With the recent announcement of the fully revamped ECEX website, it’s time to announce the closer of the sister blog page, http://www.ecexproblemsolved.wordpress.com.
For up-to-date blog posts, news and information from ECEX, please take a look at our new website page:
See you there!
Mark Brown has joined the ECEX team to assist in the day-to-day management of surveys, quotations and site work. He will also provide a valuable role in answering any customer questions or queries. Mark has a great knowledge of the mechanical services industry and has already fitted in well with our ever growing team.
“I am pleased to be part of this rapidly growing company and look forward to progressing alongside the team here at ECEX.”
– Mark Brown, Contract Manager
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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Every now and then a company makes a mistake. Sometimes these errors can be easily smoothed over, or rectified through the use of some clever spin. Occasionally, you have no choice but to accept that an excuse just won’t cut it.
So where do ECEX fit within this story? Well, you may remember that we launched an all-new corporate website in a few years back. After much deliberation and delay, launch date came around and it went live.
There is no sugar-coating it: the website was just not good enough. Through a combination of poor choices and ever poorer design, our website was difficult to use, uninspiring and more worryingly, unhelpful and not a useful point of reference for our customers.
Things have been changing.
We’ve been gradually going through a large amount of brand improvements and the website has always been high on the priority list, however we wanted to get to know how our customers engage with our website in order to and ensure that we knew exactly what they wanted.
The good news is that this process is now complete. Therefore, we’re proud to announce the release of our brand new website, www.ecex.co.uk.
Our corporate website has been completely revamped to be more visually appealing, easy-to-navigate and user friendly. After all, if we pride ourselves on a high quality service and delivery, we wanted our new website to be reflective of that.
Please feel to take a look at the new finished product, which we hope you’ll agree is leaps and bounds ahead of the previous site!
We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to contact us via twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or the comments section at the bottom of this page.
Cooling towers are among the most energy efficient devices available on the market for extracting and rejecting heat in HVAC systems. However, as with any equipment that involves the storage of water, there are inevitable Legionella risks associated with cooling towers and, if not properly maintained, the consequences can be catastrophic. Safe maintenance processes are time consuming and expensive, but an imperative practise. Is it possible to streamline engineering time and cost whilst minimising the risk of bacterial growth?
Cooling towers utilise a simple process: By delivering a moving air stream within the unit, a portion of the stored water can be evaporated, providing significant cooling to the water system. Typically 75-80% of heat rejection is achieved through evaporation and any remainder is simply removed by the large volume of air passing over it. With such a large volume of stored water, it’s vital that cooling tower systems are maintained adequately. This not only ensures the unit delivers requisite heat transfer at maximum efficiency, but helps to prevent the proliferation of bacteria, which can lead to an increased risk of Legionnaires’ disease.
A cooling tower environment, with its warmth and large volume of dissolved airborne particulates and debris makes it the ideal environment for the growth of micro-organisms. In addition, cooling towers routinely remove large quantities of dirt, dust, pollen, bacteria, stack emissions and other airborne matter from the surrounding air during daily operation. Unless appropriate treatment measures are put into place, these contaminants can cause significant water-borne issues.
Legionella bacteria
Existing maintenance schemes generally involve the use of treatment chemicals and biocides in order to inhibit bacteria and algae growth. Not only is this costly, but time consuming too and for many building managers, engineering time has become a valuable commodity on site as a consequence of workforce streamlining, contract cutbacks and increasing client-side ‘value-for-money’ expectations.
With this in mind, the solution is simple: Prevent airborne debris and microbiological contaminants from being drawn into the system at the source using air filtration.
Introduced to the UK market in 2012, air intake screens are long lasting, purpose-designed filter mesh screens which can be affixed to the external air intakes on cooling towers, condensers, air handling units and chillers. With a lifespan of up to 15 years, air intake screens act as a cost effective protective component of any cooling tower treatment program and, by removing airborne particulates and debris from recirculating water, the potential for bacterial deposits is significantly reduced. This helps keep cooling systems operating at maximum design efficiency, enabling them to achieve their specified heat rejection capability and reducing strain placed upon the unit. More importantly, this means that the serviceable life of the plant is extended and the likelihood of mechanical downtime is significantly reduced.
An air intake screen prevents airborne debris before it can enter your cooling tower.
An air intake screen can also assist in the preventing microbiological bacteria and its food supply from entering the cooling tower’s stored water. By stopping insects, leaves and associated biological matter from being drawn into the system through the use of a filtered mesh, air intake screens also contribute towards a significant reduction in the potential for microbiological growth. In turn, this helps to reduce biocide costs which can be an excellent means of cost reduction on site.
Unscheduled maintenance and unit downtime can also be extremely costly to any facility. Maintaining clean, recirculating water is not only sound preventive maintenance, it also reduces heat exchanger and tower cleaning costs. Rather than waiting for airborne waste products to enter the system before cleaning it, air intake screens can be cleaned simply and efficiently using a soft brush, hose or vacuum. In cases of severe clogging, they can be easily removed for more thorough cleaning using a jet wash.
Air intake screens installed on BAC cooling tower
For more information on air intake screens, visit www.airintakescreens.co.uk or contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk.
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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We’ve carried out countless installations of roof edge protection in our time and, whether free-standing or fixed tubular guard rail, we are able to recommend the solution that is most suitable and cost effective for your required application. However, what do you do when you’re told that you can’t modify the aesthetic of a building?
