at around 45.5 million units a year.
The factory includes 300 research and development labs, 3800 workers, engineers and technicians and holds more than 3500 patents.
The factory produces 7000 different kinds of units which range from window air conditioners to chillers. They provide all types of air conditioning units for all types of related issues.
Other than air conditioning units they also supply, electric fans, water dispensers, heaters, rice cookers, air purifiers and much more.
Winter or Summer – Who knows?
After our week of sunshine, the weather looks set to change dramatically for us over the next few days. With snow already see in the more Northern parts of England and in Scotland it looks like our early summer hasn’t lasted.
Snow, sleet and rain hounded down on Britain last night and left 10,000 people without any power across the North East of England. There is yellow weather warning for Scotland, Wales, northern England and the Midlands. This is after gale force winds reached 80 mph last night.
According to forecasters, 15 – 20cm of snow fell last night in the Peak District, Pennies and Cumbria and with this kind of weather there are many travel disruptions around.
After writing about the high temperatures in Aboyne last week, this area has also seen 2cm of snow as the weather seems to be playing bizarre tricks on us.
This, however, is a good time to make sure all air conditioning units are functioning as well as they should be. From looking at the dramatic weather changes in the last week, who knows when we will see our next glimpse of summer, could be next week with these changes! By cleaning the units out and getting professionals to check them over as we have previously written about is essential. This is especially true with the weather as unpredictable as it is now. Scorching temperatures in the office without working air conditioning is unbearable.
This cold weather is set to move south leaving behind wintery conditions although there isn’t any forecast snow and we still have a little sunshine and highs of 13 throughout the week. This, at least for the south, is normal March temperatures.
The Hottest Places in the UK
Hasn’t it been a glorious month! The weather has been beautiful all over the UK and we’ve experienced one of the hottest March’s on record. So here at GT Refrigeration we thought it would be a great time to look at the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK. So why not check out our infographic below:
We can see that the hottest temperatures recorded are all located in South, (lucky for us). Although this March we didn’t beat any temperature records (except in Scotland) the air con has definitely been on in our office all week.
We can also see that for ¼ of the year we need to have air conditioning, especially if you still want your staff to come to work even during the summer time!
If this month is anything to go by, we think that we are going to be seeing many more hotter days year on year, let us know what you think. Do you think you will be switching your air con on much earlier on in the year?
Air Conditioning Maintenance
As the weather is getting hotter, it is time to think about maintaining the air-conditioning unit so it functions properly over the year.
It isn’t safe to carry out the maintenance personally so a professional service person should be called. However, there are a few checks that can be done to make sure they are running efficiently. These include: clearing the evaporator, maintaining the condenser and handling the refrigerant.
Clearing the Evaporator
In some units the evaporator is not accessible and it will not be possible to clear it without professional help. However, if it is accessible then the first step is to locate the evaporator by removing any insulation wrapped around the plenum. Once this is done, an access plate will be uncovered which needs to be unscrewed. Inside will be the evaporator unit which, to clean the underside, needs to be cleaned with a stiff brush. Just be careful of any movements so not to damage the pipes. Next the tray underneath the unit needs to be cleaned. There is a hole in the tray which can get blocked in very humid weather so pour a tablespoon of household bleach into it.
Maintaining the Condenser
In most air-conditioning units the condenser is located on the outside of the building and tends to gather dirt and dust. They are easy to clean with a commercial coil cleaner which is on sale at most fridge retailers. The fins of the condenser need to be cleaned with a soft brush as they are prone to damage. Do not use water as this can turn any dirt into mud and it will get stuck between the fins. During the winter the condenser unit should be protected to stop blockage and ice damage.
Handling the Refrigerant
In most air conditioning units the refrigerant used is Freon and if this is too low or too high then there is a possibility that no cooling will happen. If there is a suspected Freon problem a specialist must be called to sort the refrigerant lines.
What can be done without professional help is checking the lines running from the condenser to the evaporator. If the insulation is worn this needs to be replaced with the same type as it will slow down the efficiency of the air-conditioning unit.
Air Conditioning for Caravan Owners
However, Dometic, a caravan appliance manufacturer launched the FreshLight2200 which could be an answer to the problem but now there is a smaller version for compact motorhomes and caravans called the Dometic FreshLight 1600.
The Dometic Freshlight 1600 is designed for smaller vehicles up to 6m in length and integrates an air conditioning unit with an overhead roof light, removing the dilemma of which feature to go for.
It features an integrated ventilation and automatic blower system, it cools the caravan with fresh air as well as providing a window, which can even be fitted with a pleated blind to match the rest of your interior design.
As we know, some air conditioning units, mainly the older versions can eat up energy. However, the Dometic FreshLight 1600 is energy efficient and uses just 620 watts to cool and 800 watts when switched to heating mode. Its cooling capacity reaches 1550 watts.
