Most of the country has experience serious and continuous downpours over the last 36 hours and they are expected to continue to threaten many homes as rivers break their banks.
The Met Office issued another weather warning this morning as there was 60 mm of rain falling on already saturated ground across Wales and South West England.
Due to the severe weather, Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water will lift their hosepipe bans tomorrow which have been in place since April. The bans were put in place after two consecutive dry winters. A spokesman for Thames Water said, “We have had two-and-a-half times the average rainfall for April, we have had steady showers in May and the monsoon downpours in June. That’s changed things.”
There have been four flood warnings put in place by The Environment Agency on rivers in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and West Sussex. Emergency services in these areas had to help 250 people and rescue centres have been set up where flood water has risen to 6ft.
Many roads resemble rivers now due to the torrential rain and have left cars floating away. The A259, which is near Bognor Regis, and parts of the M3 in Hampshire have been effected which means many closures.
As England has been in drought for the last two years, all this rain has meant that only average levels have actually been reached. This is helping to build up water stock as we experienced the driest March for 70 years this year. Just when we thought summer had come early and we all started to switch our air conditioning units on; we had to turn them off just as quickly.
Today there is predicted to be even more, slow moving, showers across the country although it does seem to be moving north. The chief forecaster at the Met Office, Andy Page said, “Due to the nature of showers, some areas will miss them altogether, but where they do occur, large amounts of rainfall are possible in a short space of time which has the potential to cause flooding.”
In Qatar there is an estimated £30 billion that is expected to be spent on building stadiums that have air conditioning before the World Cup is held there in 2022.
A physiotherapist to the GB table tennis team, Craig Fowlie, has just returned from Qatar and has said how hard it could be for all kinds of sports teams to cope in the unbearable heat. He said, “It was 40 degrees in the morning and got hotter during the day, you could not play football in that heat.”
Craig has worked with Hurricanes; a New Zealand Rugby Union team, so he already knows what affects the heat has on players.
He carried on saying, “It might be ok if the stadiums are fitted with air conditioning but what about when the players want to train in between matches?
“Will they be able to train in the stadiums too, with other games scheduled?
“There is not much air out there and at times it is difficult to breath but I am sure they can make it work.”
Especially on days like today, we know the importance of having air conditioning at work although most of us won’t be running around outside in 40 degree heat!
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?
It has been claimed that the Government is to use the UK’s most unpredictable feature to promote the country by trying to persuade tourists that the weather is not as bad as they think!
Ministers believe that tourists do not realise that the weather in Britain can be pleasant as other cities like New York and Paris and are launching a marketing campaign to tempt tourists away from their air conditioning units in their hot countries and come to visit us in Britain!
Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, announcing the Government’s “Great” advertising campaign in 14 cities, said, “We have lower rainfall than Paris. We have to make sure people understand the reality about the weather.
“It is not always as hot as New York but much more pleasant. Come and get a suntan in St James’s Park — you’ll find that it is much more pleasant than a crowded beach on the Med.”
According to tourist board VisitBritain, London is drier than New York, Brisbane, Rome and Rio de Janerio, and has a higher minimum daily temperature than Dublin, Toronto and Seattle.
However, we all know that it’s probably not the best time to run the campaign, with the snowfall and freezing weather we’re having, as The Times pointed out.
A Met Office forecaster, Dave Britton, said “If you are not happy with the weather one day, you might be the next.”
Among the “Great” adverts and marketing campaign to promote tourism in Britain include a Union Jack livery on a New York subway train and 200 taxis in Delhi, as well as a giant flag projected onto Sugar Loaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro. Union Station in Toronto will also be covered in posters advertising British heritage and culture.
Hunt also added, “Critics will say we’ve gone berserk in terms of austerity. But we say this is the biggest chance we will have to market Britain in our lifetimes. So we are telling the naysayers to get stuffed and are going for it.”