We were presented with that very question at a prestigious investment company’s London Headquarters recently. With no fixed roof edge protection, we were asked to install a solution in full compliance with British Standards and regulation. Instead of our standard tubular guardrail system, we were tasked with designing and manufacturing a bespoke solution, made to look as if it had always been part of the building’s original design. As such, this solution was required to mirror the edge protection that had been installed at lower levels of the building.
Click on the images below to see them full size. For your free of charge estimate, please give us a call on 01635 244 100.
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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Whilst it’s been a difficult few years, we’re proud to say that ECEX are continuing to grow. The metalwork and fabrication division has formed part of our core service offering for many years now and as part of the continuing expansion, we’ve introduced an addition to our fleet of vans.
If you have any issues regarding safe access on site, please get in touch and would like free of charge advice or estimations, contact us on 01635 244 100.
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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The planned preventative maintenance (PPM) schedule of any facilities team, whether in-house or outsourced, is imperative to the successful operation of any building or facility. Ensuring that mechanical systems are able to provide adequate heating and cooling is essential in providing a comfortable and efficient work environment for employees. However, carrying out routine condenser coil, air handling unit (AHU) and cooling tower maintenance can often be a time consuming and difficult task, absorbing valuable engineer time. Therefore, the objective of any maintenance team is a simple one: Achieve adequate building cooling whilst minimising labour time.
After conducting a detailed research investigation, Seppänen,Fisk and Lei (2006) demonstrated that failing to provide office temperatures can have a significant impact upon employee productivity. The greatest levels of efficiency were achieved at temperatures of approximately 21-22oC; any temperature above or below this range caused a reduction in employee work rate. With building temperatures heavily influenced by the effectiveness of heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) equipment, it is no surprise that competent maintenance and management is considered a mission critical task among most building and facilities managers. After all, if cooling equipment were to fail due to system fouling in summer months for example, the temperature could increase causing a reduction in productivity which could have significant cost implications upon a business.
Clogging restricts airflow, placing greater strain on HVAC equipment and costing more to run.
In most regions of the UK, pollen is a major contributor to cooling equipment fouling.This, combined with general debris caused by foliage, refuse and other airborne particulates, can have a significant impact upon the day-to-day running of the equipment. During the summer months in particular, coil cleaning, changing of internal air filters and general HVAC maintenance must be carried out more frequently, consuming much of the engineering team’s routine PPM schedule (often to the detriment of other key activities). This problem is only compounded by the present economic climate, which has caused nationwide cutbacks on staffing and budgets.
Fewer staff on site equates to a reduced capacity for maintenance output and often, client-facing tasks take precedent over the behind-the-scenes plant maintenance. Cooling equipment, if not attentively maintained, will operate at increasing levels of inefficiency until it can no longer support the cooling requirements of the site. Breakdowns will eventually occur, causing major issues for employers. After all, if a building is operating above or below the desired requirement, productivity will drop and company output/profitability will follow.
The solution is simple: Prevent airborne debris before it can enter the air intake systems, clogging coils, overloading internal air filters and reducing airflow efficiency.
An air intake screen does just that. Fixing to the external intakes, this highly engineered filtered mesh was designed specifically to prevent fouling to HVAC equipment. Many commercially mesh screen products can damage equipment by restricting airflow too greatly; the air intake screen was designed with airflow in mind.
Once installed, an air intake screen can be cleaned using a soft brush or vacuum cleaner, significantly reducing the requirement for coil cleaning; even the rain has a cleansing effect.
By installing a product that reduces maintenance time by protecting cooling systems, engineers can be re-deployed to other mission critical maintenance tasks on site. Engineer time aside, air intake screens assist in ensuring adequate heating and cooling can be provided to the valuable employees within the building, assisting in maximising their output potential.
After all, happy employees make profitable ones.
Air intake screens prevents airborne debris from entering your HVAC system and can be simply cleaned using a soft brush or vacuum.
For more information on air intake screens, introduced to the UK by ECEX, contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk, 01635 244 100 or go to our dedicated website, www.airintakescreens.co.uk
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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Just as it seems we’re about to see the end of the cold and miserable British weather we’ve become so accustomed to, it strikes back in full force. That said, we did experience a few days of glorious sunshine which served as a welcome reminder that the summer is, albeit slowly, on its way.
For maintenance engineers, the summer isn’t necessarily synonymous with happiness. Un-insulated boiler rooms bursting with sweltering heat, clogged HVAC equipment due to the proliferation of pollen, leaves and airborne debris, and client complaints because it’s too hot/too cold, all contribute to what can be an extremely stressful time for maintenance personnel.
As always, we can help.
With a highly experienced team of insulation specialists, we can ensure that heat loss is kept to a minimum, making that work environment more tolerable for your engineers (and your client’s energy bill).
Our air intake screens can prevent airborne debris from clogging chiller coils and AHU inlets, reducing the time your engineers spend cleaning HVAC equipment (and keeping cooling equipment running efficiently for your client).
At ECEX, we don’t charge for advice, so please contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or 01635 244 100 so we could help you get the most out your engineers (whilst saving energy of course). After all, the best advice is always free.
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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We’re proud to have been awarded the “Committed to CSCS” Gold certificate in recognition of the high percentage of our workforce who hold CSCS cards.
The CSCS card is widely demanded as proof of competence by organisations from across industry as well as employers, clients and Government.
With a strong emphasis upon exceptional health and safety performance, we strive to achieve best safety practice, from risk assessment and method statement documentation through to onsite delivery.
For more information about CSCS, go to www.cscs.uk.com.
