Frequently Asked Questions

Air Conditioning FAQs
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    Evaporative Air Conditioners

    • Evaporative air conditioners (coolers) are excellent for health
    • They supply 100% fresh, filtered air into your building that is not recirculated, improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) of the space, supporting customer and staff well-being
    • They remove unhealthy pollution from your indoor environment
    • They provide basic moisture that the human body needs
    • They remove static electricity; they can assist in reducing the effects of illnesses such as asthma.

    Yes, our products can be coupled with various technologies to provide a total climate control solution. It is best that you speak with one of our sales engineers to get the technical support needed to optimise the design of your system requirements. You can contact one of our Commercial sales engineers by clicking here.

    Yes, evaporative coolers are the same as evaporative air conditioners. The words have the same meaning with regards to types of air conditioning. Evaporative air conditioners are also known as adiabatic coolers and in some regions are colloquially known as swamp coolers or desert coolers.

    Seeley International has developed an online sizing tool for selecting the right amount of industrial air conditioning units for cooling the nominated space. You can speak to a sales engineer by clicking here.

    It is extremely important to properly manage water quality to extend the life of the pads and reduce maintenance. Seeley International evaporative air conditioners have a bleed feature that discharges a small amount of water to reduce the salt concentration in the tank reservoir. If fitted, the automatic Water Management System constantly checks water quality with a probe that sends a signal back to the electronic module, which then drains some water that has higher salt concentration and replaces it with fresh water.

    A high inlet water temperature does not have a marked effect on the supply temperature of Seeley International’s evaporative air conditioners.

    In an evaporative air conditioner (cooler) a pump circulates water from the reservoir on to a cooling pad, to fully saturate it. A fan draws air from outside the unit through the moistened evaporative cooler pad. As it passes through the evaporative cooler pads the air is cooled by evaporation.

    Yes. Outdoor areas have no walls to contain the cool air. These spaces would be impossible to cool using refrigerated air conditioning because this relies on recirculating and reusing air from a sealed area. Evaporative air conditioners (coolers) can easily supply a flow of fresh and cool air to open and semi open areas since the air is exhausted naturally.

    Refrigerated air conditioners tend to deliver less cooling as ambient temperatures rise, and eventually will end up failing altogether in extreme temperatures. The way evaporative air conditioner (cooler) technology works, it continues to cool as temperatures rise.

    In most cases evaporative air conditioners (coolers) marginally increase humidity, keeping in mind that temperature has also dropped significantly. It is the combination of temperature, humidity and airflow that creates human comfort and evaporative air conditioners are used widely around the world because they can create comfortable conditions. For example, 80% humidity and 30°C (86°F) is very uncomfortable, but 80% humidity and 16°C (61°F) is very comfortable. Comfort is also improved by increasing air velocity in hot conditions and evaporative air conditioners create sufficient air movement to minimise the effects of humidity.

    Often, in large industrial buildings, there are locations inside the plant where heat is concentrated for a variety of reasons. It might be a furnace operation, part of a painting process, concentration of people or a cluster of injection moulding machines. In all these cases, when you do not need to air condition the whole building, you only need that particular spot to be more comfortable.  Spot cooling with an evaporative cooler can dramatically improve the conditions in a set location and the productivity of the plant; costing much less than refrigerated air conditioning. You can contact one of our Commercial sales engineers by clicking for further information and advice on system design.

    Air inside the building collects heat, moisture and impurities and must be exhausted. The evaporative air conditioner (cooler) provides 100% outside air which must be relieved from the building. If the building is sealed, the effectiveness of the cooler(s) will be reduced. Mechanical extraction or even just leaving some doors or windows open helps remove unhealthy air from the indoor environment by supplying 100% fresh, filtered air. For this reason, evaporative air conditioners (coolers) are much healthier than refrigerated air conditioning.

    There are several options with ducted evaporative air conditioning, the most common being on the roof with simple “drop ducts” to deliver the air where you need it. Because evaporative cooling moves more air than refrigerated air conditioning, it’s usually easier to place cooling where you need it without extensive ductwork. You can contact one of our Commercial sales engineers by clicking here for further information and advice on system design.

    Properly maintained evaporative air conditioners (coolers) will not transmit the bacteria because they do not produce aerosols. Evaporative air conditioners should not be confused with cooling towers or evaporative condensers, which involve different technology. Evaporative air conditioner water temperatures are much lower which prohibits the growth of legionella.

    Secondly, in a high quality evaporative air conditioner (cooler), water is drained from the unit when it is not being used, so there is no standing water that could rise to ambient temperature. Above all, well designed evaporative air conditioners do not produce aerosols, meaning that even if bacteria were present in the cooler, there is still no mechanism that could transfer the bacteria to humans. Moreover, there are no recorded cases of this technology causing Legionnaires’ disease and research indicates transmission of the bacteria is not possible by the evaporative cooling method.

    Yes. With the MagIQtouch controller you can control up to 60 coolers and set up with a 7-day program: program mode divides each day into four different time periods. You decide how you want your system to work. With the MagIQcool controller, you can decide how long you want the evaporative cooler to delay power on and off.

    Evaporative air conditioning prices vary depending on the size of building, location and requirements. You need to speak with one of our sales engineers or an authorised Commercial contractor to get an accurate price for evaporative air conditioning. You can contact one of our Commercial sales engineers by clicking here.

    Indirect Evaporative Air Conditioners

    Seeley International indirect evaporative air conditioners make use of a patented counter-flow heat exchanger that separates the evaporative air from the air that is supplied to the conditioned space. The end result is supply air that has had no contact with water and is cooled below the ambient wet bulb temperature. Refer to the “How it Works” section clicking here.