With the weather being so cold and wet at the moment, it may seem like an odd time to consider getting your air conditioning checked out. However, it may actually be the perfect time to start thinking about it, as if you take care of your air con units before there’s a problem, you will stand a much better chance of not only saving time and inconvenience, but also a great deal of money, as preventive care is always less more expensive than repair work.
Another good reason to have your air conditioning units checked out by a professional is because of the demand in the summer. The summer is when people realise that their air conditioning system isn’t working properly. In some cases, you may be stuck in a situation where all the repairmen are busy with emergency jobs and cannot come out to check yours out for a few hours or even days.
Get in contact with GT Refrigeration for maintenance on your air conditioning units, it will make your system more efficient which can save you money on air conditioning bills.
John Elfreth Watkins, an American civil engineer, wrote an article in the year 1990 making predictions about what the world would be like 100 years later and some of them, in fact, have actually come true.
The article was published by the relatively unknown engineer in an American women’s magazine, which was titled, “What May Happen in The Next Hundred Years”. Many of his predictions were accurate including, air conditioning, mobile phones and digital colour photography.
His visions and prediction for the future would seem almost unreachable at the start of the 20th century. Watkins anticipated ready meals, for the average life expectancy to rise to 50 years old and the innovation of television.
Although many households have digital thermostats, the visionary predicted the concept of air-con which would regulate the temperature of the house by turning on hot or cold air.
Not all of Watkin’s predictions and prophecies were correct though, as he thought that flies and mosquitoes would be exterminated, that there would be no more C, Q or X letters in the alphabet and that everybody will walk 10 miles a day.
This week, LG Electronics revealed their new lineup of air conditioners, targeting an increase in sales of more than 10% this year.
LG revealed about 40 air con models that feature a technology named the “Real 4-D” cooling system that according to LG officials, sends cool air out in four different directions.
LG spokesperson said that the new air conditioners have also amplified the number of turbo fans located within the air conditioner for enhanced performance and slimmed down the width of the product by up to 30%.
The installation of a power-saving super inverter decreases electricity prices by up to one third of what was paid with other models. The air conditioner can also be controlled by smart phone app, Whisen app 2.0.
President of the air conditioning and energy solution unit at LG Electronics, Nho Hwan-yong, said “We’ve grown more than 10 percent in global terms and we tend to reach a growth rate of over 10 percent in total sales in 2012 even though we know some advanced nations are expected to see a sluggish economy this year.”
LG officials also emphasised the air conditioners with their liquid-crystal display screen that shows management features as well as user selected photos.
LG officials added that it is also equipped with a lighting function which could add to the interior design for some customers. The prices will range for around £500 up to around £1,500 but are not yet available in the UK.
Nho said, “We plan to continue increasing our market share (in global markets) by developing models that are a match to that particular market,
“I can’t talk about the specific differences compared to our rival’s models but we expect to grow together by continuously competing with each other.”
When I think of shrimpers, the first thing that comes to my mind is Forest Gump. However, the Anna Marie probably isn’t your typical shrimp boat. It has boat air-conditioning, a full sized kitchen and satellite television. Lance Nacio, the boat’s captain, can check water depth, plot his course and test tidal flows, all from his captain’s chair and a slick gadget. However, the most unusual addition to the Anna Marie, is a set of high-tech plate freezers on the deck. Compared to a traditional shrimp boat, the Anna Marie can stay out at sea up to three times longer, pulling in as much as 16,000 pounds on each journey.
Nacio, grew up shrimping the traditional way that southern Louisianians have for generations; he caught what he could with his net and sold it fresh on the dock to middlemen at the market price. Today, he catches and processes the shrimp himself and sets his own price. He also negotiates prices himself and offers samples to celebrity food chefs while he’s out on the water. His customers include various restaurants and Whole Food Markets and he has set up a sustainable business for the environment and his family.
A customer and chef-owner, Frank Brigsten, said “The shrimping industry in America has been struggling for a long while. Lance saw the writing on the wall,
“He is a visionary in his profession.”