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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With a host of new orders and enquiries for air intake screens, we’re pleased to be able to upload some photos of our latest installation at a prestigious London site.
Before air intake screens were installed, our client used a ‘home-made’ filter mesh in order to prevent airborne debris from entering the air intakes on their five cooling towers. Unfortunately, the airflow restriction caused by this crude mesh solution prevented one problem by creating another.
The benefits our client will gain from the installation of air intake screens are:
> Increased efficiency through maximisation of laminar airflow
> Prevention of strainer and heat exchanger clogging
> Reduction in bacteria growth by preventing nutrient sources from entering
> Water treatment chemical requirement reduction
> Reduction in algae growth through light diffusion
> Reduction in risk of plant failure through clogging.
These screens can be easily cleaned using a soft brush, vacuum cleaner or hose and last for up to 10 years, so the initial outlay paid by our client will be easily out-weighed by the benefits they will experience on site. Visit www.airintakescreens.co.uk for more information.
Take a look at the pictures and if you have any questions at all, please let us know!
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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We’ve talked about it before, but health and safety has a particularly bad reputation in the UK for being a little over-the-top. It’s easy to take the processes and procedures for granted and forget the benefits that these safe practices bring with them.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (www.hse.gov.uk), rates of injury at work have reduced substantially over the past decade. There have been falls in both self-reported injury and injuries reported by employers, so obviously health and safety culture is doing something right.
Adaptation of data from http://www.hse.gov.uk
There’s no denying it, the number of injuries sustained within the workplace has fallen. At ECEX, we pride ourselves on good health and safety practice because our staff matter. So too do our customers and the people around them. You can never been too careful, but you can very easily not be careful enough.
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We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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The issue
Providing effective air filtration on HVAC systems is an imperative practice for the health and wellbeing of a building’s occupants. With strict air quality guidelines and regulations firmly in place, along with increasingly restrictive budgetary constraints, facilities managers and outsourced maintenance companies are frequently tasked with optimising filtration and maintenance efficiency at their respective sites. Is it possible to do so whilst at the same time minimising labour and filter replacement costs?
Continued on next page…
It’s been a while in the making, but the sister site to ECEX, www.airintakescreens.co.uk has gone live today.
Designed with airflow in mind, Air Intake Screens fit to external intakes on AHUs, chillers, condensers and cooling towers to prevent airborne debris being dragged into your systems. With a minimum 7 year service life and cleaned using a hoover, hose or broom, Air Intake Screens are an easy solution to a common problem.
Reduce maintenance time, protect coils and extend filter life.
For more information, please take a look at our new sister website, www.airintakescreens.co.uk.
With the New Year firmly under-way, the time for reflecting upon last year is over; it’s time to look forward at what’s to come.
We’re always developing and refining the work we do here at ECEX to ensure that we offer you the best quality service and assistance onsite that we can. Last year we made the decision to remove building fabric works from our service portfolio and we recently introduced a new one, Air Intake Screens.
We’re proud to announce that we will shortly be launching a dedicated sister site, airintakescreens.co.uk. Designed specifically for our latest product, Air Intake Screens, this website will provide you with an easy-to-access web page with all of the information you could need on a product which is already commanding a phenomenal amount of interest. Keep checking back , we’ll be going live in the next few weeks.
This, among many other developments means that we’ll be in a better position than ever to assist you to maintain your site. As ever, our full list of services (soon to be updated) is available at http://www.ecex.co.uk/fls.asp, so please feel free to take a look.
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2012 has certainly been a challenging year for many businesses and we wouldn’t be telling the truth if we said this calendar year had been an easy one. That said, like many other companies out there we’ve worked hard and ended the year in a strong position.
This year has seen us move away from certain services and introduce others; we’ve strived to adapt, focus and develop our core services (full details of which can be found on our website: www.ecex.co.uk), whilst ensuring we deliver the same quality, the same customer service and the same high standards that we’d like to always be known for.
Looking into 2013, it’s safe to say that we all have high hopes. We don’t doubt that it’ll be hard work, but let’s hope that this time next year we can look back and be even more proud of the year we’ve had than we are now.
So from ECEX, we would like to wish you a fantastic Christmas and an even better New Year. We hope you enjoy your time off and look forward to working with you again in January.
Our offices will be closed on Monday 24th December, re-opening on the 2nd January.
Merry Christmas,
ECEX
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As the days flutter by and the Christmas period grows nearer, it’s time to start planning for the New Year. Don’t worry, we can help.
As a provider of a wide range of specialist services, it can sometimes be difficult to remember exactly what it is that we do at ECEX. Let us make it easier for you.
You can now view our services in three different, but equally simple ways:
1) You can request our hard copy literature by emailing us at sales@ecex.co.uk
2) You could visit our website at www.ecex.co.uk
3) You can now view our full literature online, designed for mobile devices, tablets and computers; all you need is a suitable internet connection. Just go to http://ecex.uberflip.com/i/98675. (Perfect for bookmarking within your internet browser for easy access).
Don’t leave it until the last minute, get planning now.
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In recent weeks we’ve talked a lot about ECEX air intake screens, so we thought it was about time that we showed you what they look like when they’re installed.
You can see from the photographs just how easy it is to install and protect your air intake systems from airborne debris.
We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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A little over a week after ECEX air intake screens were officially released to the UK market, we’re pleased to announce that they’ve generated a fantastic amount of interest. Of course they have, why wouldn’t they?
ECEX air intake screens are a simple solution to a common problem. Rather than waiting for airborne debris to be sucked into your air intake systems on chillers, cooling towers, condensers and air handling units, why don’t you prevent it before it can get inside?
