TSB

screen printing => General Screen Printing => Topic started by: IntegrityShirts on July 11, 2014, 04:57:22 PM

Title: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: IntegrityShirts on July 11, 2014, 04:57:22 PM
Just wondering mainly because they cool by running water over mesh and blowing air over it, thereby generating cold MOIST air.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Screened Gear on July 11, 2014, 05:34:08 PM
Not sure on that unit. Any cooler that uses evaporation to cool will only work if the humidity is less than 50 percent. Any more and your just making more humidity. They also only cool down 20 degrees in the perfect conditions.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: balloonguy on July 11, 2014, 05:53:06 PM
I am in FL. We had a big one for a while. It did not help much at all. It did cause all sorts of trouble with emulsion and drying though.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on July 11, 2014, 06:00:46 PM
85-90 degrees and under 40-50% humidity is probably its max effectiveness after that the only thing that will work is air conditioning.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Screened Gear on July 11, 2014, 06:17:37 PM
85-90 degrees and under 40-50% humidity is probably its max effectiveness after that the only thing that will work is air conditioning.

The temperature really has nothing to do with it. Evaporating water cools about 20 degrees. You need a humidity low enough to allow enough evaporating to happen quickly. Its 100 to 115 here and low humidity. I get exactly 20 degrees out of my over-sized commercial unit. The key is to buy them big and run them slow. This allows time for evaporation and makes the pads stay soaked with water. If you run it too fast the water will evaporate in the pads faster then it can be replenished leaving dry spots.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: dirkdiggler on July 11, 2014, 06:36:18 PM
messy and a waste of time, I hated ours, didn't work.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: cbjamel on July 11, 2014, 06:49:30 PM
In a dry area like western colorado its great and cheaper to run then a/c. But on humid days they aren't the best but then don't run the water just fan.

Shane
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: tancehughes on July 11, 2014, 07:10:11 PM
We bought one about two months ago. Here in louisiana it was a mistake. I'll sell my to someone if they're interested in it, it's like brand new. Blows a ton of air.

We just found a screaming deal on a carrier rooftop ac unit and are hooking that up here instead. 25 tons of cold air coming into our shop!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on July 11, 2014, 07:27:23 PM
Which model do you have Tance?
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: tancehughes on July 11, 2014, 11:22:02 PM
Jetstream 7500 CFM


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Gilligan on July 12, 2014, 01:35:08 AM
We bought one about two months ago. Here in louisiana it was a mistake. I'll sell my to someone if they're interested in it, it's like brand new. Blows a ton of air.

We just found a screaming deal on a carrier rooftop ac unit and are hooking that up here instead. 25 tons of cold air coming into our shop!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I love ya my brother, but I have to do it.  "I told you so".  Next time listen to ya boy! You know I'm looking out for you!
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: mk162 on July 12, 2014, 08:22:30 AM
we have the big 48" here...works great...kitson can verify that.

also, you want dry spots.  You don't want so much water that is 100% soaked on the back.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: tancehughes on July 12, 2014, 10:08:21 AM
Yeah well lesson learned Gil


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Inkworks on July 12, 2014, 01:25:33 PM
We have central air in the shop and a portable swamp cooler pointed at the press operators. The A/C dehumidifies so the swamp cooler can keep doing it's job and not make it too humid in the shop.

It doesn't fully keep up if we have two flashes going on a large run, but we haven't broken 90F yet.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: alan802 on July 12, 2014, 01:47:49 PM
The owner keeps asking me if I want to buy some of these port a cools and every summer I have to tell her they won't work in our humid shop but one of our embroidery customers runs a screen print shop and says that his works great.  So I guess I at least need to go check it out but I've heard from way too many guys I trust that they don't work well when it's humid.  I'd love to AC the shop but I've been told every time I bring it up that it ain't happening, it's too expensive.  I think with the right tonnage and the air socks it could be done around 15K, plus the added monthly costs but wow what a difference it would make on those 10 hour days in August when we've been suffering through 2 months of 100 degree heat.  If we had an AC production area I could have my pick of good screen printers in town and I'd likely get a significant increase in production from the guys I do have. 
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on July 12, 2014, 03:10:42 PM
AC would be nice to have. There is a shop a few miles from our current location for the same money and the same size but the place is right by the airport tucked back in an industrial complex, don't know if I like that part of it.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Scobey Peterman on July 15, 2014, 03:31:56 PM
We have one and it will cool spots in the shop but not all of the shop.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: bimmridder on July 15, 2014, 03:44:52 PM
We tried a Porta Cool a few years back, with not much luck. Turned in to a nice big fan. I know it's hard to justify, but we are air conditioned. We truly believe we will have more consistent production through the long hot weather if the folks working for us are reasonably comfortable. It doesn't stay cool, but it's not miserable either. I remember what it's like working in 110 degrees for twelve hours, and I don't want my employees to have to do that. In my mind A/C= Higher production and sustained quality ALL DAY
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: tancehughes on July 15, 2014, 05:35:25 PM
Dave, that's ultimately what we concluded here as well. Let's just spend the few extra bucks on AC and make everyone much more comfortable
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: islandtees on July 15, 2014, 09:51:32 PM
We are in Florida. We have 2 large units in the shop. You must know how to correctly set them up. Most who have them don't. Today , with high humidity and rain you can stand in front of our unit and feel cool air blowing out of it. The trick is getting it set up right. You do not need below 50% humidity for it to work.
Title: Re: Port-a-cool? Anyone use one in their shop?
Post by: Inkworks on July 16, 2014, 08:27:58 PM
While we can't hold a candle to the S. US we still get some hot days up here in frozen Canada.

Damn sled dogs were real sluggish on my way back to the igloo!