Radiant heaters - the answer for a climate-smart solution for Paul Hall
How do you create a comfortable indoor climate in large warehouses? The Paul Hall company had problems with irregular indoor temperatures and wanted to find a climate-smart solution. Frico had the answer!
“The problem was that when it was cold outdoors, it was also cold indoors”
Paul Hall is a full-service wholesaler in Jönköping (Sweden) that offers industrial and retail packaging, hygiene and paper towels, cleaning products, restaurant and catering, office materials and protective products.
With a large warehouse and a retail section attached Paul Hall had problems with the indoor temperature and found it difficult to create a comfortable climate for the employees. When it was cold outdoors, it was also cold indoors. This made work less pleasant for the employees in both the warehouse and the shop.
“We wanted a solution that worked for the employees, but that was also climate-smart”
Paul Hall contacted Bravida, integrated supplier of technical installation and service solutions for buildings, who have a contract with Frico. Bravida and Frico together developed a solution for Paul Hall. It was important to find as good a solution as possible, based on the building that was erected in the 1960s.
“Our warehouse has a very high ceiling, something like six or seven metres high. The problem was that it was difficult to get the heat down because it gathered at the ceiling. Previously we had used electricity for all the heating and used fan heaters that drew in cold air and heated it. But it was not a good solution, neither for the employees nor if one was environmentally aware”, says Robert Stenvall, CEO at Paul Hall.
“With Frico's radiant heaters the temperature feels warmer”
To meet Paul Hall's requirements, a radiant heater with water borne heat was selected. The whole building was converted to a water borne system and the radiant heaters were installed at several locations in the ceiling. “The unique thing about Frico's solution is the radiant heaters which mean that one experiences the heat as warmer than it actually is, because it does not create any air currents when it is radiated down to the ground. One of the requirements was that it should be more energy efficient and the new solution is much better”, says Robert Stenvall.
“Smart functions reduce our energy costs”
Because the investment is so new, it is difficult for Paul Hall to make any statements regarding the gains or losses in the long term. But Robert remarks that he has already noticed a difference in the heating cost.
“The advantage of Frico's radiant heaters is that there are specific settings for energy saving, for example that one can set different temperatures for different zones or that one lets the system run lower at the weekend and overnight. In principle we are never here at the weekend, for example, so that is an excellent function that we make the most of.”
“Frico's water heated radiant heater is a very good product”
Johan Lindh, project manager and consultant at Bravida, was the one who drew up and ran the project and ensured that the fitters correctly installed Frico's products in position. “I worked with Frico to develop some different heating solutions and presented them to Paul Hall. I personally think that this type of heating, using water heated radiant heaters, is more economical, because it functions as a form of inverted floor heating, and the surfaces heat up - not the air”
Johan considers that Frico's products are developed to be easy to install and also thinks that the products meet expectations. “Certain products can be installed very easily, by just sticking a plug into a wall socket. Frico is very advanced in this. The particular advantage of a water heated radiant heater is that it is essentially completely maintenance free for the customer”, says Johan.
Frico also gave Johan good support during the project planning stage and he considers Frico to have a lot of very able people in the company. “During the course of the project I have been in touch with, and received support from, at least four or five people. They also helped out during the project phase and came up with innovative ideas and solutions”, says Johan.
With a water heated radiant heater Frico could meet Paul Hall's requirements for a heating solution that worked for both the big warehouse and the shop. Today the premises have an indoor temperature that is adapted to the employees, but is alsoclimate-smart!
Original Article published on the FRIO website: Click Here