Protecting your coils, extending the lifespan of your filters, minimising labour time, saving money. It really is that easy.
With a minimum of 5-7 year service life (depending on the type of mesh you choose), the cost per annum is negligible compared to the savings you’ll make from a reduction in coil cleaning, replacements and filter changes.
They might not necessarily be delivered in wrapping paper, but they’ll make a fantastic Christmas present to any Facilities or Contracts Manager looking to save money on those already tightly stretched budgets.
Easy to install. Easy to maintain. Easy to see the benefits.
We’re itching to answer any questions you might have, so please do get in touch. You can contact us on sales@ecex.co.uk or by calling our sales office on 01635 244 100.
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Air intake screens: An engineered mesh screen designed to maximise airflow whilst reducing contamination caused by airborne debris entering your AHUs, chillers and condensers.
The picture below not only demonstrates the contamination that could be causing your coils to fail or filters to require changing more regularly, but it demonstrates how easily they can be cleaned.
Supplied exclusively in the UK by ECEX, this unique product is now available to help you extend the life of your filters, maximise the life of your coils and minimise the maintenance time required in caring for your air intake systems.
More information is available here: http://www.ecex.co.uk/screens.asp
An engineered solution is available for any air intake problem and the benefits will far outweigh the cost of any installation.
Where can I use them?
Coils, chillers, condensers, louvre air intakes; in fact anywhere that you are drawing air into a building will be much better protected.
Why would I bother?
Who else has used them?
How are they fitted?
ECEX Air Intake Screens – cost effective protection for your chillers, coils, filters and cooling towers.
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During the recession, we’ve found that many of our customers have tried to find solutions to maximise office space and utilise existing space more efficiently. The same can be said for ECEX at our new fabrication factory.
In recent months, our metalwork side of the business has grown substantially. So much so in fact that we needed some more space urgently.
We’re fabricators by trade and naturally, we have a lot of metal in the factory, along with a very skilled team. More storage and office space was needed, so we just looked up.
Utilising the high ceilings, we constructed a mezzanine floor with storage and office space to enable us to facilitate a greater work-load.
Although it isn’t yet finished, you can see an easy solution to the question, “What do you do when you need more space?”
For ECEX it is easy.
This is why we are able to produce site specific structures for buildings, even our own!
For more information please visit http://www.ecex.co.uk/asap.asp
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Over the years, we’ve faced just about every kind of access issue you can imagine. With changes in legislation, safe access is imperative and the ‘make-shift’ ladders are becoming no more.
We thought we’d share some of the most common issues that we assist with on site; the chances are you might have problems with one of them.
An old and unusual ladder installation one of our customers carried out on site. You won’t find one like this any more!
1) Chiller/cooling tower access
Trouble accessing fans on your chillers or cooling towers? Is safe access an issue when carrying out regular maintenance?
We can design and install full gantries and platforms to ensure your maintenance personnel are able to safely carry out routine work.
2) Riser access
Often, very little consideration is often given to safe access within risers and maintenance can be difficult, dangerous or impossible to carry out. We can help.
3) High level mechanical access
In an effort to utilise space in plant rooms, valves and other units are often situated at high level, above existing plant. We can design and install safe access to enable engineers to work safely at these levels.
4) Water Tank Access
During water tank installation, very little consideration is usually given to the logistics of routine maintenance. Often too close to the ceiling or too high to safely access, we can assess each tank in situ and provide a quotation to rectify.
5) General plant and machinery access
Pipework running across the floor? Insulation damaged by engineers clambering over it? We can supply and install step-overs and platforms to enable safe access.
If you have an access issue on site and need advice, we’d be happy to help. Contact our office on 01635 244 100, or email on sales@ecex.co.uk
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Recently we commented that UK SMEs, can play an active role in driving the UK’s economic recovery.
The business news channels at that time told of failing industry and increased unemployment.
This did not match our experience or that of our customers and suppliers.
We can report that the last quarter has been our best in 20 years.This has also been confirmed by fellow contractors and customers.
Many have taken on new staff and are complaining of a shortage of skilled or semi skilled labour.
At ECEX, we’ve been driving further investment into staff and staff training, and have now taken on a second factory base to cope with the increased demand from clients.
We have also entered into a partnership agreement with the USA manufacturer of a brand new product for the UK market. This product will launch in November and provide further opportunity for employment within ECEX.
Sir Arthur Helps, in Realmah, 1868 said “Nothing succeeds like success.”
We believe this to be true.
With your help we can drive this message forward because all businesses profit from investment.
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Since we moved to an electronic database system here at ECEX, the requirement for hoarding customer business cards has become a thing of the past.
Once that essential contact information has been loaded into our database the business card becomes redundant and, rather than throwing it straight into the recycling, we wanted to do something to thank our customers.
So we did.
After throwing all of the business cards into a raffle, we drew three winners and gave them each a bottle of champagne.
The raffle was so successful that we’ve decided to make it a quarterly event. Have you given us your business card recently? If so, you could be in with a chance of winning a bottle of bubbly.
Phil Cooper, Martin Kennell and Alan Shuffill were our lucky winners this time. Congratulations!
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Are your buildings insulated?
This time last year we were celebrating record temperatures for the start of October. How things have changed. Temperatures have dropped rapidly in recent weeks and the same question applies as it did then:
Are you prepared for it?
All over the country heating systems are being checked in readiness for the impending winter cold snap.
