How to avoid watering condensers in summer?

It's a real headache for supermarkets and the food industry: every summer, as a result of high temperatures, they have to contend with breakdowns of their undersized condensers.

Usually installed on roofs, the condensers are no longer able to provide sufficient cooling above 35°C. This problem has a direct impact on goods or production activity.

The various players resort to installing automatic sprinklers, with systems found directly in gardening stores. This creates a cool zone around the air inlets of the condensers, but has harmful consequences for the coils (fins) and is costly in terms of wasted water.

Related content: Supermarkets and hypermarkets: how to reduce electricity consumption?

Watering condensers: a good idea?

Simple and inexpensive to install, automatic freshwater irrigation under condensers is the solution favored by all professionals.

Premature battery degradation

Although under-condenser watering can relieve the load on condensers in most cases, it is not without consequences for the equipment. Condenser coils (fins) become scaled and sometimes rusted , making air exchange more difficult.

High water consumption

Watering throughout the day, and sometimes even 24 hours a day, leads to excessive water consumption. Quite apart from the cost to supermarkets and manufacturers, this waste represents a waste on the scale of the thousands of players in the field.

How do I cool the condensers?

The positive effects of a cool zone are well documented. Let's take a look at why you should definitely consider this technique for the roof of your commercial building!

Creating a cool island

Roofs, generally made of black bitumen, are a major source of heat. In fact, the temperature of a dark roof easily exceeds 80°C in summer, and the ambient temperature at the height of the condenser intake air inlets can rise to over 40°C, creating breakdowns.

By creating a cool island around the condensers, the ambient air temperature can be reduced. This is achieved by applying a reflective white paint, also known as a "cool roof", which effectively combats overheating and creates a cooler environment.

With 95% reflectivity, Covalba 's CovaTherm reflective and anti-heat paint limits bitumen overheating to a maximum temperature of 35°C-40°C in midsummer (compared with 80°C for dark bitumen).

Installation of this coating requires an applicator to clean the waterproofing membrane. CovaTherm is then applied in 4 coats (primer, base coat, top coat) to cool up to 50% of the area. This island of freshness doesn't have to be renewed every year, as the coating has a lifespan of up to 20 years.

💡 S ee all our articles on building energy performance

Favoring misting

To create a cooler zone, the use of misting is safe for your condensers, since the water is not sprayed directly onto the fins, but evaporates before it even reaches them. There are a number of systems available that belt the condensers for better distribution. This solution also consumes much less water.

Photo credit: BRUMEST®

Emergency solution

In the event of an emergency, water down rather than on the fins of your condensers to protect them.