    No. The cooled supply air from the heat exchanger does not have any moisture added. Selected SupercoolTM models are available where specific applications have a target Relative Humidity and moisture can be added to meet a set point, based on customer requirements.

    Yes. As Climate Wizard products don’t add moisture to the supply air, they can be installed in various applications to deliver energy savings, such as pre-cooling and supplementary cooling with refrigerated air conditioning systems. More information can be found under Combined Solutions on the Commercial navigation menu. Click here.

    Yes. Climate Wizard comes in various product configurations to provide a total climate control solution. It is best that you speak with one of our sales engineers to get the technical support needed to optimise the design of your system requirements. Click here.

    No. The heat exchanger uses water (R-718), however no water comes in contact with supply air into the space, meaning no moisture is added to the fresh, cooled air as it enters the building.

    They supply 100% fresh, filtered air into your building that is not recirculated, improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) of the space, supporting customer and staff well-being by expelling CO2, fumes, germs and odours. Climate Wizard is often specified by HVAC consulting engineers to meet fresh air requirements of Commercial spaces.

    Seeley International has developed an online sizing tool for selecting the right amount of Climate Wizard units for cooling the nominated space. Go to: Tools > click here. Alternatively, you can speak to a sales engineer by clicking here.

    Conventional refrigerated air conditioners tend to deliver less cooling as ambient temperatures rise, and eventually will end up failing altogether in extreme temperatures. Climate Wizard performance improves as the dry bulb temperature increases.

    In some regions, depending on the application, yes. The technology performs well as a pre-cooler in tropical and sub-tropical regions and as a stand-alone cooler in other regions. It is important that performance is assessed based on your local climate. You can view the performance of Climate Wizard in different regions around the world by using the online performance tool which assists in selecting the right solution for your application based on your local conditions. Go to: Tools > Click here.

    Yes. With no recirculated air (as from traditional refrigerated systems), evaporative cooling is the best solution for industrial plants, especially in production and packaging areas. Keeping doors or windows open (or using an exhaust fan), the fumes, germs, CO2 and odours are drawn outside while the cooler brings in 100% fresh air.

    Yes it is possible. The water drained from your indirect evaporative air conditioner can be used for industrial or agricultural purposes, for example to fill the firefighting tank or for irrigation. Check with your local authority for waste water regulations in your area.

    It is extremely important to properly manage water quality to extend life and reduce maintenance. Climate Wizard has a custom designed water management system that minimises water consumption and maximises cleanliness using a factory installed electro-chlorinator whilst continually monitoring and controlling water salinity in the reservoir. A unique water distribution system minimises water consumption and maximises cooling efficiency, draining water from the system during prolonged idle periods. An onboard alarm detects low water levels.

    Properly maintained indirect evaporative air conditioners will not transmit the bacteria because they do not produce aerosols. Indirect evaporative air conditioners should not be confused with cooling towers or evaporative condensers, which involve different technology. Indirect evaporative air conditioner water temperatures are much lower which prohibits the growth of legionella.

    Secondly, in a high quality indirect evaporative air conditioner, water is drained from the unit when it is not being used, so there is no standing water that could rise to ambient temperature. Above all, well designed indirect evaporative air conditioners do not produce aerosol, meaning that even if bacteria were present in the cooler, there is still no mechanism that could transfer the bacteria to humans. Moreover, there are no recorded cases of this technology causing Legionnaires’ disease and research indicates transmission of the bacteria is not possible by the indirect evaporative cooling method.

    A high supply water temperature does not have a marked effect on the supply temperature of Climate Wizard and Coolerado air conditioners.

    Climate Wizard and Coolerado prices vary depending on the size of building, location and requirements. You need to speak with one of our sales engineers or an authorised Commercial contractor to get an accurate price for indirect evaporative air conditioning. You can contact one of our Commercial sales engineers by clicking here.

    Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning

    Seeley International has technical sales support to advise you on our Commercial products and their applications in projects. You can contact one of our Commercial sales engineers by clicking here.

    Braemar reverse cycle air conditioner prices vary depending on the size of building, location and requirements. You need to speak with one of our sales engineers or an authorised Commercial contractor to get an accurate price for Commercial reverse cycle air conditioning. You can contact one of our Commercial sales engineers by clicking here.

    Controllers

    A range of control options are available for commercial BMS systems with multiple units and applications, including compatibility with BACnet and Modbus gateways.

    Servicing

    To book a service click here or call +27114520394 to be directed to your closest authorised Seeley Service Agent.

    To book a service click here or call +27114520394 to be directed to your closest authorised Seeley Service Agent.

    In the Commercial sector, hours of operation and environmental conditions often mean more regular servicing is necessary for the most efficient operation of your air conditioning unit(s). We recommend cleaning the unit and checking operation every 3 months which doesn’t require specialised technical skills.  Always refer to your Owner’s Manual for scheduled service intervals. For standard scheduled servicing and technical advice please contact us.

    To book a service click here or call +27114520394 to be directed to your closest authorised Seeley Service Agent.

    Seasonal maintenance services must be performed before and after the summer season. For evaporative coolers working for more than 12 hours per day all-year-around, it is necessary to follow the service intervals and instructions outlined in the Owner’s Manual. The frequency of cleaning depends on water quality used and operating conditions. For standard scheduled servicing and technical advice please contact us.

    To book a service click here or call +27114520394 to be directed to your closest authorised Seeley Service Agent.

    Parts

    You can contact your local dealer to get parts for your evaporative or indirect evaporative air conditioner (cooler). If you are unsure of your nearest dealer, you can contact us directly by clicking here or calling +27114520394 to be directed to your closest authorised Seeley Service Agent.