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Tumble drying tips you need to know

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:30:00 +0200

Install a tumble dryer in a kitchen and you need to considera ventilation solution at the same time. Without flexible ducting and a directsource of ventilation linked to the outside, excess heat and moisture will soonbuild inside the room.

We have everything you need to provide a suitableventilation solution for your tumble dryer at Ducting Online. Our ductingkits are a practical and affordable solution, and they’re very simple toinstall.

Once installed, you’ll be able to start tumble dryingstraight away and no longer have to worry about wet clothes lingering aroundthe house. Just take care when you are using a tumble dryer and follow thisadvice to avoid potential problems.

Look at those carelabels

Would you toss dirty clothes into a washing machine withoutreading the care label first? Most people like to check the labels on clothingto ensure they are being washed at the right temperature. Use a tumble dryerand the same level of care should be taken. Read the label and look for a logothat tells you if it is safe to dry the garment in a tumble dryer.

Common tumble drylogos in the UK include:

Square with blank circle in the middle – Garment can be tumble dried
Square with circle in the middle and two dots – High heat setting
Square with circle in the middle and one dot – Low heat setting
Square with circle in the middle and cross through – Do not tumble dry

Carefully check the label before you place anything in atumble dryer. Look at the symbols and make sure you are fully aware of...

The Differences between Extractor Fans

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 15:32:00 +0200

If you’re considering a new bathroom, utility room, kitchen or even toilet in either a domestic or commercial property there are certain regulations that you’ll need to follow. One unavoidable regulation is for the installation of an extractor fan. However, with such a vast number of extractor fans available to buy, how do you know which is the right one to choose?

There are three principal types of extractor fans. Every model can be categorised as either an axial, centrifugal or inline extractor fan. Each should always be appropriately installed in the property into a wall, with the ducting located on the exterior of the property. Installation will demand that you cut a hole, the size of the fan in the wall to allow the air to be extracted. Many professionals agree that axial fans are the best suited to installation.

Centrifugal Fans

Generally used in properties that require elongated ducting, centrifugal fans are popular in commercial and industrial environments across the UK. They work by turning the air through a 90 degree bend within the fan itself. This increases air pressure, and hence the power of the fan. One principal drawback of centrifugal fans is that they are generally considered to be very noisy, compared to their inline and axial counterparts. Those that intend to install extractors in the ceiling should consider centrifugal fans.

Inline Fans

Inline fans can, technically be categorised as either axial or centrifugal. They are, however, NOT installed on walls and ceilings, but the void or loft space above a ceiling. More powerful than centrifugal fans, they are also highly capable of providing high performance ducting over long distances.

Axial...

Tips to tackle moisture in your kitchen

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 17:48:00 +0200

One of our previous blogs broached the subject of kitchen ventilation, it explained the importance of ensuring your kitchen is well-ventilated and highlighted what might happen if this wasn’t the case.

We thought we’d explore this idea in greater detail during this next blog post from Ducting Online. This time we consider the ways you can improve ventilation in kitchens to prevent moisture and humidity becoming an issue.

How to stop your kitchen steaming up

Ventilate tumble dryers

Use cooker hoods

Place lids on pans

Switch kettles off sooner

Utilise natural ventilation

Check air vents

Tumble dryers

Drying clothes over the winter isn’t easy. You’ve lost a natural ally. You can’t hang clothes outside to dry, this leaves you with the great indoors and this often causes problems with condensation.

Tumble dryers are one solution. They’re good for drying towels and clothes, just check the label first. Make sure your dryer is adequately ventilated though. Ideally your dryer should be ducted to an outside vent, this removes heat and moisture from the room.

Cooker hoods

Boil food on the hob and this creates a high degree of steam.

Turn cooker hoods on before you start boiling pasta though and this lessens the impact. Leave the hood on for a while after you finish cooking to remove the excess steam.

Use lids on...

Common air conditioning myths debunked

Tue, 9 Sep 2014 17:48:00 +0200

There are a lot of air conditioning myths circulating, some of which are closer to the truth than others. But for those with little to no experience with air conditioning, it can be hard to tell the truth from the myth.

That’s why we’ve put together a short list of air conditioning myths.

For efficiency, leave it on – There are some out there that think leaving the AC unit running through the day, rather than constantly turning it off and on is more efficient. But this is rarely the case. More often than not turning it off is the most sensible option.

