Kill Bed Bugs & Termites Without Pesticides

The call from consumers today has changed in recent years. Today’s pest customers have been educated by the ongoing news of bedbugs in the media and the benefits of using pest control heat treatment systems or ‘Thermal Treatment  as the most efficient method to the eradication of  infestations

They specifically request to have heat instead of chemical insecticide treatments.

Heat does not have many limitations with respect to the number of items treated and the area to be treated. There are no chemical residues to consider and, compared to gas fumigation of areas, margins for safety are considerably greater.

With Flexiheat UK’s E18SH high temperature electric heater or our M range warm Air heater you don’t just enjoy the best return on investment in the industry, you get the original developers and a team that truly cares and is passionate about this technology as an alternate to insecticides to eradicate indoor insects.

Pesticide-based indoor bed bug control methods raise concern over the safety of occupants. Our affordable heat treatment systems offer you the ability to perform bed bug control work without relying on toxic chemical residues.

Heat is a proven technology. Our state-of–the-art tested technology developed and perfected by Kroll Energy means our equipment is designed to be a complete Pest Control Heat Treatment System without sacrificing quality or capability.

Basic Guidelines To Bed Bug Heat Treatments

Every Living Organism Has A Thermal Death Point
Bed bugs exposed to 45°C will die if they receive constant exposure to that temperature for 90 minutes or more. However, they will die within 20 minutes if exposed to 48°C. Interestingly, bed bug eggs must be exposed to 48°C for 90 minutes to reach 100% mortality.
The same process for treating bed bugs will also kill, and in some cases, completely eradicate other organisms.

Regardless of the heat source, temperatures and run times must be achieved throughout the structure to achieve the eradication of the pest !

Let’s Compare the two pest control heat treatment systems

Electric Vs Propane,
What heat system you employ affects heat treatment run times and methodology

• Electric heat is a closed system. It operates from within the structure being treated with heat. Electric heat is slower in the beginning of the heating process than propane.
  With Flexiheat’s electric E18SH heater, starting room temperatures raise by approximately 5˚C for every hour. However, the ambient room air temperature will increase at a faster and faster rate as the room temperature rises and recycles itself. It is the multiplying effect of air turnover with a closed system.
  Electric heat requires power sources. Adding more electric heaters, will be more productive to your heat treatments. However, the power source becomes a growing challenge.Check your available amperes.

• Propane heat is an open system. The unit stays outside the structure and the heat is ducted into the building. It produces positive air pressure. The units require a source of propane to operate. for more information on our range of indirect fired mobile heater – click here
  Intense and immediate heating of the space. Higher air output, higher volume of heated air, high productivity capabilities as compared to electric systems. Propane can be divided with splitting the heat ducting to cover more area, rooms or even another unit.
  Propane results in more thorough penetration and distribution of the heated air.

Factors to consider –

• Square feet: large or small space. The larger the area the longer heating time for all areas to reach lethal temperatures.
• Building materials: cement, steel, dry wall, etc. will affect the heating times. Cement floors and walls will take as much as 3 times the time due to the fact that cement acts as an insulator and can maintain cool temperatures with slowly changing thus requiring more heat time.
• Furnishings: lots of furniture will require more run time due to the amount of objects surface area needing to get to temperature and the obstacle of more furnishing for the heated air to travel through and around.
• Clutter: Piles of clothing and blankets are very important to move around and mix. The room air temperatures can be 55˚C and under the pile of clothing it could be 27˚C which is not lethal. No clutter, is recommended.
• Weather: heating in a desert or in high altitude with snow. Is it warm or hot when starting? Humidity and cold will take adjustments and more heat time.
• Degree of infestation: Identifying infestations early is key to control and is much easier to get a 100% kill. If the infestation is large and mature, basically way over due for treatment, you will need to take time to move objects, furniture, open all draws and closets and spend extra time preparing and allowing more time for longer heat penetration of the structure and furnishings.
• Starting temperature: Similar to weather but room temperature. Is the treatment beginning temperature at, for example: 25˚C or 5˚C?

All efforts should be taken to preheat a structure prior or during set-up of heat treatment equipment. Starting with a pre-heated room achieves faster arrival times for lethal temperature resulting in less treatment time, and higher productivity.

