If you’ve ever lived in a city, you know that construction is a non-stop business. Regardless of the weather, temperature, or time of year, projects must continue according to their schedule. However, since it’s people that are doing the work on construction sites, their comfort matters (and is also legally required). Borne out of a need to maintain climate control in extreme conditions for the workers, such as working outside on 95 degree days or subzero days, rental equipment is often brought on site. Before you make a decision, you need to take into consideration the type of job that is being performed, and these four key factors.
- Safety: Make sure that you know your equipment and how to handle it according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, including how it is to be installed. Understand its rating — for indoor use, outdoor use, or both — and stick to the instructions: rental heaters and rental air conditioners can suddenly become very expensive if you break them.
- Regulations: Temporary heating and temporary cooling solutions may need to follow certain county/city regulatory rules. It’s important to contact your local fire marshal to guarantee you aren’t accidentally breaking any of them. For example, some sites have sound/noise limitations and will require sound containment panels.
- Ventilation: Portable air conditioner rentals can produce a lot of exhaust and condensate, so it’s necessary to ensure they’re in a space that experiences constant airflow and possess the correct ducts to direct hot air out of the area. In fact, demand controlled ventilation is required in spaces larger than 500 sq. feet with an average of 25 people per 1,000 sq. feet.
- Power: Temporary heating solutions usually run on fuel, so determining the type of fuel will help you figure out how much power it’s going to take to function; many construction sites have constraints on the amount of power that they can use simply due to location or capability of the generator. You’ll want to look for one that offers high performance and low amp draw to get the most bang for your buck.
Every job site has its own goals and structure, so every job site is going to be different. However, these tips will help ensure you don’t accidentally end up wasting time and money on the wrong equipment.
