Gloucester is located at the tidal head of the Severn estuary. So for air conditioning units that breathe continuously through outdoor air, running a machine in Gloucester is unusual – because the air will contain salt.
The salt from the sea gets carried in the air as a very fine mist off the tidal water. It gets brought inland a long way and is invisible. It slowly builds up on metal surfaces. The aluminium fins on an outdoor air conditioning unit have many very fine pits in them. These can gradually reduce the surface area of the fins through which the air can escape carrying heat away from the inside of the building. The copper pipes on the other hand can suffer from dezincation. This is where the zinc from the brass (copper and zinc alloy) slowly leaks out of the pipe leaving behind a porous structure that can easily suffer from further corrosion. If you are looking for Air con Gloucester, see acecc.co.uk//.
Corrosivity is specified using the ISO 9223 standard, published by atmospheric corrosivity categories for metal equipment. While most engineers are aware that certain locations have a harsher atmosphere than others, few realise the full extent to which a coastal or estuarine location can increase the corrosivity category of the atmosphere. Thus, the warranties normally offered for mid-range products designed for average inland locations are found to be woefully inadequate for such environments.
The way that an air conditioning system is specified can also change. For example, the fins on an outdoor unit can be coated to stop salt penetration, the unit positioned to take advantage of any available shielding from salt-laden air from the prevailing westerly wind off the estuary and the casing specified to a particular corrosivity category. Such local knowledge is critical when specifying air conditioning for a Gloucester installation as opposed to a Sheffield suburban property and a manufacturer’s standard warranty, written for average inland conditions, is unlikely to cover the true lifespan of an item specified for a Gloucester installation.
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