Cottonwood Filter | Cottonwood Filter Screen
Rooftop units across the country are getting
clogged with cottonwood. This was especially true for Arvada,
Colorado. Holbrook Service, specializing in commercial and
industrial HVACR for the past forty years, was called in to take
care of servicing the 35-50 ton Carrier units located on top of a
103,000 square foot office complex. Their annual invasion of
airborne cottonwood seeds was just around the corner. A
particularly moist winter in the snowy Denver area had produced
ideal weather conditions for their abundant blooming trees. Failure
to provide adequate airflow to a building or HVACR systems and
production/process equipment adds up to a costly loss of
productivity in safe, efficient system operations. Costly
demand service calls from building tenants complaining of
diminished cooling capacity during the hot summer months can add up
as well.
This is especially true of cooling
application systems where heat transfer surfaces are dramatically
impacted by buildup of dirt on the surface. In a cooling
system, heat absorption and release take place on condensing
surfaces (fins and coils) and are dependent on surface transfer and
airflow to achieve an operational goal. As dirt insulates
those surfaces or causes insufficient air flow through the coils,
heat transfer from the refrigerant to the air is reduced.
This causes the condensing temperature of the refrigerant to
increase and forces the compressor to work harder.
Airflow obstructions, debris and dirt buildup will
impact equipment ability to work efficiently. According
to Mike Schmitt, part of Holbrook's sales team, "Prime
cottonwood season, here in Colorado, can choke air intakes,
reducing air flow by as much as 50% or more, and ultimately cause
system failure." Under normal conditions, this
particular building requires quarterly maintenance for the
heating/cooling/ventilation equipment. During cottonwood
season, the condenser coils become completely impacted in a very
short period of time. They required frequent and labor
intensive cleaning by onsite maintenance staff on a weekly
basis. Cleaning consisted of brushing, chemical treatment,
evacuation with compressed air and/or CO2. Chemical cleaning
itself presented a high reoccurring consumable expense along with
environmental drainage issues. Permatron's PreVent® air intake
filter, recommended and installed by Holbrook Service, is made of
permanent, washable black polypropylene, with UV protection.
Custom made to the air intake perimeter and finished with either a
flexible vinyl or rigid galvanized or stainless steel edge,
PreVent® is easily mounted using a variety of unique attachments.
Once installed, air intake filter eliminated the need for deep
cleaning and cottonwood seeds can easily be removed with a
broom.
Dirty equipment means energy efficiency decrease, heat buildup, higher discharge pressure, increased amp draw and motor strain. Forced to run for longer cycle times, at reduced capacity, operating costs escalate, breakdowns occur and equipment life expectancy decreases. Well maintained equipment costs less to operate, promotes optimal life expectancy and energy efficiencies. A proactive approach to equipment maintenance helps deliver consistent high level performance and minimizes equipment downtime.