Information Center — The Workplace

Evaporative air coolers and evaporative humidifiers offer both energy efficiency and energy savings to homeowners, business owners, and industrial operators. Here are some facts about evaporative cooling: Evaporative air coolers work by adding humidity to the air. The moisture and air movement provided by evaporative cooling helps to remove heat, smoke, odors, and air pollution caused by dangerous chemicals and gases. Evaporative air coolers require only 25 percent of the energy required by a central air conditioning system. Evaporative coolers work to maintain air temperatures below 80 degrees F—a safe level for industrial or commercial workers. Evaporative cooling can be routed through an existing...

They’re characteristic of any paint booth – let alone many other industrial settings. What do they all have in common? They produce fumes that have the potential to combust – causing an explosion that could not only injure you and your co-workers, but could also wreak havoc on the environment and indoor air quality if not properly disposed of. But there’s one simple solution to keeping your paint booth safe and fume free: explosion proof fans, or non-sparking fans. Specifically, these types of fans work to filter out fumes and particles from a hazardous location while minimizing the chances that...

Fans have been used to provide cooling to people for thousands of years. It’s not surprising that a cooling method as simple as moving air around a room has endured as one of the most efficient ways to keep homeowners and workers comfortable. There are different types of fans on the market today, but the simplest model—the circulating fan—is considered one of the most cost-effective and energy-efficient methods of cooling in moderate heat. The term “air circulating fan” (or circulator fan) refers to any type of axial propeller fan that creates a wind-chill effect to provide comfort. Circulating fans include...

Evaporative cooling provides a low-tech, low-cost alternative to air conditioning. It cools by combining water evaporation with the simple movement of air. A blower circulates fresh outdoor air after it has been pulled through wet material, cooling the air by evaporation. Also known as a swamp cooler air conditioner, this type of cooling can lower temperatures as much as thirty degrees. They work best in dry areas rather than in humid regions. A small evaporative air cooler can be installed in a window to blow cool air into a room. Larger evaporative cooling units can be used with duct work...

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than air from outdoors. To keep air quality optimal for homeowners and employees, various methods of ventilation can be used to exchange stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) suggest air circulation in the amount of 15 cubic feet per minute (CFM), per person to maintain a safe balance of indoor and outdoor air. Equipment, installation, operation, and maintenance are key to striking a balance in air quality. The overall design of a system...