During the heatwave stores are suffering and customers are looking for cooler places to spend time in where its more comfortable. Getting the temperature down is possible with some careful planning and a few easy steps. The more of these measures you implement the cooler the store will be.
Must do’s
- Set the overdoor heater on full speed without heat. This creates a barrier between the inside and hot outside of a store keeping your hard-earned cool air inside. Its stops dirt and insects entering the store too.
- Set the AC system to high fan speed and a set temperature of 23C. any lower causes the condenser to freeze and the system will then cut out.
- If you have window dressing blinds in the shopfront window, bring them down a little to shade the store interior. Reduce solar gain. Even better with outside blinds of course. Any sun inside the store will be heating up the surfaces and air.
Other temporary measures that will help a lot.
- Have the filters cleaned in the indoor and outdoor units. This creates clear flows of air for maximum efficiency. A full service in April / May is even better.
- Close half the door or all the door if it does not affect footfall too much. Or for the quietest parts of the day.
- Having a large diameter fan blowing the air in the store around makes it feel cooler than it is.
- Power off any unnecessary electronic equipment that you are not using to sell. Computers and displays. Kettles and toasters?
- Having a jar of iced cucumber water on the till is great for staff and customers alike.
- Running a portable dehumidifier overnight makes the air less humid which feels a lot more comfortable during the day.
Longer term solutions.
- Apply solar reflective film to shop windows for a dramatic reduction in solar gain.
- Fit LED lamps if you still run Metal halide or Halogen lighting. They are much cooler and efficient.
- Closed shop entrance doors are mandatory in Europe now. Fitting automatic sliding doors looks to the future here and keeps the cool air inside.
- Efficient AC equipment life is a maximum of 12 years. The efficiency reduces significantly after 8 to 10 years. Replacing a major failed element is 50% of the cost of a new efficient system.