For more information on pest control heat treatment systems,  please click on our products page here .  Alternatively, please give us a call on 01202 822222 and our dedicated sales team will be happy to offer advice and assistance or just contact us by mail by clicking here

Pollutants must be eliminated – particularly where people work and live. Dust, fibres, mould spores or even asbestos fumes can be found in the air and represent a serious health risk. When it comes to professional air purification, the commercial LR5300 Industrial Air Cleaner from Kroll Energy is the perfect solution

Where construction work is performed, there is dust. In most cases actually a lot. Dust not only affects workers and their health at the site but also the general public. Dust containing quartz, mineral fibre, wood, cellulose and asbestos are particularly hazardous because they enter the airways and lead to sustainable health effects. Fine dust, in particular, can enter the respiratory tract and lungs, and as these are enclosed by connective tissue making it practically impossible for the particles to exit again. This is followed by chronic sicknesses for the persons affected, such as the much-feared silicosis. Respirable dust consists of particles that are smaller than five thousandths of a millimetre in size. In order to prevent its entry into the respiratory tract, only one preventative measure does the job: the fine dust has to be filtered from the air in advance. The LR5300 Industrial Air Cleaner from Kroll Energy is especially designed for the raw day-to-day work on busy construction sites.

Additionally, spores, allergens and micro fibres, which can result during building, insulation and mould restoration, should not be underestimated.

Another factor to consider are in places of work; facilities and operating material have to adjust the limit values within the next four years. What use is the most sophisticated process optimisation in production when the goods then get damaged in the warehouse? It is vital to ensure optimal conditions in warehouses and storage facilities and to regularly check these.

A sophisticated combination of our LR5300 Industrial Air Cleaner and Dehumidifiers is all you need to take care of and maintain these sensitive areas. You can find various powerful dehumidifiers among the Flexiheat range. With the LR5300 Industrial Air Cleaner you can protect against any pollutants. Your products can be permanently and safely protected when in storage. Improper storage can result in serious damage to goods. Moist air in warehouses damages packaging and in the worst case mould can even form.  Within just a short time pallets or even an entire inventory can be completely ruined.  In short, what this means is that your goods can no longer be sold. Dust, mould spores and bacteria in the air are also not uncommon in warehouses and this too must also be effectively combatted. Pollutants do not just damage your goods; they can also expose your employees to great risk. From a human point of view this is a disaster. And on top of that work colleagues can easily be affected by allergies, rendering them unable to work, which can of course become quite expensive for your company.

If you combine one of our dehumidifiers with our powerful LR5300 Industrial Air Cleaner you will effectively combat dust and pollutants. These mobile professional devices provide a unique air flow control. In no time at all, dust, mould spores and bacteria in the air are no longer an issue in your warehouse or storage facility.

For more information on the LR5300 Industrial Air Cleaner, please click here  Alternatively, please give us a call on 01202 822222 and our dedicated sales team will be happy to offer advice and assistance or just contact us by mail by clicking here

Basics of dehumidification for commercial, or industrial dehumidifiers

Many homes and buildings suffer from high humidity and the problems it causes; Damp patches, condensation on walls and windows, mould and increased dust mite populations. A good industrial or commercial dehumidifier will reduce the levels of moisture and help to alleviate these problems.

High humidity is a problem that affects many environments. From homes to building sites, wine cellars to swimming pools.

Newer homes are better sealed with double glazing and often have less ventilation; older homes may have solid walls that allow damp to enter into the home. Common causes of excess moisture are drying clothes inside and poor ventilation

A domestic or commercial dehumidifier from Flexiheat UK is an ideal solution for so many applications;-

• Drying out water or flood damaged buildings, eliminating the need to replace and reconstruct
• Developing stable environments for exposed metal to prevent corrosion
• Reducing drying times at construction sites for concrete, insulation, and fireproofing
• Preparing surfaces and vessels for painting and coating applications
• Blanketing equipment to protect from humid air
• Maintaining correct ambient conditions for laying of flooring
• Prevention of mould and fungus growth

FHD30 Dehumidifier model – 30 Litres per day

So, what is Humidity?

 Relative humidity is a measure of how much water is in the air relative to the amount that air could hold if it was saturated. Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage. When relative humidity reaches 100% it is at the “dew point”. In other words the air is “full” of water and that water will start to condense onto any surface. Warm air holds more water than cool air so as air cools relative humidity rises even though the physical quantity remains constant.

For every fall in temperature of 10°C / 20°F the capacity of the air to hold water is halved. For example air at 27C /80°F with a relative humidity of 50% will reach the dew point, 100% RH when it has cooled to 15.5 C / 60°F.