We may have all been donning our shorts and T-shirts just a few months ago, but as the temperature plummets we’ll all be thinking of ways to keep the heat in and the cold out. That applies for your building too.
The single largest preventable loss of energy is poor insulation. It’s a simple process and provides a quicker payback than you might think!
We can repair or replace all insulation using the most cost effective solution available and in full compliance with BS5422:2001.
We deal with all insulation materials including:
For a site survey and recommendation just call ecex on 01635 244100 or email sales@ecex.co.uk
Start saving money and insulate your pipework and ductwork now.
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At ECEX we believe that we, along with other UK SMEs, can play an active role in driving the UK’s economic recovery.
With 3.7 million SMEs in the UK, accounting for approximately 40% of GDP and employing 12 million people, the importance of small and medium enterprises to the economy should never be under estimated.
400,000 UK SMEs cease trading every year and there is no doubt that we’re experiencing an extremely tough economic climate. However, evidence suggests that firms who innovate more consistently and rapidly employ more workers, demand higher skills, pay higher wages and offer more stable prospects.
That could only be a good thing right?
At ECEX, we’ve been driving investment into staff and training, along with new machinery and premises; actively distributing hard earned profits into the wider economy. In doing so, we hope to benefit not only ourselves, but the profitability of various support sectors, which in the long term will allow customers to continue their spending with us.
It hasn’t been easy and as a team we have faced some difficult, but necessary decisions along the way. This makes the recent successes all the more sweeter and long may it last.
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Money: An update on our earlier blogs. “People live to earn it; businesses are created to make it and nobody ever has enough of it”.
The struggling economy of the past two years is a situation that has destroyed the lives of thousands of people and the futures of as many businesses. ecex are lucky enough to be successfully trading and are doing so for a number of reasons.
These are the reasons why we have recently seen a massive increase in business which has enabled ecex to invest in people, machinery and premises.
Without the confidence to move with the changing tides of business, you’re destined to fail.
That extra hour here and there is what sets a business apart from its competitors. At ecex , we have a policy that reflects our commitment to the task in hand – Never leave a job until the customer is happy.
It is this philosophy that enables us to gain the trust of our customers so that they can confidently present any ecex quotation to their client and recommend that we get the job.
Every company is only as good as their last job, which is exactly why we treat every job as if it was our last.
So how is our economy doing?
The pundits and experts suggest that we are still struggling and yet many companies out there are investing in our combined futures.
At ecex we are confident. Are you?
We have commented previously that the regular maintenance of plant is integral to maximising its running efficiency, life expectation and operation.
In association with the USA manufacturer Air Solution Company we are now offering significant protection to your plant.
Improve efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and extend asset life with ecex problem solved.
Call 01635 244100 now to discuss
Condensers, Air Cooled Chillers and Dry Coolers
• Prevents coils from clogging.
• Significantly reduces the need for coil cleaning.
• Helps to optimise cooling efficiency.
• Prolongs life of internal air filters up to 60%.
• Protects louvre actuators.
Cooling Tower Applications
• Increased efficiency by maximising laminar airflow.
• Prevents clogging of strainers and heat exchangers.
• Fights bacteria growth by eliminating nutrient source.
• Reduces water treatment chemical requirement.
• Diffuses sunlight to fight algae growth
• Minimises risk of plant failure from clogging.
Features:
• Vinyl coated polyester and non-stick surface helps cleaning.
• Flame resistant (Self-extinguishing).
• Quick release fasteners.
• Extremely durable and environmentally friendly
For the ecex webpage and case studies please visit our website http://www.ecex.co.uk
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A patient, one of 16 in Stoke-On-Trent to have contracted Legionnaires’ disease, has died. Though the direct cause is as yet unknown, one thing that is clear is that the number of confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease is on the increase since the outbreak emerged.
If legionella pneumophilia, the bacterium that can be found in natural and purpose-built water systems is left in suitable conditions it will grow, increasing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease.
These conditions include:
(HSE, www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires)
As a specialist in L8 and Water Regulations, we can provide the expertise to ensure that your water storage meets requirement. From bolt testing to dead leg removals and tank lining to entire replacements, we have the experience to ensure that the risk on site is minimised.
Do you need advice on your water storage? We can help. Contact sales@ecex.co.uk or call 01635 244 100 to arrange a free survey.
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At ECEX, we’re always looking for ways to improve plant efficiency and ensure the longest possible life out of any equipment we supply. This interesting article was posted by Randy Simmons, Vice President of Air Solution Company; a company that specialise in air filtration from across the pond. It’s longer than the articles we usually post, but definitely worth it!
How a Legionella Tragedy Can Happen
Interestingly, when someone becomes ill from an unsafe cooling tower it most often is not the result of a company’s blatant negligence. You might be surprised to hear that typically, the cause usually originates from a company having not understood the need for their water treatment program to be in alignment with an effective debris management and cooling tower maintenance program.
If the amount of debris inside a cooling tower exceeds the established biocide dosage, the demand placed upon the dosage will quickly be consumed, having little impact on the bioactivity.
Remember: Cooling towers are highly efficient air scrubbers; anything drifting past a cooling tower is likely to get caught in its draft and be sucked-in. When organic debris such as seed, leaves, insects, pollen, grass, birds and their droppings, etc. get into the water and decompose, they create a nutrient rich environment for bacterial growth, including Legionella.