Nacio’s family, made a living from the land, like others on the bayou. They trapped furs, grew their food in the garden and shrimped. After leaving school, Nacio worked in the oil business for almost 10 years, but he didn’t find it as satisfying as shrimping. He said “When you are working in the oil fields, you have a boss, and you’re under pressure all the time,
“When you’re shrimping, you’re your own boss, and you create your own destiny.”
However, it seems that for the last decade, destiny has seemed bleak for many Louisiana shrimpers, though not necessarily for the reasons most consumers might imagine. Of course, hurricanes Rita and Katrina and last year’s BP oil spill affected the predominantly small, family run fisheries. But the real danger is farmed, imported shrimp from South America and Southeast Asia, the shrimp can be produced and shipped cheap enough to transform the product, which was once considered a luxury is now on the all you can eat buffet.
Shrimp is the United States’ number one-seafood import and about 90% of the market, around 1.2 billion pounds is imported yearly.
International competition ramped up in 2001, when there was millions of cheap shrimp into the American market. While shrimper’s main operational cost rose sky high, prices for domestic shrimpers on the dock plummeted.
Nacio says, “A few years earlier, we were paying 60 cents a gallon [for diesel] and we were getting $3 a pound for shrimp,
“Then, all of a sudden, we’re paying $3.10 a gallon and getting just $1.50. A lot of the fishermen worked themselves out of business.”
2010 saw many huge wind power projects in the UK being completed and by mid-2011, the UK was ranked as the world’s 8th largest producer of wind power. Within the UK, wind power is the 2nd source of renewable energy after biomass and is expected to continue growing in the future.
A wind turbine has been installed by the St Eval Candle Company near its base in Wadebridge.
The 10kw Airconwine turbine measures 18 metres high and was installed at the end of November, at the company’s Great Engollan Farm premises.
The wind turbine, which was installed by company, Natural Generation, is believed to be the first of its kind that has been installed in the UK,
Mike Field, Natural Generation Managing Director, said, “This is the quietest most technologically advance MCS approved turbine in its class, we are very happy with the longevity of this turbine, which has been in operation on the continent since 2004.”
The wind turbine is part of a wider conservation plan, being put into place by the St Eval Candle Company.
Managing Director of St Eval Candle Company, said “We are delighted to see the wind turbine up and working so well,
“We are looking forward to continuing with the project with the next phase seeing tree planting and the restoration of the old Mill pond which dates back to the 17th Century.”
Contact Use
For further information please
complete the form below.
Most of the country has experience serious and continuous downpours over the last 36 hours and they are expected to continue to threaten many homes as rivers break their banks.
The Met Office issued another weather warning this morning as there was 60 mm of rain falling on already saturated ground across Wales and South West England.
Due to the severe weather, Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water will lift their hosepipe bans tomorrow which have been in place since April. The bans were put in place after two consecutive dry winters. A spokesman for Thames Water said, “We have had two-and-a-half times the average rainfall for April, we have had steady showers in May and the monsoon downpours in June. That’s changed things.”
There have been four flood warnings put in place by The Environment Agency on rivers in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and West Sussex. Emergency services in these areas had to help 250 people and rescue centres have been set up where flood water has risen to 6ft.
Many roads resemble rivers now due to the torrential rain and have left cars floating away. The A259, which is near Bognor Regis, and parts of the M3 in Hampshire have been effected which means many closures.
As England has been in drought for the last two years, all this rain has meant that only average levels have actually been reached. This is helping to build up water stock as we experienced the driest March for 70 years this year. Just when we thought summer had come early and we all started to switch our air conditioning units on; we had to turn them off just as quickly.
Today there is predicted to be even more, slow moving, showers across the country although it does seem to be moving north. The chief forecaster at the Met Office, Andy Page said, “Due to the nature of showers, some areas will miss them altogether, but where they do occur, large amounts of rainfall are possible in a short space of time which has the potential to cause flooding.”
