Portable Air Conditioners Enhance

Grula was familiar with portable or “spot” coolers but had not previously seen them used on construction sites. “In the Florida climate, working inside a sealed building with no air conditioning is not just a comfort issue, it is really a question of human health and safety,” he notes. “The temporary air conditioners have made a big difference to our crew by delivering a constant flow of cool, dry, climate-controlled air. It is a definite morale booster – and when people have a comfortable working environment, it is a fact that they work faster and better.”

Keeping crews cool is not the only issue. “By reducing humidity, the spot coolers help to speed certain tasks such as drywall finishing, because spackle dries more quickly in the lower-humidity conditions,” Grula says. “Also, since the units are portable, they can be wheeled to different areas as construction progresses to deliver cooling where it is most needed. We are finding it to be a very flexible solution.”

Grula researched portable air conditioning products on the Internet and contacted two or three companies who have local offices near the church. “The manager of the Atlas branch office in Jacksonville was helpful in recommending the most economical solution for the job. We have rented the units on a monthly basis and expect to use them for about two months.”

The dual units provide enough capacity to cool the site more efficiently than several smaller air conditioners, while also giving Fickling the ability to cool four different areas at one time through the 12” insulated 50-ft-long flexible hoses (two per unit). The 12-ton model (Atlas Model 12T32) was chosen because of its proven record of durability in harsh environments. In this situation, the units are subjected to high levels of drywall dust as well as other construction-generated dust. The extra-large evaporator and condenser coils and the 2”-deep filters are easily accessible for cleaning with an air hose or low-pressure water. The units also contain safety controls to ensure shutdown if the power loses phase or if anything happens to block airflow across the coils. The condenser hot air is exhausted outside via a straight stack through the roof access on one unit and through an elbow and out a window on the other.

North Jacksonville Baptist Church is a large and well-known institution. When the new church addition is completed, the 64,000-sq ft space will house administrative offices, classrooms and a 1,000-seat dining hall with kitchen.

Will factor into quotes for future projects

Grula has become a believer in portable cooling on construction sites and says he will try to factor one or more units into the price when quoting on future jobs. “Although we can’t fully quantify the payback, we know that the units serve an important function by helping us to improve comfort, productivity and quality,” he summarizes.