工場用冷房と産業用換気設備のリーダー
095-550-0838

FAQ – Open Space Cooling

What is Open Space Cooling?
Open Space Cooling is an innovative concept used to supply cool air in order to cool industrial workspaces down to an optimum level of comfort. We use our Open Space Cooler units to take the hot and dry air in the atmosphere and turn it into cool, fresh air using evaporative cooling technology.

The cool air is then delivered to specific areas of your workspace via insulated panel ducts that are designed and crafted specifically to your requirements.

The main purpose of Open Space Cooling is to reduce temperature and increase worker comfort and productivity in your workspace.
What is causing the air to be cool?
When water evaporates, the surrounding air will cool down due to the latent heat of evaporation. This is the science of thermodynamics which requires heat to be removed from the surrounding air when water changes its state from water to vapor.

The Open Space Cooler is built such that water is intentionally made to evaporate so that the air that passes thru it, will be cooled down. The energy that causes the air to be cooled comes from the atmosphere called the latent heat energy.
How cool does the supply air temperature get?
The supply temperature of the Open Space Cooler is highly dependent on the outside air temperature and relative humidity. Simply put, evaporative cooling works best when the intake air from outside is hot and dry, allowing for a more effective drop in temperature.

Another key factor is the saturation efficiency of the cooling media used in the cooler. A higher saturation efficiency allows for a higher rate of evaporative cooling to take place. Waterline Open Space Coolers are equipped with Munters Sweden AB cooling pads that have higher saturation efficiencies and are longer lasting than you average cooling media.

In the most ideal conditions, our Open Space Coolers can supply air that is as low as 10°C cooler than the outside temperature. For example, if the outside air temperature is 38°C, the cooler is able to take that air and cool it down to 28°C in the most ideal of atmospheric conditions where the outside air is hot and dry.

To see how well our coolers can perform in your area, please contact a sales representative today to receive a free consultation.
How is the cool air delivered to where it needs to be?
The Open Space Coolers are typically installed outdoors so that the cooling media can be exposed to the outside atmosphere to work effectively. The axial fan located inside the cooler moves the cool air into the building via a series of air ducts. The cool air is finally delivered into the room or space from an air diffuser or air inlet that is mounted on the air ducts.

These air ducts are designed and crafted specifically to fit your workspace by our professional designers and installers.

To keep the air cool, it is crucial for the air ducts to have sufficient insulation properties to keep heat from entering the duct system. Read why our Polyurethane Insulated Panels (PIP) are an excellent option for keeping air cool.
I have specific air-quality requirements, how do I ensure the supply air is clean?
The Open Space Cooling system is compatible with Air Filtration Units to ensure that the air supplied is clean. It is compatible with a wide array of fine, coarse and HEPA filters and can conform to a majority of filtration efficiencies based on the application requirements. We have installed such systems for a wide variety of facilities in the F&B industry, clean rooms for Pharmaceuticals, etc.

Speak to a Waterline expert today to find out more.
Is Air-Conditioning a good way to cool down my factory?
Although air conditioning may be your first thought in cooling down your factory space, the reality is that the cost of running such a system in any large open space will be extremely costly, especially in hot climates such as in the ASEAN region.

The average industrial steel building in ASEAN is typically semi-enclosed, meaning the presence of openings such as louvers and doorways were designed and included to allow for natural airflow to take place. Choosing an air conditioning system will involve fully enclosing the workspace which further adds to the investment cost.

As such, finding a practical way to cool down your factory space requires further thought and expertise.

Speak to a representative today to find out how we can help you with this.
How much energy does Open Space Coolers consume when compared to Air Conditioning?
The electricity consumed in the Open Space Cooler is exceptionally small, almost all of which is used into conveying the cool air through the air distribution system. The energy that causes the air to be cool comes from the free latent energy in the atmosphere also termed as the latent heat of vaporization. Consequently, the electrical consumption in evaporative heat exchanging can be as little as 8-10% compared to Air Conditioning.
How is the Open Space Cooling system installed and can I install it myself?
The Open Space Cooling system is a bespoke ventilation system designed specifically to fit your factory layout. Therefore, many factors must be taken into consideration when designing and installing such a system in your space.

We highly recommend that you do not install it on your own, and seek assistance from our experts who have accumulated more than 20 years of experience in designing, building, and installing such systems for factories just like yours.
How long does an installation take?
The design of your system may take several weeks as our designers will need to access and inspect the site on a few occasions to make sure the design is well thought out and can fit your space appropriately.

The installation will be dependent on the size of the Open Space Cooling system and the existing conditions at site. How often we can access your site and undertake installation work will also greatly affect our progress. A typical installation can be as quick as a few weeks to as long as a few months.