£30 billion to be Spent on Air Conditioned Buildings
In Qatar there is an estimated £30 billion that is expected to be spent on building stadiums that have air conditioning before the World Cup is held there in 2022.
A physiotherapist to the GB table tennis team, Craig Fowlie, has just returned from Qatar and has said how hard it could be for all kinds of sports teams to cope in the unbearable heat. He said, “It was 40 degrees in the morning and got hotter during the day, you could not play football in that heat.”
Craig has worked with Hurricanes; a New Zealand Rugby Union team, so he already knows what affects the heat has on players.
He carried on saying, “It might be ok if the stadiums are fitted with air conditioning but what about when the players want to train in between matches?
“Will they be able to train in the stadiums too, with other games scheduled?
“There is not much air out there and at times it is difficult to breath but I am sure they can make it work.”
Especially on days like today, we know the importance of having air conditioning at work although most of us won’t be running around outside in 40 degree heat!
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?
The Culture Secretary Believes that the British Weather is better than Tourists Think
Ministers believe that tourists do not realise that the weather in Britain can be pleasant as other cities like New York and Paris and are launching a marketing campaign to tempt tourists away from their air conditioning units in their hot countries and come to visit us in Britain!
Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, announcing the Government’s “Great” advertising campaign in 14 cities, said, “We have lower rainfall than Paris. We have to make sure people understand the reality about the weather.
“It is not always as hot as New York but much more pleasant. Come and get a suntan in St James’s Park — you’ll find that it is much more pleasant than a crowded beach on the Med.”
According to tourist board VisitBritain, London is drier than New York, Brisbane, Rome and Rio de Janerio, and has a higher minimum daily temperature than Dublin, Toronto and Seattle.
However, we all know that it’s probably not the best time to run the campaign, with the snowfall and freezing weather we’re having, as The Times pointed out.
A Met Office forecaster, Dave Britton, said “If you are not happy with the weather one day, you might be the next.”
Among the “Great” adverts and marketing campaign to promote tourism in Britain include a Union Jack livery on a New York subway train and 200 taxis in Delhi, as well as a giant flag projected onto Sugar Loaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro. Union Station in Toronto will also be covered in posters advertising British heritage and culture.
Hunt also added, “Critics will say we’ve gone berserk in terms of austerity. But we say this is the biggest chance we will have to market Britain in our lifetimes. So we are telling the naysayers to get stuffed and are going for it.”
Think about Maintenance on your Air Conditioning
Another good reason to have your air conditioning units checked out by a professional is because of the demand in the summer. The summer is when people realise that their air conditioning system isn’t working properly. In some cases, you may be stuck in a situation where all the repairmen are busy with emergency jobs and cannot come out to check yours out for a few hours or even days.
Get in contact with GT Refrigeration for maintenance on your air conditioning units, it will make your system more efficient which can save you money on air conditioning bills.
Air Conditioning Technology was Predicted 100 Years Ago
The article was published by the relatively unknown engineer in an American women’s magazine, which was titled, “What May Happen in The Next Hundred Years”. Many of his predictions were accurate including, air conditioning, mobile phones and digital colour photography.
His visions and prediction for the future would seem almost unreachable at the start of the 20th century. Watkins anticipated ready meals, for the average life expectancy to rise to 50 years old and the innovation of television.
Although many households have digital thermostats, the visionary predicted the concept of air-con which would regulate the temperature of the house by turning on hot or cold air.
Not all of Watkin’s predictions and prophecies were correct though, as he thought that flies and mosquitoes would be exterminated, that there would be no more C, Q or X letters in the alphabet and that everybody will walk 10 miles a day.
LG reveals Lineup of New Smart Air Conditioners
LG revealed about 40 air con models that feature a technology named the “Real 4-D” cooling system that according to LG officials, sends cool air out in four different directions.
LG spokesperson said that the new air conditioners have also amplified the number of turbo fans located within the air conditioner for enhanced performance and slimmed down the width of the product by up to 30%.