Performance of dehumidifiers? How are they calculated?

Most dehumidifier manufacturers quote the capacities of their dehumidifiers based on a temperature of 30°C and 100 % relative humidity i.e the temperatures and humidity levels that you would find in Florida, in the summer. The capacity the units will extract is given in litres per 24 hours. If the temperature is lower, as we often find in the UK, then the performance of the unit is lower. Here is an example;-

                                                                                                          Flexiheat  unit                                                  Flexiheat  unit

Temperature & Relative Humidity                                    FHD30  model                                                  FHD70 model

At 10°C / 60% Relative Humidity                                                       4 litres                                                                    8 litres

At 25°C / 60% Relative Humidity                                                       13 litres                                                                  25 litres

At 27°C / 60% Relative Humidity                                                       20 litres                                                                  40 litres

As you can see from the above, the colder the temperature, the less water is extracted. At a temperature of 5°C refrigerant dehumidifiers will stop extracting all together

Low GWP Industrial dehumidifers range – 30 to 70 Litres water extraction per day

What can I do about this, to get my extraction rate up ?

Quite simple, add a heat source to the area to be dried. The best option is an electrical heater or an indirect ( this means the products of combustion do not enter the area being heated ) oil or gas heater. The hotter the area is, the better the extraction rate you will achieve

Airflow is important – You need to ensure that you are using the right size dehumidifier for the area you want to extract the vapour from. The general rule is –

To keep the room dry, multiply the air volume the unit will do by 2

So, for the FHD30 it is 300 M³/h thus a room with a volume of 600 M³

To dry a room, multiply the air volume the unit will do by 1

So,  for the FHD30  it is 300 M³/h thus a room with a volume of 300 M³

Here’s a quick reference chart for all our models

What can happen if I put 2 smaller dehumidifiers in one room, for example I want to keep dry a 600 M³ building, with two FHD30 dehumidifiers?

This isn’t a problem, although you need to evenly place the units within the area, for even extraction to take place. If one side of the room is wetter than the other, expect to see the closest dehumidifier to have extracted more than the other unit.

I’ve just had a phone call from a customer and he says the unit isn’t working, nothing or very little is water is coming out?

We test every commercial dehumidifier prior to dispatch – the unit is working, if the green light is on – simple as that

It’s probably one of these reasons, why the the performance is poor

1. Our commercial dehumidifier units only work down to 30% Relative humidity – the ideal relative humidity is around 50% or less within a living environment –  check what relative humidity you have with a hydrostat. If the relative humidity is under 30% the unit won’t work.
2. What’s the temperature within the room? Is there heating within that area? Please bear in mind night time temperatures, where heating systems have be turned off, a room can easily get down to 5°C in the winter – the unit won’t work at 5°C or below , and the performance drops off dramatically with lower temperatures, as stated previously.
3. Do you have windows / doors etc open that is allowing fresh damp air into the area?
4. Are you using a direct fired oil or gas heater? if so , then this adds water content, that is given off in the combustion process
5. Is the unit the correct size for the room – please see the above sizing chart
6. Do you have more than one domestic or commercial d dehumidifier in the room – are they evenly placed? Is one in the in the wetter area?

Commercial dehumidifiers from Flexiheat UK

Contact us for dehumidifers

For more information on our commercial dehumidifier range, please click on our dedicated product page for commercial dehumidifiers  or our industrial dehumidifiers .  Alternatively, please give us a call on 01202 822222 and our dedicated sales team will be happy to offer advice and assistance or just contact us by mail by clicking here

LTHW air unit heaters

Many industrial buildings prefer to run their heating from a piped hot water circuit. Where heat is available in this form then the use of LTHW air unit heaters fed with hot water is invariably the most cost-effective method of space heating a room or building. As with electric fan heaters, there are a variety of types and options available and we aim to make choosing the right model as easy as possible. The following guidance is written around our LTHW unit heater extensive range that we call the LH series. They are also referred to as lphw unit heaters – (low pressure hot water).

They are great heating installation solution for large areas such as warehouses, exhibition halls, factories etc.

