Whether you have had your air conditioning unit for a number of years, or whether it is relatively new, it is essential that regular maintenance is carried out to ensure its optimal and efficient performance. This will not only keep your running costs down but it will also prolong its life.
Saving money will obviously be high on anyone’s agenda, especially during the current difficult economic times, but if you are tempted to reduce costs by avoiding the regular servicing of your air conditioner, there are other more important factors to consider before you make this decision. Leading experts report that a poorly maintained air conditioning system could present a significant health risk, as it may be susceptible to collecting allergens and infectious organisms. As air conditioning units are a highly effective way to circulate air throughout a given space, this unfortunately can mean that any such hazards are effectively spread throughout an entire workplace, room or home. Therefore, the proper maintenance of your system, including regular filter change, is essential to prevent circulation of unhealthy air and help protect you working or home environment from these dangers.
Furthermore in these days of increasing environmental awareness and the positive choices we can make, ensuring that your system is running as efficiently as it possibly can, will help protect, and make less of an impact on, our planet.
The frequency with which you have your air conditioning system serviced will depend on several factors, including the model, its age and how it’s used. Your specialist installer will be able to advise you but what is the importance of regular service and maintenance, but how would you know if your existing system requires attention?
Signs that your air conditioning system is poorly maintained may include:
Leaking water
Loss of performance
Bad odour
Increased energy bills.
If you notice any one of these issues then it is time to call in a specialist for advice. If your air conditioning system has not been maintained regularly, this may prove to be a very costly experience, which is why we recommend that you consider investing in a planned service and maintenance package.
Evergreen Environmental are specialist Air Conditioning installers based in Essex, covering London, Essex and The Home Counties. We are also proud to offer a bespoke range of service and maintenance packages, emergency call outs, AC cleaning and TM44 inspections, which are carried out by specially trained engineers.
We have a department dedicated to all your service and maintenance requirements. Our qualified engineers can help you increase the efficiency and life span of your air conditioning system with regular maintenance.
With a planned service and maintenance package, we can help you stay environmentally friendly by ensuring your systems are running as efficiently as they possibly can and protect you, your family, and your work colleagues, from the health risks associated with a poorly maintained air conditioning system.
The main benefits of the Evergreen Environmental service and maintenance packages are:
Fixed costs
Reduced call out fees
Fast track response
All maintenance works carried out by a team of highly qualified and experienced Engineers.
Our dedicated team at Evergreen Environmental would be happy to assist you, so please contact us today on 08081 781 678 for your free quotation. Alternatively you can email us at enquiries@evergreen-environmental.co.uk or complete the online form to receive a response within 24 hours.
We are Evergreen, a leading Essex based air conditioning company.
Our engineers cover all of Essex, The Home Counties and London. Our head office is situated in Wickford, Essex with our second office in Cole Green, Hertfordshire.
Why should you choose Evergreen?
10-year Warranties on our home installations
Flexible payment options and interest free credit
In-house engineers (No subcontracting to third parties)
Dedicated in-house AC service and maintenance team for quality aftercare
We are accredited with the leading manufacturers
Friendly but professional
Minimal disruption to your home, you won’t even know we’re there!
Your local air conditioning installer in Essex
72 years industry experience
Collectively the Evergreen Board of Directors have accumulated 72 years of industry experience. All three Directors started their journey as engineers progressing on to combine their skills, and experience, to provide some of the best quality installs and related AC services across Essex.
Commercial and Domestic air conditioning experts
Projects are carried out in a variety of domestic and commercial settings. Installations can range from single splits domestic systems, to multiple VRF in multi-storey buildings, such as office blocks. We carry out projects with as many as 650 indoor fan coil units. Having a large in-house allows us to run several large projects side by side at any given time but closely whilst our project managers closely manage the quality of our work.
Evergreen offer free site surveys, advice and quotations to all clients. During the survey, the engineer will look at the variables such as the best route for interconnecting pipes and cables, the heat gain from occupants, external light and equipment (if any). They will also look at the size and use of the area to be served and the types of units that will be most suitable. Our team will give you the best options based on your preferences and requirements.
Being confined
to four walls for the majority of the day for weeks on end is not something we
had time to mentally prepare for. It’s important for our mental and physically
well-being to stay active, positive and stimulated. With social distancing
rules in place, it’s essential to find ways to take advantage of this time,
rather than to dwell on what we cannot do. Here is a list of 12 productive
things to do during the COVID-19 lockdown.
#1 Help the NHS
The NHS are currently taking volunteers to help with the current COVID-19 Crisis. Helpers are required to help deliver food and medicine, to drive patients to appointments and to phone and check on those during isolation. As the virus spreads the number of people affected is increasing along with the demand for volunteers.
#2 Read
Reading comes with huge benefits. It increases our knowledge, vocabulary and thinking skills. It keeps our minds stimulated and whilst some of us may not be using our minds for work like we usually do, this is a great way to keep our mind engaged. Our brains are a muscle and require exercise to keep them strong. Reading also comes with other benefits such as stress reduction and strengthens our memory.