The installation of a power-saving super inverter decreases electricity prices by up to one third of what was paid with other models. The air conditioner can also be controlled by smart phone app, Whisen app 2.0.
President of the air conditioning and energy solution unit at LG Electronics, Nho Hwan-yong, said “We’ve grown more than 10 percent in global terms and we tend to reach a growth rate of over 10 percent in total sales in 2012 even though we know some advanced nations are expected to see a sluggish economy this year.”
LG officials also emphasised the air conditioners with their liquid-crystal display screen that shows management features as well as user selected photos.
LG officials added that it is also equipped with a lighting function which could add to the interior design for some customers. The prices will range for around £500 up to around £1,500 but are not yet available in the UK.
Nho said, “We plan to continue increasing our market share (in global markets) by developing models that are a match to that particular market,
“I can’t talk about the specific differences compared to our rival’s models but we expect to grow together by continuously competing with each other.”
Ever wondered what it’s like for a Shrimper in L.A?
Nacio, grew up shrimping the traditional way that southern Louisianians have for generations; he caught what he could with his net and sold it fresh on the dock to middlemen at the market price. Today, he catches and processes the shrimp himself and sets his own price. He also negotiates prices himself and offers samples to celebrity food chefs while he’s out on the water. His customers include various restaurants and Whole Food Markets and he has set up a sustainable business for the environment and his family.
A customer and chef-owner, Frank Brigsten, said “The shrimping industry in America has been struggling for a long while. Lance saw the writing on the wall,
“He is a visionary in his profession.”
Nacio’s family, made a living from the land, like others on the bayou. They trapped furs, grew their food in the garden and shrimped. After leaving school, Nacio worked in the oil business for almost 10 years, but he didn’t find it as satisfying as shrimping. He said “When you are working in the oil fields, you have a boss, and you’re under pressure all the time,
“When you’re shrimping, you’re your own boss, and you create your own destiny.”
However, it seems that for the last decade, destiny has seemed bleak for many Louisiana shrimpers, though not necessarily for the reasons most consumers might imagine. Of course, hurricanes Rita and Katrina and last year’s BP oil spill affected the predominantly small, family run fisheries. But the real danger is farmed, imported shrimp from South America and Southeast Asia, the shrimp can be produced and shipped cheap enough to transform the product, which was once considered a luxury is now on the all you can eat buffet.
Shrimp is the United States’ number one-seafood import and about 90% of the market, around 1.2 billion pounds is imported yearly.
International competition ramped up in 2001, when there was millions of cheap shrimp into the American market. While shrimper’s main operational cost rose sky high, prices for domestic shrimpers on the dock plummeted.
Nacio says, “A few years earlier, we were paying 60 cents a gallon [for diesel] and we were getting $3 a pound for shrimp,
“Then, all of a sudden, we’re paying $3.10 a gallon and getting just $1.50. A lot of the fishermen worked themselves out of business.”
New Wind Turbine in Cornwall
A wind turbine has been installed by the St Eval Candle Company near its base in Wadebridge.
The 10kw Aircon wine turbine measures 18 metres high and was installed at the end of November, at the company’s Great Engollan Farm premises.
The wind turbine, which was installed by company, Natural Generation, is believed to be the first of its kind that has been installed in the UK,
Mike Field, Natural Generation Managing Director, said, “This is the quietest most technologically advance MCS approved turbine in its class, we are very happy with the longevity of this turbine, which has been in operation on the continent since 2004.”
The wind turbine is part of a wider conservation plan, being put into place by the St Eval Candle Company.
Managing Director of St Eval Candle Company, said “We are delighted to see the wind turbine up and working so well,
“We are looking forward to continuing with the project with the next phase seeing tree planting and the restoration of the old Mill pond which dates back to the 17th Century.”
Contact Use
For further information please complete the form below.
Or contact us on:
01932 564 635
sales@gtrefrigeration.co.uk