Applications for Water LTHW air unit heaters / lphw unit heaters

There is no doubt that if you have a good source of heated water on a piped circuit then these unit heaters are a very cost-effective way to discharge the heat in to the areas in which it is needed. Each model has a large range of heat output depending on the flow temperature, return temperature, ambient air temperature, and water flow rate. This means that with the addition of a recirculation air / fresh air mixer cabinet and suitable controls, these ranges are an ideal compliment to heat sources that are bit less controllable than straight oil gas or electricity fired systems. For biomass boilers, solar fed thermal stores and wind turbine heated thermal stores it is useful to have not only a quick and effective means of dumping excess heat, but also a system that can deliver heat from quite low temperatures and be easy to integrate with a secondary heating system when water temperature is too low.

LTHW UNIT HEATERS – HOW MUCH OUTPUT?

If you are using a water fed LTHW air unit heater to space heat an area, the implication is that you are using available surplus heat and this will be the principle heating for the area.  As with any heating requirement the initial stage is to identify the size of the heat output requirement. Please contact us at Flexiheat UK for advice

CONFIGURATION FOR LTHW UNIT HEATERS

It is seldom the case that a required heat output for a system of water fed unit heaters can be met neatly with a single heater. In most cases there are a number of configurations using a number of models from a range to achieve the overall space heating requirement for an application. Sometimes there is a choice between a number of unit heaters of a large size or a greater number of unit heaters at a smaller size.

Generally the smaller number of larger unit heaters will be more cost-effective in terms of unit heater cost, control costs and installation cost. But the choice of unit heaters should also take into consideration the shape of the room and air throw of heaters, perhaps using larger unit heaters for larger uniform areas, and using smaller unit heater for smaller dead areas of the main area.

Uses of Fresh Air in Space heating

Because a water fed unit heater usually uses a circuit of hot water that is often ‘surplus’ it is quite common that these unit heaters are not merely mounted on wall brackets, in 100% re-circulation mode, but mounted on mixer boxes, which themselves are mounted over a vent in the outside wall, enabling heated air to be a mixture of re-circulated and fresh air.

With the addition of options available such as either manual or motorized dampers , the mixer boxes allows the flow to through the unit heater to be set at any level from 100% fresh to 100% re-circulated and anywhere in between.

Mixer boxes are useful because in addition to being able to take air straight from the room through a grill, the grill can be removed leaving an upstand (spigot) for ducting connection, so that the mixing box can be part of a more complex ducted ventilation system.

The key element to connection to a mixing box where outside air is brought in, is that the heater control system incorporates frost protection functionality, to prevent any chance of water freezing in the coils when the heater coils are not being used for general heating.

As well as mixer box options, there are also filter box options allowing a G3 efficiency filter to be fitted. This fitting is essential if the unit heater are to be used in dusty environments in order that build up of dust on the coils is prevented.

HEAT SOURCE FOR WATER FED UNIT HEATERS

Whilst many will consider conventional boilers to be the heat source of choice for a hot water circuit, they are not necessarily the most flexible source of heat. Water fed unit heaters are not fussy about what heats the water up and will operate perfectly well from a wide range of water feed temperatures. This means that as well as being ideally suited to conventional large boilers, the units can also use relatively low-grade heat produced by chiller/heat pump/ boiler combinations, where the chiller or heat pump preheats water to say 40-50°C  before the boiler adds top temperature to get it to normal heating circuit flow of say 80°C. The benefit of this type of arrangement is that typically the winter heating costs are lower and that in summer the chiller can be used to produce cool water for the heating circuit. Even if you have a heat pump or chiller producing 60°C this is hot enough to be used to feed LTHW air unit heaters, the only difference being that you will get fewer kilowatts out of it than if the flow temperature was higher. The beauty of LTHW air unit heaters is that even for lower temperature flows, they are still a very cost-effective way of discharging heat.

Our LH range of unit heaters from Kroll(A German manufacturer ) offer a wide range sizes and are noted for larger sizes with nominal heat outputs up to 118kw. They are competitively priced and at the bigger end of the range they offer size and output which is beyond the range of most of the other manufactures.

The larger Kroll lthw air unit heaters in this range have two fans and at the output at 90/70°C and an ambient air temperature of -15°C the largest LH range heater produces a whopping 203kw. Other useful features in our range are that there are extensive range of options for filter boxes, louvers, and side outlets. There are also options the heaters being supplied with stainless steel casing as an alternative to the standard powder coating. These air unit heaters can also be supplied with explosion proof fan motors, where required.

For more information please visit our  LTHW Unit Heater page , or contact us on 01202 822221  or  visit our website www.flexiheatuk.com