It’s important to recognise that if the volume of decomposing debris exceeds the chemical dosage’s ability to provide control, the cooling tower will silently grow dangerous, even while chemical dosing continues. It is easy for companies to develop a false sense of security that their cooling towers are safe either because they are treating the water themselves or because they’ve hired water treatment services to establish dosage levels that should ensure the tower is safe. In either case, if organic debris management isn’t in alignment with water treatment dosage levels and made integral to the maintenance process, there is an increased probability of the tower becoming a health and safety hazard. It doesn’t matter how large or small the company or cooling tower is; bacteria, including Legionella, doesn’t discriminate; it thrives in any poorly managed cooling tower!
An Obvious Question
“What is the required ratio of water treatment chemicals to debris load inside the cooling tower in order to ensure cooling tower safety?”
The answer isn’t as clear as the question might suggest. Organic debris is drawn into cooling towers in different concentrations depending upon location and time of year. Every type of debris places a different demand upon the biocides and scale inhibitors being dosed into the water; therefore, there is no known ratio that will hold constant for every cooling tower. However, it is safe to say that if you don’t deploy diligent maintenance procedures that specifically call for the prevention of organic debris from getting into the cooling tower or its periodic removal, more water treatment chemicals will be required to keep it safe.
Adding chemicals to offset poor maintenance practices however is a shortcut that will do little to prevent fouling and clogging of the fill, strainers, blow-down valves, chiller and heat exchangers. This will ultimately lead to health and safety issues, along with a reduction in equipment performance. Although the answer to the chemical ratio to debris question isn’t apparent, the answer to how to keep a safe cooling tower is crystal clear:
Keep the cooling tower free from debris and deploy a good water treatment program and your cooling tower will operate safely and efficiently.
This may sound like over simplification, but if you keep the debris out of the cooling tower, you will break the bacteria-supporting food chain. Additionally, when you chemically treat the water you create an environment non-conducive to bacteria habitation. In short, when you eliminate food and shelter for bacteria, it won’t take-up residence in your cooling tower!
How to Keep a Safe Cooling Tower
Although L8 ACOP and associated guidelines are excellent, companies must ultimately weigh the operational and economic realities of any maintenance procedure they deploy. As the old saying goes “There’s more than one way to skin a cat”. If on the one hand maintenance procedures are too frequent, cumbersome or complex, it commonly results in more downtime, lost productivity and higher maintenance costs. Conversely, if the intervals between maintenance are too long, it may be more cost effective, but the condition of the cooling tower at each interval may be less than desirable and potentially place maintenance workers, employees, tenants and the public at risk. So the answer lies somewhere in the middle, at the point where water treatment and debris management in the tower come together.
Companies have many options available to them for managing debris; including a variety of water-based filtration technologies and air intake filtration technology. Water filtration can help manage water-borne and other debris after it gets into the cooling water while Air intake filtration technology is highly effective at stopping airborne debris from getting into the tower by filtering the air as it enters the system. Furthermore, air intake filtration can be used in glycol based cooling systems and on other air-cooled condenser systems to keep airborne debris out of the coils enabling optimal cooling efficiency.
When determining what maintenance and debris management technology to use, it is important to first determine what the source of debris is. If the source is water-borne, water filtration in combination with a good water treatment programme is typically the best solution to protect the chiller and heat exchanger from scaling and fouling. If on the other hand, the source of debris is airborne, then water filtration systems will not stop the debris from getting into the cooling tower (especially the fill). As such, the best solution for prevention debris from getting into the system by using air intake filtration technology to filter the air as it enters the system. Air intake filtration in combination with a good water treatment program is highly effective in stopping the debris that clogs strainers, blow-down valves, fill, chillers and heat exchangers.
In short, air intake filtration effectively protects the entire system. In extreme cases where both waterborne and airborne debris is problematic, both air intake filtration and water filtration in combination with a good water treatment program may be required in order to keep the cooling tower safe and operating efficiently.
Consider the costs of a sick tower
Companies that don’t take appropriate precautions and insist upon diligent cooling tower maintenance procedures not only place their employees’ health and safety at risk, but also their business and reputation. Consider the cost of a single cooling tower related Legionella incident:
In comparison to the cost of a proactive maintenance initiative, the incidents listed above when considered individually or collectively carry staggering cost.
It Doesn’t Take Rocket Science
It simply requires that companies using cooling towers initiate proactive and on-going maintenance procedures that align effective debris management technology with effective water testing and treatment techniques. When these elements are in alignment, the result is a safe, healthy and efficient operation.
Randy Simmons is VP at Air Solution Company, Commerce Township, MI. a manufacturer of air intake filtration solutions. Visit their website at www.airsolutioncompany.com.
For the ecex web page and case studies please see
http://www.ecex.co.uk/ladders.asp
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Good health and safety planning, practice and execution is paramount within the engineering industry. Even a slight oversight of procedure can have devastating outcomes.
Words however, are one thing and delivery is another. So how do you know that you can trust the company you use?
More importantly, how do you know you can trust ECEX?
Accreditation and certification.
There are several leading health and safety assessment schemes dedicated to high industry standards of competence and compliance. These companies independently evaluate health and safety practice in order to ensure that any applicant maintains a proven track record of good practice.
As certified members of SAFEcontractor, CHAS and the British Safety Council, we have plenty of experience with this. Even so, we always love to hear positive feedback.
John Kinge, Head of Risk at SAFEcontractor said,
“More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that ECEX has done. The firm’s high standard has set an example, which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector”
That’s what we like to hear.
If you’d like a job completed with safety as a priority, get in touch.
For all of our documentation, go to http://www.ecex.co.uk/certs.asp
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The creation of fabricated metal structures has not really changed since the iron age.