#3 Set up a savings account
Due the current social distancing and restrictions, naturally we will be spending much less. Whilst some people will be having to survive on a reduced salary and will not have the luxury of being able to save some of us could utilise this time to put our disposable income to one side. Use Money Saving Expert to compare interest rates and get the most from your pennies.
#4 Get a bike or use the one you have
So long as you maintain social distancing guidelines cycling is a great way to get out of the house and keep fit. Cycling can also improve your brain power and helps to build new brain cells. It’s a way to improve your fitness, whilst the gyms are closed, and you’ll end up happier and healthier. No brainer.
5# Clean and declutter your home
Now is a perfect time to get a full spring clean underway. Cleaning actually has a positive impact on your mental health. At a time of increased anxiety get busy with cleaning and clearing out any clutter that has accumulated over the years. You’ll be left feeling more positive and actively minimise the number of allergens lurking ready to attack your immune system. It’s also a good time to get your AC systems professionally cleaned and air filters changed to stop as these can pick up dust and allergens and redistribute them around your house.
#6 Upcycle
If you enjoy being creative and would like to make some home improvements, upcycling is great cost-effective way to do so. There are thousands of ideas on the internet, take a look at Pinterest for some great examples and step by step guides. You could even have a rummage through the garage, cupboards and loft for unused items and look at selling completed projects on eBay!
#7 Learn a new language
There are many advantages to being able to speak to a second language such as enhanced career prospects and even improving your first language. There are other benefits such as better cognitive abilities and improved memory which consequently can delay dementia for up to five years!
#8 Create a bucket list
It can feel a bit dispiriting being stuck indoors with so much uncertainty as to when social distancing measures will be relaxed. Many of us will have had to cancel holidays, events and trips that we were looking forward too. Create a list of things you would like to experience and places you would like to visit in the future. These will all be things to work towards and look forward too.
#9 Practise Yoga
Yoga has been proven to provide a multitude of benefits to mental and physically well-being. It’s great for improving your overall strength and suppleness along with aiding sleep, relaxation and your immune system. Furthermore, it’s inexpensive and can be done in the comfort on your own home with no equipment. There are companies such as Move GB who offer online classes for as little as £1 per week. Far cheaper than any gym membership!
#10 Get out in the garden
As spring is upon us, now is a great time to get to work in the garden. Further to recent government updates we could be following social distancing guidelines for longer than we realise and if you have a garden, you’ll be wanting to make the most of it this summer. Spending time outside is good for reducing stress and can benefit our mental health whilst burning those extra calories that you might not be shifting whilst stuck inside.
#11 Get up to date with admin (work, personal)
Clearing your ‘desk’ of any paperwork, bills and forms that you have not had the opportunity to do will leave you feeling great. If you haven’t already you could use the time to organise your paperwork into folders to keep your ‘desk’ tidy.
#12 Help a local Charity
During a time of crisis, there are many Charities and organisations that are reliant on volunteers more than ever . Social distancing means that elderly people living on their own, are feeling even more alone. Age UK are welcoming donations to help answer as many phone calls as possible during this time. See Hello Magazines article on other Charities that desperately need your help.
10 tips to enhance productivity whilst working from home during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
In a bid to slow down the spread of The Coronavirus, many businesses have been forced to offer the option of working from home to their employees whilst some have closed their offices entirely. Whilst working from home sounds great, in reality, especially for long stretches it can feel very isolating which can have a great impact productivity. We have put together 10 useful evidence-based tips that will help you enhance productivity away from the office.
The rapid spread of Coronavirus in such a short period of time has caused a very sudden change for all of us. It has forced people to make a hurried transition to a temporary new way of life and find ways to adapt to a new working culture, fast. Although temporary, we have no clear time frame and some articles suggest that we may have to participate in social distancing measures for up to a year. Whilst there are many workers in industries that will never have the option of working from home, such as scientists or onsite construction workers, those that are mostly desk based (over 80%) will have to find ways to quickly acclimatise.
Working from home has some evident benefits. Some of these include reduced travel costs, zero hours commuting and a more flexible schedule. However, the sudden shift for hundreds of thousands of people, could potentially be very isolating and cause a huge loss of motivation and morale. Furthermore, during a time of national quarantine, working from home with the constant disturbances such as those from young children who are also home-bound could have a huge impact on productivity. Also causing high levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
We
did some research into some people who have either been forced to or
given the option of working from home and asked them what is most
important to them to get the most out of their working day whilst
remaining in their home environment.
We
asked, ‘‘how easy is it for you to work productively from home on
a scale of 1 to 10?’’
The average answer was 6.5/10. In order to find out what affects productivity, we then asked people what their main concern was about working from home.
