Heating a factory or warehouse comes with a number of challenges. The heat source needs to not only reach the right temperature but the right areas at the right times. Some systems work better than others when it comes to heating a warehouse or factory, and OKEL is here to help you make an informed decision.
We’ll guide you through the reasons to heat your industrial unit, the industrial heating systems available today and things to consider when making your decision.
OKEL are experts in different types of heating systems to efficiently heat various businesses, no matter the size, insulation or footfall. Read on to find out more when it comes to industrial heating options.
Why is it important to heat an industrial unit?
When it comes to heating a large industrial space, you’ll want to think about the way it’s used. Maybe it’s a warehouse storing pharmaceutical products or dry store food, or a factory with a production line of employees, or maybe you work with different materials and machinery that work best at optimal temperatures. Whatever the usage, you need to keep these two main points in mind.
Employee welfare
If your warehouse or factory has an active workforce, it is your duty to supply adequate working conditions. This includes heat, especially during the colder months, and when the time comes, cooling during the hotter months of the year, where necessary.
Using different types of heating can suit different types of workforces. For example, those who are stationed in one specific area might benefit from zone area heating more. Compared to those who use the whole floorplan, maybe by picking and packing deliveries, who would need adequate heating throughout.
Stock maintenance
Like your workforce, the materials and machinery you hold can also affect the type of heating required. For example, some machinery in production lines works best at specific temperatures, and likewise, there are certain materials that need to be kept at base level temperature.
To mitigate this problem, ensuring a continual heat source at the required level is best to improve productivity and maintain the quality of your stock, reducing spoilage or waste overall and in turn saving you money.
What are your industrial heating options?
You might be thinking there are so many options when it comes to industrial heating, but OKEL is here to give you smart solutions to this problem. Here are the three main heating systems we recommend for use in industrial buildings such as factories and warehouses.
Warm air heaters – gas or electric fired
Arguably the most popular industrial heating solutions, thanks to their high efficiency and low running costs. Warm air heating is a system that brings in cool air, from either the outside or existing rooms, and passes it through a heat exchanger which is fuelled by either gas or electricity. The warm air is then circulated throughout the building.
Modern warm air heaters can be installed in two main ways: elevated from the ceiling or walls, offering you more floor space, or cabinet warm air heaters as part of your floor plan. Thanks to their efficiency they are also available under the Green Funding Lease Plans depending on your area.
Radiant gas heating
Radiant heating, however, is perfect for factory heating where only specific areas need a heat source. Radiant heating systems transport the heat through the air without heating the air in between and only touching the people, machinery or objects it encounters. This is a great way to remove any unnecessary costs associated with heating unoccupied space.
This is the perfect factory heating solution for companies looking to spot-heat specific areas, such as production lines or reception areas. It’s great for premises with high levels of air changes, where roller shutter doors are constantly opened and shut, or for those where employees are stationed in one place.
Electric infrared heating
Similarly, Infrared heating is a low-maintenance, low-running cost and high-efficiency heating solution for factories and warehouses that need zone heating with rapid warm-ups.
You can save money and energy by spot-heating the areas you need, compared to heating the whole space. Zone heat a production line, reception area or office space within your factory or warehouse to reduce costs but keep productivity, employee morale and production efficiency.
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Things to consider when choosing the right heating system
Much like heating commercial spaces, there are many things to consider when choosing a warehouse heating solution. Taking into account the different ways the above factory heating systems work, the ways they heat, and how much heat you need, you can make smart decisions about your warehouse heating systems by also considering the below topics.
Volume of space
When it comes to heating a large space, the floorplan square footage is what springs to mind, right? Well, you also need to consider the height of your space before choosing a warehouse heater. If you have a large space with a warm air heating system, the warm air can easily escape upward and in which case destratification is necessary.
Racking
When it comes to storage within your warehouse, you’ll want to think of the needs of the materials. Modern factories find new ways to store more, with racking close together and high up, you’ll want to make sure that the heat source is reaching the materials that need it. This is another way destratification can help.
Ceiling height
If you’re finding this ceiling height problem, thermal destratification is the best solution. Destratification fans which are not only built into modern warm air heating systems but can also be evenly distributed at ceiling height across your warehouse can force the warm air back down to floor level to suit the needs of your factory workers or warehouse storage.
Effective warehouse heating systems for your business
OKEL prides itself on providing smart solutions for any industrial warehouse and factory heating need. We’ll survey your site, including current heat sources and fuel types to build a factory heating solution that suits the needs of your business. Visit our case studies page for more information on efficient factory heating systems.