Many businesses use warehouses and other large commercial buildings to produce, assemble, package, and ship products to customers. Protecting this valuable inventory is paramount, and a crucial element in doing us involves maintaining the climate inside these buildings. In some industries, failing to do so can lead to stiff penalties and may even put a business’s future in jeopardy.
Companies that produce or handle goods like medical equipment or supplies, perishable foods, mechanical assemblies, and various other products must ensure their buildings are the appropriate temperature for housing these products. A warehouse full of perishable food quickly becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and disease if the temperature in the space exceeds acceptable levels. This can potentially harm customers or even workers in the building. When businesses fail to maintain the quality of their products, they often suffer serious financial backlash as well as damage to their reputations. One solution to safeguard the correct temperature in any large building is to install and use an HVLS fan.
How HVLS Fans Can Help
High-volume, low-speed (HVLS) fans have much longer, wider blades than typical ceiling fans and can move significant quantities of air using little energy. This has many benefits for warehouses with large inventories.
Controlling Temperature
For one, the oversized fan blades keep interior temperatures more consistent by recirculating the air in a space. As the air inside an interior space warms up, it begins to rise. Eventually, the temperature at ground level will be much cooler than the temperature closer to the ceiling. While this may sound like it would be more comfortable for workers, this presents a problem. As the warm air continues to rise, the building’s heating and cooling system must work extra hard to keep pumping temperate air into the space.
HVLS fans move the air inside the space and keep things cool, so heating and cooling systems don’t have to work as hard. Additionally, HVLS fans can operate in reverse for the opposite effect, blowing the warm air at the ceiling back down toward the cooler ground level in the winter to save money.
Improving Air Quality
Rising warm air creates a second problem. Since the air has nowhere to go, it stagnates and can lead to diminished air quality throughout the space. This is stratification, or the separation of air into layers according to temperature. Stratified air can carry bacteria, fungal spores, and other disease-causing particles that may cause illness when inhaled. Which is a significant concern for all post-COVID working environments. Additionally, stale air can damage the structures, machines, and goods stored in a space.
However, an overhead HVLS fan can help reduce thermal stratification in a room. The air layers get well mixed so that fresh air circulates at all levels, improving indoor air quality for workers and inventory.
Regulating Humidity
It’s also important to remember that buildings with concrete floors require careful humidity control. A humid area with concrete floors can cause “Sweating Slab Syndrome.” This phenomenon describes concrete becoming slippery due to humidity in the surrounding air, presenting a significant hazard to your employees.
The effective air circulation provided by HVLS fans helps keep the air throughout an interior space at a consistent temperature, reducing humidity. Ultimately, this reduces the likelihood of damage to your products and supplies as well.
Protect Inventory and Your Employees
Your inventory and your employees are crucial to your business, and one of the most important parts of your operation is how you protect your employees and store your products. HVLS fans offer an energy-efficient and effective solution to maintaining the temperature, improving air quality, regulating humidity levels, and keeping the interior spaces of your facilities at consistent, comfortable temperatures.
Most HVLS fans can integrate into a building’s existing climate control system, so operators don’t have to worry about complex configurations or clunky installations. Additionally, HVLS fans can help reduce utility bills. For more information on how an HVLS fan protect your inventory, safeguard your employees, and save you money, contact Energy Logic.