In response, an overwhelming amount of people said that they would miss face to face daily interaction with their co-workers. The absence of office culture coupled with other social activities outside of working hours no longer being available to us, means that it’s vital to find new ways to stay connected to protect our mental health and well-being. Finding new ways to stay connected will become imperative if the government implement social distancing measures for as long as scientists are suggesting is needed.
To
establish what simple measures can be taken to improve
productivity when working from home, we asked people ‘‘which
variables are most important to you when working from home?’’.
A common importance to people was their working space. Having a tidy, organised and dedicated work area, free from distraction, came up most frequently as having a major impact on productivity.
Another common importance was taking short breaks from sitting down for long periods and keeping mobile. This might be in the form of a short walk outside in the fresh air or participating in a short exercise routine.
Lastly,
the third most common concern which 70% of people listed in their top
three priorities of working from home is having structure to their
working day at home the same as they would implement in an office
environment I.e. short breaks and a set start and finish time.
What other variables can we control to increase our productivity when working from home? See below our top 10 tips for working from home during Coronavirus, based on the conversations we had with employees and employers from various roles such as directors, sales managers, contracts managers and office clerks.
Daily Schedule’s
Put
a schedule in place and try to stick to it as much as possible.
Things can change throughout the course of any working day but it’s
good to have a schedule in place to get yourself into some sort of
routine so that it still feels like you are ‘going to work’. Pick
a definitive start and end to your day so that you can still separate
work from your personal life.
Take breaks
Allocate set times for short breaks, working for long periods of time
causes exhaustion which will be counterproductive. Taking short
breaks can increase productivity and creativity allowing the mind to
replenish. It’s a good idea to use your scheduled breaks to let
your brain recharge and replenish its resources to get the most from
your working hours. Use the time to keep mobile and if possible, to
get some fresh air.
Increase Comfort.
A
good chair for posture is important for long periods of sitting. For
example, your feet should be flat on the floor and you shouldn’t be
slumped over at your desk or table. You can even buy an adjustable
posture correctors which may be worth the small
investment. An anti-glare screen on your laptop could be beneficial
for long periods of concentration. It’s also important to ensure
there’s a nearby window or form of ventilation for fresh air which
leads onto the next point.
Go outside.
Getting out and getting fresh air has been proven to give you more energy and a clearer, sharper mind. It’d also good for your overall health strengthening your immune system and ability to fight of disease more effectively. That’s why ventilating fresh air indoors is also important and much healthier than continually breathing in stale air. Breathing in more fresh air means breathing in more oxygen which provides more brain clarity thus increasing productivity. You might also consider looking at a ventilation or air conditioning system for the summer months. Remember to follow safe distancing guidelines.
Maintain social
interaction.
Use
technology to stay connected. Video conferencing can
be used to keep up to date with co-workers and clients. Working from
home in 2020 means we are well equipped with the technology and tools
to stay in touch. Allocate a specific time each day to touch base
with co-workers.
Shower and get dressed.
Shower
each morning and get dressed like you would if you were going into an
office environment. You’ll feel better in yourself and this will
project into your phone calls, work and general productivity.
Keep distractions to a
minimum.
If possible, allocate a quiet room/space dedicated to working.
Allocate times for household chores, so that they don’t interfere
with your productivity. Better still, try and complete them before
you sit down to work so they’re not at the back of your mind
bothering you. Play music to drown out and distract from any unwanted
background noise. Studies
show music improves morale and can help you work
faster and more efficiently.
Make your partner or family aware of your schedule and pin it up
somewhere visible to encourage them to respect when you’re
particularly busy.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Your physical activity will probably decrease, due to several reasons
specific to different individuals and their roles. You might not be
walking to the train station, to the coffee shop at lunch or
travelling to and from meetings. So, you should make a special effort
to take short walks whilst benefitting from fresh air and a mental
break from work tasks. Eating good nutritious foods will improve your
energy levels, ability to concentrate and overall self-esteem. Eating
healthily will also reduce your risk of disease, which during this
pandemic, is critical. Recently published on MUSC Health is an article
on long lasting nutritious foods for a ‘healthy quarantine’.
Set goals and deadlines
for yourself.
Setting yourself deadlines, enables you to manage multiple or large
projects without feeling overwhelmed. Deadlines can be set to help
you achieve tasks large and small. It is motivating to highlight
deadlines that are met and naturally encourages momentum. It also
allows you to prioritise what’s most important.
Keep a tidy workspace.
A decluttered workspace contributes towards a decluttered head space! A clean and organised working area instantly makes you feel at ease and reduces stress levels and removes any added distraction. Keyboards and screens accumulate a shocking number of germs. Regularly clean down surfaces and use antibacterial spray or wipes to kill bacteria.
Thank you for reading ’10 working from home tips during Coronavirus’.
*Statistics are based on a
survey carried out between 7th
and 21st
March 2020. A total of 70 random people provided data and the age
ranged from 18-60, a mixture of male and female.
How do you maintain your productivity and morale? Can you add to our top 10 useful working from home tips during the Coronavirus? We’d love to hear your comments.
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