Please speak to a Waterline expert to learn more.
What types of areas are appropriate for the Open Space Cooling system to cool down?
The Open Space Cooling system is compatible with virtually any type of industrial workspace area, barring a few exceptions:

1. Areas that require specific cooling requirements such a refrigerated storage of food or equipment.
2. Areas that have extremely high temperatures stemming from the type of operations taking space such as foundries.
3. Areas that are fully outdoor with no roof protection.
Does your supply air carry along with it any water droplets?
Absolutely no. Unlike the misty fans, our system makes use of the wetted heat transfer media which is highly water absorbent. Also, no water is sprayed into the air path.

The supply air is absolutely free of any water vapor that if you place a piece of glass against it for hours, you will not find the surface with moisture.
How is the ‘humidity’ of the air affected?
First of all, we must understand that ‘humidity’ of the air comes in two measurements, technically. Humidity Ratio (also called Moisture Content) measures the actual amount of moisture in the air (g of moisture/Kg of dry air) whilst Relative Humidity is a comparative measurement of the amount of water in the air compared with the amount of water the air can hold. Table 7.1 is part of the psychometrics chart showing the relationships of these variables to dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures.

When you raise the concern on ‘humidity’, you are actually concern with the moisture content of the air as to how much moisture is added to the air with open space cooling. The answer is that the moisture in the supply air has been increased but very slight, even though the increase in relative humidity appears to increase substantially. To be exact, see Table 7.2 which gives the values of moisture content increase for the 4 samples based on actual conditions.
Is the increase in moisture content (‘humidity’ as commonly referred to) of the air going to affect my products?
The increase in moisture content of between 1.4g and 3g/kg of dry air as determined over 4 samples of operating conditions typically in SEA countries, is not going to affect your products, in general. Because this increase is far too small.

For most manufacturing workspaces other than electronics components, labels printing and wafer plants which are already housed in precise temperature and humidity-controlled environment, almost all other manufacturing workspaces will not have any adverse effects on the products.

Open Space Cooling systems have been successfully installed in workspaces which were thought to be sensitive including tissue and sanitary napkins production, instant noodles manufacturing and metal cans production. It has also been used to cool electrical control panels during very hot seasons.
What can you do to ensure the moisture content is controlled within the workspace?
Since the Open Space Cooling system is sold on a design, supply, installation and testing basis, measures are being taken to ensure the workspace is ultimately favorable to manufacturing. One cost-effective method to control the moisture content is to install exhaust fans properly sized and strategically located in the workspace.

We need to inspect the workspace before we can design both the supply air and exhaust air systems.
What is the product warranty on the Open Space Cooling system?
Our Open Space Coolers come with a 1-year warranty from the first day it is installed and running at your location. The cooling pads within the cooler have 2-year warranty period from the same day.
What maintenance is required for the cooler?
Maintenance of the Open Space Cooler is crucial to keeping the cooling efficiency at an optimum level. We recommend that you clean the exterior and interior of the cooler by spraying it with a light-pressured water hose at least once a month. Without consistent maintenance, the cooling pad may degrade at an accelerated rate and may not cool the intake air as efficiently as otherwise.

Speak to a Waterline representative now to receive a detailed guide on how to maintain your cooler properly.

FAQ – Industrial Big Fans (HVLS Fans)

What are Industrial Big Fans or HVLS fans?
The High-Volume Low Speed Fan (HVLS), also known as Big Fan, is a fan capable of sending large volumes of air downwards with its uniquely edged blade profile, all while operating at a speed no more than 65 RPM. When the slow-moving air column hits the floor, it changes course and creates a ‘floor jet’ that moves outward in a 360° direction. It continues to move along on ground level until it meets the walls, changing direction once again and then moving vertically upwards.

This tremendous movement of air covers the workspace and ensures that all personnel and equipment are constantly cooled down.
Do Waterline Big Fans make any noise?
No, as the Big Fan has a relatively slow-moving RPM, it is virtually silent during operation.
Why not just use a large number of smaller fans at floor level?
In practice, the most typical implementation of ventilation fans that you find in factories are the use of smaller wall hanging or portable type fans designated for a single person or at most a single small area/zone. This approach requires a large number of small fans to be installed to get any adequate amount of airflow required for a typical factory, which in turn would needlessly drive up the electricity bill.

Enter Big Fans. With one single big fan unit, you can produce an enormous amount of air coverage that’s equivalent to 60 smaller wall hanging fans or more. That’s the beauty of it – save space, save electricity, and yield incredible air flow.
How long does an installation take?
A typical installation of one (1) Big Fan unit can take up to 2 days on average. However, more complicated installations that involve extremely high ceilings, physical obstructions and uncommon mounting types may take longer.

