Dealing With Heat-Sensitive Items In Your Warehouse? What Are Your Most Cost-Effective Cooling Options?

If your business stores or ships heat-sensitive material -- from perishable food to electronics -- you may constantly be on the lookout for air conditioning systems that can help you keep your storing and shipping areas at a constant cool temperature without breaking the bank in the process. If your current cooling system is showing its age, you may be considering replacement anyway; replacing with a system designed with failsafes to maintain a constant temperature may be a good investment in the future of your business. Read on to learn more about the best cooling options when dealing with material that will become damaged or destroyed upon exposure to non-air-conditioned temperatures. 

What should you consider when selecting a cooling system for a building that houses heat-sensitive material?

When the cost of a power outage (and resulting air conditioning disruption) can be an entire warehouse of ruined merchandise, installing a cooling system with backups to help guarantee climate control is an investment well worth it. You'll also want an energy-efficient system that can help maintain a relatively low temperature without using unnecessary power. Not only will this help lower your energy bill, it can ensure your air conditioning system can be adequately powered by even a small generator in the event of an extended power outage or supply disruption.

Which cooling options are most cost-effective for your business? 

One option ideal for businesses that can't afford to grow warm is a geothermal heat pump. Unlike oil or gas heat, which combust fuel to produce heat, a geothermal heat pump relies on the Earth's own constant temperature to maintain a year-round temperature. A geothermal heat pump is powered by pipes filled with flowing water and buried in the soil. Because the area below the frost line remains the same low temperature year-round (around the same temperature you'd feel in a cave), it can easily help keep your building a low temperature without utilizing a compressor or other energy-sapping device. A geothermal heat pump draws only a small amount of electricity to operate the fan that blows cool air through your business. As long as you have a small backup generator, you should be able to keep your heat pump going even during a power outage. 

Another cost-effective option for those who don't want to invest in a buried geothermal system is a ductless heat pump. These pumps utilize an outdoor compressor rather than buried pipes but are otherwise very similar to geothermal heat pumps in efficiency and cooling effect. To learn more, contact a commercial air conditioning company like Associated Mechanical Contractors, Inc.