Climate Solutions Case Study
United Rentals Portable Water-Cooled Air Conditioners Keep Restaurants On Track
Without ducts and nowhere to exhaust hot air, an innovative solution was necessary.
Summary
When a fast-food restaurant faced a temperature control crisis and couldn't use traditional air-cooled units due to exhaust limitations, United Rentals and Total Comfort Group swiftly provided a water-cooled portable AC solution, ensuring OSHA compliance and uninterrupted operations. This innovative approach highlights the efficiency and adaptability of water-cooled systems for restaurants with unique cooling challenges.
Challenge
OSHA’s food industry temperature standard is 75 degrees. This fast food restaurant was struggling to maintain that temperature with no suitable place to exhaust the hot air generated by traditional air-cooled portable air conditioners, making standard solutions ineffective.
United Rentals was contacted by service provider, Total Comfort Group, to provide a portable air cooling solution to one of their national fast-food restaurant customers. The restaurant had an issue with temperature control, and they needed a solution fast to adhere to OSHA’s food industry temperature standard at 75 degrees.
The United Rentals team assessed the situation and determined that the restaurant could not use an air-cooled portable air conditioner because there was no place to exhaust the hot air. They had to deliver another innovative solution.
And they did just that. The team delivered a water-cooled portable air conditioner, a commercial duty air conditioner capable of constant cooling. There is no hot air exhaust, so the heat is not introduced back into the space which eliminates the need for additional ducts.
CEO of Total Comfort Group, Frank Bacchetta, explained, “At times when dealing with restaurants and retail storefronts, there is no place to exhaust the hot air while using portable air-cooled units. Water-cooled units become the only other option. We see more and more restaurants and retail locations using water-cooled units as an option because there is no ducting needed.”
Portable water-cooled air conditioners offer an extremely efficient and effective way to control the climate in any size room. Plus, they are easy to install and operate. Units have “quick connects” for the hose kits and do not require pipe wrenches. They come with an adapter to fit any sink, and customers can run the water hoses at any desired length.
Once the unit is installed, customers can set the temperature on the digital thermostat to the desired room temperature, and units come with additional features to ensure safe operation.
The United Rentals Climate Solutions team handled the process from start to finish – finding the right solution and installing the unit quickly so the restaurant could resume operation.
Scott Kubota, an industrial strategic account/facilities manager for United Rentals, said, “Our customers depend on us to provide the correct solution for every problem they encounter. It is our job to make sure that we not only have the best personnel to do this, but we also need the best equipment possible – and ready to go at a moments’ notice.”
The Total Comfort Group relies on United Rentals to provide a quick response for restaurants and other customers with immediate cooling needs. The Climate Solutions team is ready to deliver and keep them cool and on track.