Tailored Heating

The air that we breathe can have a significant impact on our health and how productive we are during our work-day. Air that is unfiltered, dirty or contaminated with pathogens have an impact on our respiratory health which in turn can cause breathing difficulties, fatigue, cause asthma attacks and can induce nausea. Smokers and asthmatics will potentially find breathing uncomfortable throughout the 8-10 hour day, particularly when this is compounded over time. Someone who is a severe asthmatic may require a greater amount of sick leave to manage their systems because of the conditions in their workplace. Many ducted air solutions utilise the latest in anti-microbial technology and can actually filter and clean the air as it flows through the duct and into environments where human will breathe in that air. Silver is a natural antibiotic and studies have shown it to be highly effective at killing many air-borne pathogens that contaminate the air. A silver-based coating within a duct-system naturally imparts their many anti-microbial features that kill 99.9% of these air-borne pathogens that can be detrimental to our respiratory health. Ducted air solutions that offer this sort of technology are commonplace in many parts of Western Europe but are beginning to become more acknowledged in Australia as a viable way to deliver cleaner air into the workplace. Such solutions are highly applicable in the hospitality, medical and educational industries since these sorts of institutions have thousands of people passing through them each year, many of whom would be carrying diseases ranging from the common cold to something much more sinister. By implementing the appropriate ducted air solution into your workplace, you will be providing a much healthier working environment for your staff to work in, helping them to work at their best and minimising the chances of them fall ill and requiring sick leave. Our experienced team here at THACS can recommend the most suitable ducted air solutions for your specific requirements. Contact us today to find out how.

Summer is approaching. As the days get that little bit longer and the chill begins to drop out from the wind, the people of Melbourne begin thinking about the inevitable heat waves that will arrive. Forward planning for these heat waves is a good idea, because whilst it is easy to “warm up” in winter – you can just add more layers of clothing – it is not so easy to cool down during a summer heat wave without help. Investing in the best air conditioning unit for you depends on your situation. The two main types of air conditioning units to consider are ducted and split system. Both have their pros and cons, some of which are dependent on the nature of the installation. Ducted air conditioners work by distributing cold air through a series of ducts that connect the system to all the rooms in your home or office that require air conditioning. The internal fan coil unit is installed in the roof space, and this unit controls the flow of air through the entire system. This flow of air is controlled by you through a thermostat. These ducts allow you to control which rooms receive air conditioning and which don’t. This individual temperature control is called ‘zoning’ and it gives you a lot of freedom in managing the overall temperature of a space. It also allows you to control your energy usage since you can actively manage the temperature only in the rooms being used during a certain time by the thermostat. This is perfect for homes or offices with a lot of rooms. A system like this is can be quite a process to fit-out in an established home or office, but a ducted air conditioning unit is a fantastic option if you are renovating or building a new home. Since it can be quite an investment, it is often something that renters might not be so lucky to have access to, although for a landlord savvy enough to install such a system, it can add value to the home purely because of the increased comfort control in extreme heat. A ducted air conditioning system is the most effective way to maintain a comfortable temperature in any room in your home or office during a heat wave, but it does come at a cost. Ducted air conditioning is also more of a permanent solution than a split system air conditioning unit. A split system consists of two primary units. An indoor fan coil unit (the “inside” unit) and a condensing heat exchanger (the “outside” unit.) Both these two units serve to remove hot air from a room and replace it with cooler air, thus lowering the temperature. Split systems are more moderately priced than a ducted air conditioning system and can usually be installed within a day, depending on the installation requirements and the environment the unit is being installed into. They are best suited for heating or cooling one room. Larger rooms can often be hard to keep cool during long heat waves, particularly if the walls and ceiling are built using materials that store heat, such as brick (or a tin roof.) This can have an impact on the energy consumption of the unit if it is running for long hours in an effort to cool down a larger space. So, in summary, a ducted air conditioning unit will cost you more to install, but it provides a much more versatile solution for home or offices with lots of rooms that all require temperature management. A split system unit is a great solution for one room, but certainly has its limitations in cooling down larger rooms or spaces, though they can typically be installed in a day and the investment is less.