Have you ever considered cooling for your caravan?
Food Retailers Benefit from Cold Weather as Sales Increase
As the temperature shows no sign of getting warmer, people have been driven to buy increased amounts of cupboard foods such as tinned goods, pasta and soups. Winter vegetables, frozen goods and comfort foods have also been popular, such as pies, pizzas and puddings.
With this boost in consumer spending, food retailers have the increased pressure of ensuring they have a consistent supply of these popular goods. Just as important, is the requirement for the frozen and refrigerated produce to remain fresh and stored at the right temperature. Therefore it is important for all retailers, ranging from large nationwide companies to small local shops, to maintain their refrigeration equipment. In order to benefit from this increase in demand, the products provided need to meet consumer expectations as well as health and safety standards.
Eventually when the weather changes with the seasons to summer, demand for chilled foods and frozen desserts is likely to increase. Once again, the need for top quality refrigeration equipment will arise. It is recommended that providers of this specialist equipment pay attention to the weather and stay alert to the changing demands food retailers experience, as they will require refrigeration services on an regular basis.
New Energy Saving Technology Launched by Panasonic
Panasonic has raised the bar for green appliances by launching its new technology, Econavi.
Appliance Trader Limited (ATL), the dealers of Panasonic air conditioning in Jamaica explained in a news release that Econavi is precision sensor technology and program control software that will help save energy. It does this by adjusting appliances according to usage and environmental conditions.
The software can be used on a variety of appliances found in the home including, fridges, microwaves, washing machines and air conditioning units.
John Walter, the Commercial Operations Manager at ATL said: “The Panasonic Econavi air conditioner boasts one of the largest energy savings in its class in the world today, up to 30 percent.”
The reason it is such a huge energy saver is that it has a powerful sensor, which detects airflow according to the level of movement in the room and as a result self adjusts. Walter also added: “This technology, undoubtedly, is a stellar plus for our local market where energy bills are considerably exorbitant and fickle.”
Panasonic has a goal of becoming the world’s number one in green technology by 2018, which is its 100th anniversary. They are well on their way to achieving this as they expect to make 60 percent of its revenue from its environmentally safe products.
Hiroki Kaji, the President of Panasonic Latin America said, “The environment is a key factor in all our business activities and we can encourage eco-innovation”.
Powrmatic Expands into UK Air Conditioning
Paul Greenough will lead their sales team as he has many years of experience selling domestic and commercial air conditioning equipment. He has worked closely with Midea since 1999.
Midea had a group income of over $20 billion and is now recognized as global giants. Considering the economic downturn it is always a pleasure to hear good news.
Phil Brompton, the Managing Director of Powrmatic Ltd said “We are delighted to be partnering Midea in this exciting project of both our companies. The extensive range of Midea commercial air conditioning products will enhance our portfolio offering customers a high quality competitive alternative product.
We are confident that with this excellent product range and the experience Paul brings to us, Powrmatic will make a lasting impression on the UK air conditioning market place for years to come.”
The range is due to be launched next month at the ACR show which we have previously mentioned.
Scottish Hospitals Helped by Glasgow Refrigeration Company to Meet Demand
ACE Refrigeration has provided the IRH and RAH with a cooking and freeze production facility, working directly with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and BAM Construction.
The new facilities enable the catering teams at IRH and RAH to produce in excess of 4,000 meals per day and meet patients’ catering need for the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. The brand new state of the art sites have helped GGC centralise its production, saving money, reaping large economies of scale and increasing the consistency and quality of the food created.
The Paisley equipment includes seven chill rooms, four rolling blast freezers, seven freezer rooms and three chilled production rooms and the facilities have a combined floor space of 1200 cubic metres.
Both of the jobs were finished on time.
Sales director of ACE Refrigeration, Shane McKenzie said, “When we were asked to undertake the work, we knew that it was going to be a big job.”
“In order to produce more than 4,000 meals a day, facilities like Inverclyde Royal Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital require robust refrigeration equipment because a hospital never sleeps.”
“Staff, patients, visitors you name it, they need looked after, which is why it was crucial for us to finish both jobs on time.”
“We had to import the blast freezers from Italy. The blast freezer we needed had to be able to produce 500 kilograms of frozen produce on two trolleys per hour, which not a lot of other manufacturers could match up to. The Italian equipment meant that we got the best value for money and production efficiency for the sites.”
The company used custom manufactured equipment to suit the unique requirements of IRH and RAH, for example the three specially manufactured compressor packs installed in the Greenock’s site basement, the design of which makes sure there is a maximum possible decrease in power usage.
Facilities Manager, David Macdonald at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said, “The experience brought by ACE Refrigeration was invaluable to the design of the facilities and they met our exact needs.
“They really are the specialists in the area and worked closely with us throughout the entire build to ensure we got what we wanted.”