We highly recommend that you allow one of our highly experienced installers to perform the installation for you to guarantee the safe operation of the fan.
Where are the fans produced?
The TORQ series Waterline Big Fan was designed in collaboration with our American technology partners. The motor is made in Europe, while the fan structure is crafted in our main production facility in Thailand.
How does Waterline Big Fans differ from other HVLS fans?
When you choose the TORQ series, you’re choosing the power to completely transform your space by cooling it down dramatically. But it isn’t just about that, our fans are engineered to be the most compact yet the most powerful, so that when you go TORQ, you’re also buying into an energy friendly tool that keeps your electrical bill low.

For years, The HVLS fan movement has always been about who made the largest, bulkiest, meanest-looking big ceiling fan. Not us, we wanted to make our fans lighter, swifter, less energy demanding, but yet at the same time more powerful, and built-to-last. So, we engineered a fan that had a slimmer outline but with stronger materials, and built a motor that was smaller but churned out more torque than motors twice its size and weight. The result of that is TORQ fans, incredible machines that deliver the most CMH of air per watt consumed, on the planet.

Learn in more detail how our Big Fan stands apart from the rest here.
What is the product warranty on the Big Fan?
We provide 2-years warranty on the electronics and motor and 5-years warranty on the mechanical fan structure.
What maintenance is required for the Big Fan?
No maintenance is required for the motor as our fan is driven by a gearless Direct Current (DC) motor. The absence ofS gears mean that no periodic oil change is required unlike traditional AC type motors.

However, we still recommend to perform a yearly inspection on the mounting system of the Big Fan, ensuring that all hanging wires and mounting accessories remained tightened.

If you would like us to carry out your yearly inspection, please contact our Waterline service team to arrange a time for us to visit you to do so.

FAQ - General

I have fumes, smoke, or contaminants arising from our production operations, how can I extract it out of my building?
It is extremely important to maintain a clean and safe space for workers to work in by ensuring better air quality.

Generally, there are two approaches to ensure proper extraction of pollutants. The first is a targeted exhaust system where we introduce a series of exhaust ducts that extract such pollutants out from specific parts of your operations, usually situated at the source of said pollutants. The second approach is creating consistent air change in your space so that fresh air is consistently introduced, and stale and polluted air is consistent removed, either through ducted exhaust systems or with a combination of exhaust fans throughout the space.

Speak to a Waterline representative today to learn more about the above two approaches.
The fumes being created from my welding operation is overbearing. How can I eliminate them?
Welding fumes is a byproduct of welding that can be extremely harmful to a person’s health. Not only that, but an over accumulation of welding fumes in your space can lower staff visibility, which may increase chances of accidents occurring.

We highly do not recommend extracting welding fumes and discharging it in the surrounding area of your building. This would cause an accumulation of welding fumes right outside your area which could lead to further environmental problems.

Instead, we recommend capturing and filtering the welding fumes instead. You can do so with our Fume Collector systems that use a series of filters to capture the fumes. The result is a much cleaner and clearer working space for your staff to work in.
What are the benefits of better air quality and comfort in my work space?
Better air quality and worker comfort can result in lower turnover, happier staff and higher productivity levels. Less worker accidents will also take place if the work environment is cleaner and safer.

Speak to a Waterline expert to learn about real and proven cases where we’ve helped our clients improve their working conditions now.
How hot can it really get in a factory in Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia?
The average outside temperature in South East Asia can range from 34°C to 38°C, during some parts of the year, the outside air temperature may even reach above 40°C. From our experience, due to a combination of factors such as the heat being trapped inside the building or heat being emitted by the factory operations, the inside temperature can rise up to between 38°C to 45°C, which is an incredibly unpleasant experience to work in all day long.
As We Have No Experience With Your Kind Of Cooling System Before, What Is The Best Approach We Should Take To Minimize Our Risks In Case Your System Does Not Perform In Our Workspace?
Most of our customers do not install our system for the whole factory in one time. They identify the hottest zone in their factory and test out our cooling system for that zone for some time. Our customers are mostly the repeat customers.
We are interested to install your system how do we proceed from here?
First, we will send our system designer to come and survey the area you have identified. In our survey, we will pay attention to your machines and workers layout, process heat and contamination source if any, the solar heat radiated from the roof and walls, the external environment for air fresh intake and lastly all existing constraints to overcome for a proper installation. Our approach is not just to sell you the equipment but provide a total solution to overcome the heat stress problems in your workspace.
095-550-0838
menucross-circle