Your ceiling fan will cool the room – Many believe that by purchasing and installing a ceiling fan, they’re adding something that’ll help keep a room cool. Unfortunately though, it isn’t true. All a fan does is moves air around your room, which produces a wind chill factor. This is beneficial if someone is in the room. But if you’re just leaving it on thinking it’ll make it cooler while you’re out, you’re wrong. It’s just wasting energy.

Don’t check it unless there’s an issue – It’s easy to just leave your air conditioning to it and neglect regular checkups. Why fix something that isn’t broken? Well if you’re looking for an efficient air conditioning system, you must make sure it’s regularly cleaned and serviced. Things like a clogged filter can impact performance.

They generate fresh air – Despite the popular belief, air conditioning units don’t generate fresh air. They actually refrigerate the air within a room using a compound called a refrigerant that is held within a coil. The air conditioning unit will evaporate the compound making the room colder.

If you have a question about your AC unit, or suspect...

4 points to muse when you buy spray booth filters

Tue, 5 Aug 2014 10:27:00 +0200

Spray booth filters are one of the many products we supply at Ducting Online, our products are used in paint shops and car prep bays around the country and we like to think we supply some of the finest filters to our customers.

Stop and consider the importance of filters in spray booths for a moment and you begin to realise how vital they are, without them air isn’t filtered effectively and this is detrimental to health and wellbeing.

This blog explores the importance of filters for spray booths and examines some of the considerations you might want to make if you intend to work in a booth at some point in the future.

How long are the filters designed to last? There’s a certain timeline involved when you are using filters in spray booths, once they become clogged they are going to have to be replaced. You can reduce the timescale involved by purchasing good quality filters that are designed to last anywhere up to 3 – 5 times longer than standard types of products and this is something we specialise in at Ducting Online.
Switch the air conditioning on in your home or office and you expect it to automatically acclimatise the room and create the ideal temperature. That’s fine if you have regular air conditioning maintenance, it’s not so great if you are a little ‘sporadic’ with your maintenance schedule and the system isn’t performing as it should. We’ve been looking at the advantages of regular air conditioning maintenance at Ducting Online and these are some of the answers we came up.

Systems last longer
Keep on top of the maintenance for your air conditioning and this is a great way to extend the life of the system. Regular servicing and frequent health checks ensure your system is running in perfect working order and this will enable you to eke more life out of the air conditioning which represents greater value for money in the long run.

Air conditioning is more efficient
Regular servicing is a good way to improve the efficiency of air conditioning, the air is cooler, the system is more reliable and you have peace of mind knowing you can set the perfect temperature when you like. All it takes is routine maintenance as per the service schedule and your air conditioning runs with total efficiency throughout the year.
Ducted HVAC systems are a popular way to maintain temperature in residential and commercial properties. And when these systems are first installed, they work well. They regulate indoor temperature and offer fresh air to occupants.

Older systems that haven’t been correctly maintained however could prove to be more of a hindrance than anything else.

How does it work?
The air flowing through your HVAC system is a mixture of room air and fresh, outdoor air. The ratio of these two air supplies is controlled using dampers inside the system’s air handling unit.

Is it expensive?
It’s said that a commercial building can expect 40% of their total energy bill to be from their HVAC system. Obviously this depends on you and your circumstance. If you live in warmer climates you might not use it as much, or you may have other methods of warming and cooling your property.

How do you maintain your system?
Most ducting systems have filtration technology installed. So dust and other debris that enter the...

Kitchen Ventilation

Mon, 5 May 2014 09:59:00 +0200

Whether we’re talking about large well-equipped catering kitchens or smaller home kitchens, ventilation systems are vitally important in maintaining safe and comfortable working environments.

But what would happen if the ventilation wasn't there, and what risks would we expose ourselves to? Let’s take a look at what a properly fitted ventilation system should achieve.

Removal of fumes

Cooking can produce fumes and vapours which are potentially very toxic if inhaled, and a properly fitted ventilation system is able to remove these fumes from the source, reducing their build-up before they become a problem.

Fume extraction is made more efficient by fitting a canopy hood as close to the cooking appliance as possible.

Removal of heat

A hot kitchen environment is a stressful kitchen environment, and...

A Basic Overview of PPE Equipment

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:40:00 +0200

PPE Equipment (personal protection equipment) is an umbrella term for all safety equipment that employees must wear for protection against accidents and injuries. PPE equipment is not just limited to the workplace, but accidents related to sports and activities that may cause personal injury.