Techniques have changed as new, stronger metals have been developed but effectively we are talking about “metal bashing”.
Iron in its various developmental stages allowed massive improvements in industrial process and products and although steel has been produced for about 4,000 years modern steel manufacture really started in the late 1850’s.
These new, stronger metals could be manipulated and shaped and allowed the construction of many landmark buildings.
So is it easy or difficult?
A simple step over against a beautiful sky
For ecex it is easy.
Why?
We simply:
And that is why we are able to produce site specific structures for buildings.
For more information please visit http://www.ecex.co.uk/asap.asp or https://ecexproblemsolved.wordpress.com/
MECCANO® is the registered trademark of Meccano Toys (UK) Limited
In principal, the answer is yes; no matter what the style or design they all serve the same purpose – to allow somebody to climb from one level to another. However, there’s more to ladders than you might at first think.
There are many different types, designs and regulations to consider on site, each one solving a different problem. Here are a few things you should think about when looking to install an access ladder:
Initial considerations
Should you use:
What next?
Types of ladder
These variations in design allow a site specific solution to be produced which, when combined with platforms, edge protection and bridging sections,will resolve most access problems.
For detailed advice please call 01635 244100 or email sales@ecex.co.uk .
You can also view some interesting case studies at http://www.ecex.co.uk/fls.asp
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Everybody knows that the regular maintenance of plant is integral to maximising its running efficiency, life expectation and operation. That said, a safe means of access is often not considered.
The manufacturer/installer will provide the bare minimum without due consideration to the site maintenance team, often making routine maintenance tasks more time consuming and troublesome than they need be.
That’s where we come in.
With years of experience with the design and installation of site specific platforms and gantries to create a safe and permanent means of access, we rarely find an access issue we can’t deal with.
Our cost effective solutions minimise the hazard, increase efficiency and significantly reduce the risk of collateral damage (see below) caused when engineers use parts of the plant not designed for access.
Remember, we can provide a solution to almost any access problem.
Lightweight cladding used as a step
This pump housing and insulation has been virtually destroyed.
The pictures above are relatively minor examples of the damage that can be caused by doing nothing. The following pictures show one-off permanent solutions that we’ve installed before.
Access to condensers was difficult previously
But a new platform with edge protection makes life so much easier
Platform required above stairwell
Platform bridge installed – provides a location for new camera position
A significant improvement in safety can be achieved with new permanent and fixed access platforms.
For the ecex webpage and case studies please see
http://www.ecex.co.uk/ladders.asp
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The recent tragic news from Edinburgh http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-18330617would appear to suggest that the source of the legionella bacteria is from local cooling tower ponds. The BBC report states “Industrial water cooling towers in the south west of Edinburgh, where all of the cases have come from, have been identified as a potential source of the disease, which cannot be spread directly from person to person”.
Those of us who work in the building services sector are completely aware of the risk of Legionella from cooling towers, water tanks feeding shower heads, dead legs on pipework and many other sources. Regular maintenance and inspection will reduce the risk but this is a rigid regime which must be enforced.
The death of one man and the severe illness caused to others is reason enough to insist that all cooling towers, and other potential sources of bacteria, are rigorously maintained.
For advice on safe access, water tank repairs and/or replacements and pipework services contact the ecex sales office on 01635 244100.
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In the many years that we’ve been reducing hazards for building personnel here at ECEX, one of the most common problems we address for our customers is the unprotected edge.
Yes, whilst this covers the obvious fall risks like a 12 storey building with open roof edges and a rather significant drop to ground level, we often find ourselves dealing with less commonly considered hazards. Do you have edge protection to prevent a fall from the top of your water tank to the floor? Mezzanine to floor? Loading dock to floor?
Since the introduction of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, the old adage “it is not a problem up to two metres” is no longer relevant.
HSE analysis identified significant risk to personnel when falling from relatively low heights and lets face it, you take a lot of care when up on a roof where the threat is obvious, but necessarily as much when you’re not so high up?
Sadly, the end result may well be the same; serious injury or even death.
Falls from open edges: Example one.
A worker died following a fall from machinery. He was working alone at night cleaning parts of the plant and there was no protection against falling. He was found with head injuries the following morning and died the next day.
(Courtesy of HSE)
Falls from open edges: Example two.
A food production operative fell into a rotating drum on a production line and broke both wrists and one leg. She was attempting to clean the machine. Working on top of the machine was common practice due to the absence of a safe system of work for adequately cleaning the machine. The top of the machine did not represent a safe working platform and there were no provisions to prevent falls from height. The employer was fined £18,000.
(Courtesy of HSE)
There you have it, a few examples of significant consequences as a result of what may have been trivial risks. Have you accounted for all of the fall risks on your site? It might be time to double-check.
For further examples please see:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/casestudies/openedges.htm
For the ecex webpage and case studies please see
:http://www.ecex.co.uk/roofedge.asp
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All ECEX fabricated solutions are designed, manufactured and installed in compliance with current British Standards (BS5395-3:1985, BS4211:2005, BS6180:2011)
We have put together a glossary of the key components that we utilise when installing access solutions; we’ll expand upon the various solutions we offer in the near future.
Access ladder
Enables personnel to get from one level to a higher level. Many design variations are available to overcome different problems and create a safe and compliant system.
Access ladder split level
Access restriction
Security enclosures, gates and guards to prevent unauthorised access.
Main Entrance to Wimbledon to improve safety and security
Access improvements
A combination of all of the above or similar to resolve site specific problems.
Gated access with locks to improve security
Edge protection
Used to minimise the risk of falling and also known as guardrail or handrail.
