25 Aug Sirius Air Newsletter No 6

Welcome to Sirius Air’s Newsletter

We are already more than half way through 2017, with winter fast coming to an end.  As is typical for this time of year, our team has been busy completing larger maintenance jobs scheduled for the cooler months plus some larger repair jobs.

We’ve also been looking at some exciting new partnerships, more to come in next quarter’s newsletter.

Projects going gang busters

Our project team is working flat out this quarter, managing a wide range of jobs including:

• Installing a new cold room for a food producer;
• Replacing and updating a large number of AHUs for a transport infrastructure provider, including installing new plug fans;
• Fit out of a new bathroom exhaust system in a CBD building.

Our team includes a full time mechanical engineer with many years of experience in the design of complex (and simple) HVAC systems.  We’re happy to quote on any mechanical services project you may have.

Fire prevention following the Grenfell tragedy

The Grenfell Tower fire tragedy has focused the attention of property owners internationally on the flammability of materials used in their buildings and on the fire prevention systems they have in place.

Just hours after the Grenfell fire, the cladding was identified as a major contributor to the rapid spread of the fire. While banned in countries such as the United States and Germany, similar cladding products are used in other countries including the UK and Australia. The Queensland Government has established a building Audit Taskforce to investigate the use of substandard building supplies in Queensland. With a team of 35 auditors, focus will be on buildings that were established between 1994 and 2004 using aluminium composite cladding, following the identification of potentially non-conforming cladding product during an inspection on the Princess Alexandra Hospital at Buranda.

It may be timely for all property owners and managers to review their fire safety plans and check on their fire testing. Fire dampers are an essential part of any building’s fire retardation strategy and by law are required to be checked at least every 5 years. Fire dampers are designed to close when exposed to sufficient heat to prevent fire spreading through ducts or wall penetrations from one fire zone to another. This function can be especially important in apartment buildings.

Generally, enclosed stairs in multi-story buildings will be equipped with a pressurisation system designed to keep smoke out of escape routes, while allowing stair doors to be pushed open by everyone with different levels of strength. This can be a fine balance to achieve. Regular testing is required to ensure the systems operate successfully.

Fire Testing Plans

Sirius Air can help develop and carry out a fire testing plan that is fully compliant both with standards and building requirements and with best practice. We can provide reports to show where all fire dampers are located, if the access for inspection is suitable, and the condition and operation of the fire damper. We also undertake stair pressurisation testing, providing a report that contains the Essential Service Testing results.

Power Hikes and Split Systems

Hikes in power prices are throughout Queensland are starting to hit home. Small split air-conditioner systems can contribute huge amounts to your power bills. Here are some tips for the efficient running of your system:

Set the temperature to 24 or 25 degrees in summer (not 22) and in winter to 20 degrees. These are comfortable temperatures that won’t cause your air-conditioner to work too hard.
Clean the filters on your air-conditioner regularly (ideally once every 1 month). Improved air-flow will greatly improve performance.

Dependent on the use, units should be serviced anywhere from once a year to every month. Regular professional air-conditioner cleaning increases air-flow and lets the evaporative unit on the air-conditioner run more efficiently. Studies have shown professional cleaning can reduce power consumption by up to 22%. Our technicians ensure that filters are clean, the coils in both indoor and outdoor units are clean, and the unit is operating correctly

Our team can help with any split systems you may have. We are able to service, repair, replace and install new splits systems. Contact us if you need any assistance.