Green Cleaning: Steam Cleaning in Manufacturing and Food/Beverage Processing

In our recent blog, we discuss not only the history of steam cleaners, but more importantly we talk about the emergence of dry vapor steam cleaners within the US market.

In the post, Green Cleaning: The History of Steam Cleaners, we explain that dry vapor cleaning is an economical, eco-friendly and effective form of cleaning. At Goodway, we’re finding that these cleaners are particularly useful to the manufacturing and food/beverage processing industries.

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Green Cleaning: The History of Steam Cleaners

Steam cleaning has been used for more than 150 years as a way to remove grease and oil from machinery, primarily on railways, ships, car/truck engines and on power stations.

In the 1960s-1970s, Italian boiler manufacturers purportedly started experimenting with steam vapor as a cleaning method. The steam vapor cleaning method was embraced by European manufacturers more than 30 years ago when they realized the potential cleaning power of highly pressurized, low moisture steam.

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How a Tight Building Envelope Can Generate Energy Savings

According to a recent consumer study conducted by Civano Development and America LIVES, baby boomers are willing to pay “a little bit more” for “sustainable practices.” Eighty-seven percent of respondents “looked favorably on a hotel company that had a green design and implemented sustainable practices, with half of those surveyed willing to pay up to 5% more to stay at such a place.”

Armed with this information, we decided to look at ways companies can offset the costs of these sustainable practices, and we’ve discovered that a tight building envelope can generate energy savings. Here’s a recap of how this is possible:

Upgrades Can Pay Off Down the Road

Greentech Enterprise explores how 60 buildings are reducing energy costs by making investments in sustainability. While many of the buildings are looking at going net zero, the majority of these building owners are focusing on design strategies to reduce costs. High-performance envelopes are being used in more than 60% of the cases explored in the New Building Institute’s report from the Deep Energy Savings in Existing Buildings Summit.

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Certified Plant Maintenance Manager (CPMM): A Valuable Tool for Facility Managers

A few weeks ago, we discussed the value of certain certifications such as CFM, FM, or CHFM.  Now let’s take a look at another respected credential, the Certified Plant Maintenance Manager (CPMM) designation.  This is obtained from the Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE), a great organization which I happen to belong to.  Although I am not currently a CPMM, I have considered testing for it in the past. Writing this post has reminded me once again of the value of CPMM certification and, as a result, I am going to complete my application now.  Here’s why:

The testing consists of multiple disciplines including Preventative Maintenance, Computerized Maintenance Management, Total Productive Management, Return On Investment and Work Flow Planning and Scheduling.  This is a pretty diverse array that, when mastered, really shows that you are a well-rounded manager.  All of these concepts encompass diverse sets of skills that help to differentiate you in today’s demanding work environment. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

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Top 3 Facility Maintenance Safety Checklist Items – Part 2 of 2

In part one of this two part series we discussed the importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when performing routine facility or building maintenance tasks.  Today’s post focuses on the remaining two safety checklist items: equipment safety and hazard awareness. Our goal is to make certain your work environment is as safe as possible and HVAC maintenance equipment is used safely and effectively. Like we said before, YOU are the most irreplaceable piece of facility maintenance gear you have!

To get you in that “let’s be careful out there” mood, here’s a sensationalized look at what could happen if your work environment is not safe.

Equipment Safety

So what’s the one thing you can do to make sure your equipment is safe to use? You should inspect your tools before you put them into action. Here’s a list of basic items to check:

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Top 3 Facility Maintenance Safety Checklist Items – Part 1 of 2

While performing typical facility maintenance tasks, your mind is usually focused on taking proper care of the equipment that you are working on. However, before you begin you should take care of something even more important: your own personal safety.

When addressing facilities maintenance safety, there are three key areas: Personal Protective Equipment, Equipment Safety and Hazard Awareness. This first of two posts will focus on the need for Personal Protective Equipment or PPE.

PPE is necessary if you are working around machinery. Here are the “must-haves” for the HVAC industry when performing facility maintenance tasks.

• Safety glasses or goggles: These protect your eyes from flying objects as well as unexpected chemical, gas or oil release. They should always be worn when using equipment such as pressure washers or condenser tube cleaners to shield your eyes from splash back.

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Dust & Soot Vacuums Are More Versatile Than You Might Think

There are many sources of dust in the typical commercial environment, but only one Goodway to clean them up. Many of them are easily cleaned up with standard commercial or industrial vacuum cleaners.   But there are some, especially the finer dusts, that call for a vacuum especially designed for use with fine powders and soot.

Whenever you have crews in doing renovations or repairs that generate sawdust, concrete or drywall dust, you should have a dust/soot vacuum. Or, maybe you have industrial production equipment such as planers, routers, grinders, etc., in use in your building.  No matter how well they are ventilated, they can still generate fugitive emissions that leave a coating of dust on your plant and equipment.

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Our – and We Hope Your – 2011 Chiller Maintenance Resolutions

If you’ve deferred maintenance on your chiller or other HVAC equipment until next year, now is a good time to partake of two year-end activities that have become traditions over the centuries – the top 5 list and the New Year’s Resolution. If these activities are not part of your year-end rituals, then please, allow us to help you get started this year.

First – the resolutions, of which there are two:

Please repeat after us: “I hereby resolve to create a 2011 maintenance plan to cover my chillers, heat exchangers, coils, boilers and all my other HVAC equipment.”  And then, say:  “I resolve to actually follow the plan I just created.”

There…now that wasn’t so hard, was it?

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Vapor Steam Cleaners Are A Versatile Addition To Your Cleaning Arsenal

A vapor steam cleaner is one of those things that you buy for a specific task and, as you use it, find that it can actually be used for a wide range of other jobs. Ideal for cleaning and sterilizing hard surfaces or cleaning grout, vapor steam cleaners are so versatile you can use them for getting rid of bedbugs, cleaning restaurant equipment or industrial machinery and even removing gum.

You’ve probably seen the infomercials on TV in the wee, small hours of the morning – home steam products that disinfect your bathroom fixtures and clean your grout.  You simply pop the cloth steam head into the washing machine and you’re done. Goodway doesn’t make that kind of machine. But if you want a vapor steam cleaner with a gallon-plus reservoir, stainless-steel boiler and 290-degree steam shooting out the wand, then Goodway has the product for you!

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Winterizing Tips From The Big Apple Courtesy of Just Venting

Welcome to winter 2010! Sure, it’s only October, but the leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping and you can be sure that snow is on the way. In honor of the coming season, Just Venting brings you this advice on how to winterize your buildings, courtesy of a group that probably knows more about buildings than anyone else – the government of the City of New York.

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