Free standing edge protection handrail – no roof penetration
Riser platform
GRP Riser Infill
Used within mechanical and electrical risers to create a safe working position for maintenance and service personnel.
Stairs
A series or flight of steps to provide a means of angled access.
Fire escape stair – Transport for London
Step over
Used when needing to give access to personnel over intervening services or walls.
Simple step over = improved safety
Steps
Similar to stairs but usually describe a lower height. Can be straight or offset as required.
Offset step enabling safe access to lower level
Support platform
Used to locate plant and equipment above floor level.
Fan support steels
Walkway
A connection point between two areas to clearly direct personnel along the nominated route. These walkways are open ended but are basically long working platforms.
Extended walkway over plant well
Working platform
A gantry or platform at any level to enable safe access to and from plant and equipment. These should always be fitted with edge protection handrail and toe plates.
TV platform for Wimbledon
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So what exactly is the difference between a sump pump and a submersible pump?
It can be a little confusing, but is quite simple really.
In essence a submersible or immersible pump is one which allows the entire assembly (including the electric motor) to be placed under water, whereas a sump or pedestal pump keeps the electric motor above water level.
Both are essentially used for the same purpose: to raise fluid to a higher level without the risk of cavitation (see our earlier post on cavitation) caused by differing pressures.
Single stage pumps are used for drainage, sewage pumping, general industrial pumping, slurry pumping and are even popular with aquarium filters.
Multiple stage submersible pumps are typically lowered down a borehole or well for water extraction.
A sump pump (or pedestal pump) is used to remove water that has accumulated in a sump pit; a hole used to collect water which can enter via the drainage network. The motor is not submerged and remains above the liquid.
In some cases, a sump pump is used when a lower floor is below the sewer lines, to pump greywater or blackwater waste from that floor to the sewer lines.
For a copy of the ecex leaflet please click Pumps, valves & pipework
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Booster Pumps are centrifugal pumps used to increase the pressure of the liquid already flowing from one place to another in a pipeline.
Most booster pumps are centrifugal pumps. Relying upon one or more impellers to draw the pumped fluid through the intake of the pump, the water is then boosted to increase the pressure as it flows through the impeller, then the volute or diffuser casing.
Some are single-stage booster pumps. In other words, they have a single impeller and are generally used in applications where the amount of additional pressure (head) required is not significant.
Multi-stage booster pumps with more than one impeller are used to deliver higher heads. An example of this increased requirement is when water needs to be transferred to substantially higher points within a building, or through much longer pipelines.
A booster pump should never be connected directly to the mains incoming line, but will instead draw water from the “break tank” which is filled under normal mains pressure (1 or 2 bar.
This pump is not designed to hold the pressure of the rising main which increases by 1 bar per floor. It is usually combined with a pressure vessel or hydraulic accumulator.
The pressure vessel consists of an inflatable diaphragm (imagine bladder or inner tube) within a sealed tank which is set to operate at the required system pressure.
Any failure of this bladder will cause the pump to run continuously and will usually result in a loss of performance at higher levels.
For a copy of the ecex leaflet please click Pumps, valves & pipework
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Cavitation occurs when cavities or bubbles form in the liquid being pumped; a process which will directly affect capacity, head pressure and efficiency.
The cavities (bubbles) will also collapse within the higher pressure areas and cause noise, vibration and mechanical damage to components.
This damage was caused by imploding air bubbles
Pump cavitation is an audible implosion of the gas bubbles due to suction pressure differences within the pump.
The five basic reasons for cavitation are:
Vaporisation – fluid vaporises when its pressure becomes too low, or its temperature is too high.
Air ingestion – a centrifugal pump can handle 0.5% air by volume. At 6% air the results can be disastrous. Air must be removed from the system using AAV’s etc.
Internal recirculation – as the name implies, the fluid recirculates increasing its velocity until it vaporises and then collapses in the surrounding higher pressure.
Flow turbulence – corrosion or obstructions can change the velocity of this liquid, and any time you change the velocity of a liquid, you change its pressure.
Vane passing syndrome – this type of cavitation damage is caused when the OD of the impeller passes too close to the pump cutwater.
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For a little while now we’ve been discussing different types of pumps.
Recently, we’ve had a lot of requests to discuss the most common pump failures and the reasons behind them. We thought we’d take a little break from our ‘types of pumps’ posts to expand a little.
Please click for a schematic cause and effect – Anatomy of pump failure
Pressure – a restriction of the pump’s suction can result in cavitation of the pump. Root causes can include a plugged suction strainer or a possible valve issue.
Cavitation – as liquid pressure falls below its vapour pressure, bubbles form and implode on impellers and interior surfaces, damaging pump internals, disrupting flow and leading to seal failure.
Temperature – a blocked discharge can result in fluid stagnation causing a spike in temperature. This can also result in cavitation, damaging pump internals and seal failure. Inadequate monitoring of standby pump temperature can also result in damage when a cold pump is put into hot service.
Level – inadequate monitoring of auxiliary seal flush levels can result in:
Leakage – leaks caused by mechanical failures can be catastrophic. Early detection of abnormal conditions such as cavitation, pressure imbalance or excess vibration can help avoid leaks and their consequences.
Vibration – there are several causes of vibration which can damage seals or internals and cause pump failure. These can be as simple as incorrect bolt down or more complex system failures.
Installation – improper installation can lead to shaft misalignment, excessive vibration leading to pump damage and possible failure.
For a copy of the ecex leaflet please click Pumps, valves & pipework
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