PPE reduces the chances of the wearers’ exposure to hazards by acting as a barrier between the skin and hazardous materials. Such PPE equipment can be split into a number of different categories. These are skin protectors, eye protectors, respiratory protectors, head protectors, protective clothing and shoes.
Here is a look at each of the categories of PPE equipment in a little more detail.

Skin PPE
Those working in different environments need protection from numerous agents. These include chemical agents, physical agents and biological agents. Such agents include radiation, aerosols, parasites, temperatures, contaminated surfaces and liquid splashes. Common PPE equipment for skin protection include gloves, safety trainers or work shoes, face shields, coats, jackets and rubber aprons.

Eye PPE
Miniscule particles in the air may cause injuries to eyes and poor vision. Harmful particles include broken glass, wood chips, sand and...

Ban Condensation

Sat, 5 Apr 2014 10:08:00 +0200

Condensation is a common problem so don’t think your home is the only dwelling that’s suffering from steaming windows this year, the chances are your neighbour is in exactly the same position. Condensation is caused by a build-up of moisture in the warm air inside your property, when this moisture hits cold surfaces it forms droplets of water. There are ways to minimise the effects of condensation though, we’ve listed some ideas in this blog from Ducting Online.

Vent rooms – Try to give rooms that are affected by moisture as much ventilation as possible. Some rooms are more prone to condensation than others, bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms need adequate ventilation to help reduce the impact. Open small windows, use extractor fans and vents where possible, this should help to improve the situation.

Reduce moisture –Look at ways you can reduce moisture within the home as well. Boiling vegetables on the stove, leaving wet clothes on radiators and taking long, hot showers will increase moisture within the building. Keep the doors closed in kitchens and bathrooms, use oven extractor fans, open the back door if you can brave it and try to ventilate ‘wet’ areas as best you can.

Use your heating -Turn central heating to a low setting to combat the effects of condensation. Leave the heating on low for a prolonged period of time if you can afford to and this...

Did you air duct cleaner do a good job?

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 08:42:00 +0200

Your HVAC system is an important part of your facility. It helps make the building comfortable and easier to work in for employees. But if not properly cared for then pollen, dust and other debris can make its way into the system contaminating it, leading to poor quality indoor air.
Your air ducts should be cleaned when:
You ducts are infested with rodents
They’re clogged with dust and debris
There is a visible growth of mould
When it’s obvious –particles are being released into the building via the system
When you notice one of the above, it’s time to call in someone who can help you clean the ducts. But as with anything, how do you know that you have received a good service? Are you sure that they cleaned the ducts thoroughly?
Here we’re going to look at how you can tell if your air duct cleaner did a good job.
Most duct cleaners use remote photography so that you can see what the insides of your duct looks like and how bad the build up is. Request that you see the ducts before and after the clean. This means that you’ll hopefully be able to see the extent of their work.
You should ask...

Care and operating tips for cooker hoods

Sun, 16 Feb 2014 10:22:00 +0200

Kitchens suffer from heat, moisture and nuisance odours but a perfectly working cooker hood connected to a suitable ducting system helps to eradicate these problems. To get the best out of your cooker hood you have to use it properly though and give it simple maintenance from time to time. Here are ways to keep the hood performing at its best throughout the year.

Starting up –When do you normally turn your cooker hood on, do you leave it until a pan of vegetables are steaming away? Start switching the hood on a little earlier and let air circulate in the room. The moment you start prepping in the kitchen switch the hood fan on a low setting, you can always turn it up to a higher speed once you get food in the oven and on the hob.

Shutting down – Always leave the cooker hood running for a while after you have finished cooking. This helps to clear any excess moisture particles that are lurking in the air, it also gets rid of cooking smells that like to linger in your kitchen. Just switch it back down to its lowest setting and have the hood humming quietly away in the background.

Cleaning – Get into the habit of cleaning around the outside of the hood with soapy water on a regular basis, you can use specialist cleaners if you prefer to remove stuck-on grease. The more you clean the cooker hood the less chance fat and grease has time to build up. Lift any washable filters out of the hood when you are...

Ducting Online on Youtube

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:50:00 +0200

With simply thousands of different ductwork components we know it's hard to find the correct part for the right job.

Thats why we developed a new Youtube Channel to showcase these ducting components and how they fix together.

We will be uploading our Flat Channel Ducting first followed by our Spiral Pipe and associated product range and finally the clip ductwork system.

And for those of you are interested we have also included a few how it is made videos.