HVLS Fans to the Rescue When Warehouse Temps Are Extreme

Seven months ago, Harold began a new job as a warehouse manager in North Mississippi. 

It’s now summer in the Mid-South. That can only mean one thing: the summer sun and humidity are bearing down relentlessly on the warehouse’s metal frame. The surrounding asphalt doesn’t do anyone any favors in finding comfort from the heat, either. 

Throughout July — and it sure was a hot one in the Memphis area — seven of Harold’s employees had to end their shifts early upon showing signs of heat stress. Their symptoms ranged from irregular heartbeat and prolonged headache and light-headedness to muscle spasms. One of the employees was even admitted to Baptist South with suspected heat stroke. 

Across the board, the different warehouse shifts were all showing creeping signs of slowed productivity. This is common in the hot summer for warehouse and manufacturing jobs, and Harold knew the signs to look for. Though he kept a steady supply of cold water available in hydration stations throughout the warehouse, Harold was concerned. Even the industrial floor fans positioned every 30 yards were no match for the extreme heat. 

Harold’s mentor, a manufacturing-company owner in Alabama, taught him that even in business, the Golden Rule is always the best answer when in a position of management. Harold knew what he had to do. 

He spent two evenings in late July researching possible solutions for combating extreme heat in a warehouse. The options that seemed the most immediately effective, versatile, and long lasting was a high speed low volume (HVSL) industrial fan. He took the idea to his boss and got the green light for a pricing proposal. 

This led Harold to Trace Electric, a Dillard company. A Trace representative visited Harold’s warehouse on a hot day in early August and took a look around. Trace is an authorized dealer and installer for Hunter Industrial Fans. Knowing Harold’s initial interest in HVLS fans and how effective they could be in the warehouse setting, the Trace rep focused his attention on the Hunter models that would be the best fit for the warehouse’s size, needs, and budget. 

HVLS fans move large volumes of air at a slow speed while using minimal energy. In the summer months, they generate and maintain a breeze throughout an entire space. They can regulate inside temps that would otherwise fluctuate to uncomfortable or dangerous levels. The versatility that sold Harold and his boss the most was the fact that during the winter, HVLS fans run in reverse to re-distribute air. This can save 30% on heating costs, eliminate cold spots, and provide a warm, comfortable environment for employees. 

This long-term solution — which would start working immediately upon installation — made perfect sense. What’s better, running each HVLS fan only costs about a dollar a day. 

Now, with HVLS fans installed throughout the warehouse, temperatures are more controlled and the air quality more comfortable. Productivity is back to a normal pace, and no employee has suffered symptoms of extreme heat exposure. Harold is confident that his decision will continue to pay dividends during the frigid winter months, too.

Trace and Dillard pride ourselves on finding the right solution and expertly installing the products that fit your needs.  If you’d like a free consultation about workplace air flow, give Dillard’s Trace Electric a call today. You don’t have to simply accept the extreme temperatures in your warehouses!