Mitchell’s is one of the most universally recognised brands in the area due to strength that they have demonstrated over the years to update and adapt the services that they can offer.

Not only do they specialise in Air Conditioning, but the Company is also experienced and established in the areas of:

• Electrical
• Heating
• Refrigeration
• IT, Data & Communications
• Facilities And Project Management

Mitchell’s have been a leading force in the design and installation of environmental control equipment, be it for a small office or a large computer suite with all relevant technology and experience available.

As a client you can take advantage of our specialist knowledge and drive to stay abreast of an ever changing market place.  Mitchell’s install the most modern systems including inverter driven equipment, reverse cycle heat pumps and temperature and humidity controls.

If you would like to find out more about any of the services mentioned or speak to one of the team about your requirements, then please call the Gloucester head office on 01452 302206.

Also there seems to be a reluctance to patch systems in a tidy way, “spaghetti” seems to be the accepted practice as long as it works. Different coloured leads plugged into any port as long as the staff can gain the correct connectivity seems acceptable.

What must be remembered is that the network switch plays an integral part in most modern Ethernet Local Area Networks (LANs) yet they are not always given the attention that they require

We have seen communication rooms with the most state of the art cooling and UPS systems but with the oldest and dustiest switches imaginable.

It’s all great until one of those 5 year old switches fails and you have at least 12 staff literally sitting twiddling their thumbs and probably disrupting another 12 people whilst complaining about their plight. Worst case scenario the switch handles the IP telephony system and you can’t receive or make any telephone calls which could cripple your business.

Do you have a spare switch sat on site waiting to be installed that you know works, or are you going to be left reaching for the faulty ones predecessor that is in a filing cabinet somewhere? Can you actually release the failed switch from the rack or is the “spaghetti” of patch cables preventing access without more potential disconnections?

At Mitchell’s we have had many years of looking after networks for our clients and have been in on Sundays and Bank Holidays changing faulty switches out so that all is well when business starts again in earnest the following day.

We can advise you on how to make the network that the business relies upon as resilient as it can be without breaking the bank. We patch cabinets using colour coded leads and label them so you know which one to pull out if there are problems making changing a network switch as straight forward as it can be.

Some clients prefer the belt and braces approach with 100% resilience, spare network switches and a complete service contract. All very good, but there are as many companies (if not more) who have made absolutely no provision for a network failure, and just keep their fingers crossed!

If you are in the latter category you should ask yourself the question “what would happen if this switch failed”. How long would it be before it could be replaced, how many people would its failure effect or more importantly which aspects of the business would be affected by its failure.

New signage at their premises in Bristol Road now follows the same theme as the website and in the last 2 weeks the new look van livery has been launched.

Incorporating the 2 blue colours into a curved design with all the brightly coloured buttons from the website has transformed the look of the vans.

Managing Director Garrion Leeds said “it’s a real departure from the traditional stock but is in keeping with the website and the fresher face the company wants to portray.  We have been trading since 1905 and although well known throughout the area we do not want to be thought of as old fashioned.”

He went on to say:

“We have a new young dynamic management team in place who are keen for the company to improve on it’s already good reputation and the updated image is all part of that process.”

What does this mean in practice?

Every electrical installation deteriorates both with use and over time, so it is important that every installation is periodically inspected and tested by a competent person to ensure that the safety of persons using the installation is not put at risk.  The results of the test and inspection are clearly detailed in a report together with a list of “observations” which are items noted during the test that identify any damage, defects, deterioration or dangerous conditions within the installation.

For ease of understanding, these observations are currently coded with a number from 1 to 4.  With the forthcoming EICR, this numbering system is to replaced by codes C1 to C3.  These codes relate to a set of clear guidance notes given to the recipient of the report allowing them to accurately assess the condition of their electrical installation and to make a decision about any remedial works required.

Whilst there is no direct or specific law requiring testing and inspection of electrical installations to be carried out, there are various duties imposed upon employers, landlords and persons responsible for premises which require them to provide a safe place of work.

Insurance providers are also increasingly requesting evidence of electrical test and inspections as a condition of providing cover and often this requirement is hidden among the small print on the policy schedule.  Unfortunately, it is only when a claim is made that this requirement comes to light and the claimant discovers, to their dismay, that they are not covered under the terms of their policy.

In April 1990, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAW) came into force, their purpose being to require precautions to be taken against the risk of death or personal injury from electricity in work activities.  One of the most important parts of this legislation (outlined under Regulation 4) relates to the requirement to select, construct, operate and maintain electrical systems in a manner so as prevent danger.

A test and inspection regime in accordance with BS7671:2008 (as amended) is recognised by the Health & Safety Executive as an effective way of conforming with the requirements of the EAW Regulations in regard to maintaining electrical systems and is especially useful in as much that it provides a written record of the condition of an installation at the time of the test.  Similarly, if someone is considering alterations or additions to their electrical installations, carrying out a test & inspection beforehand, especially if no previous records exist, can ultimately save time and money.

Just as the vast majority of people wouldn’t consider driving a car without an MOT, why should they consider the state of their building’s electrical installation as any less important?  Think of the Electrical Installation Condition Report as an MOT for your buildings electrical system and make sure it is done every 5 years.

Trevor left the company on the 27^th October and all of his colleagues wish him a long a happy retirement. Trevor has planned his retirement for some time and is going to occupy his time with his hobbies and hopefully, some long and relaxing holidays.

Steve Coleman is the new Service Manager who is ably assisted by the Assistant Service Manager, Chris Dunn, and the Service Controller, Cathy Dey.  This should ensure that our clients enjoy the same level of service that they enjoyed under Trevor’s tenure.

The Service Division is one of the most important divisions within the company and as such the new regime have had the benefit of a long handover with Trevor and Steve working closely together over the last 2 months.  Whilst we are saddened to loose a well known and respected member of staff we are excited by the prospect of the new look division and the services they can offer.

Mitchell’s is one of the most recognised brands in the area due to the varied services offered, something that has been demonstrated over the years by updating and adapting their services to suit their Customer requirements.

If you would like to find out more about the services that Mitchell’s can offer your business why not check out their website at www.mitchells-glos.co.uk.

Over the next few months we shall consider many types of energy saving products and how they can be integrated into the business environments.

The first item we shall consider is lighting.  Lighting can consume a significant amount of the electricity used in the running of an organisation, and this can be as much as 50% of the total demand dependant on building type and use.

It is commonplace to see buildings at night with many or all light fittings glaring away with minimal or no occupancy within the specific rooms.  Furthermore in daylight periods the same fittings will more than likely be switched on in the morning and rarely go off until the cleaner goes home after hours regardless of the requirement for lighting.  The advent of open plan office areas also means large areas of buildings are controlled in a uniform way with no deference to the ambient light levels or occupancy.

We have been in some of the largest Comms Rooms in the UK and witnessed every single light fitting on in an un-occupied space (which also raises the heat load of the room, which in turn increases the load on the Air Conditioning or Chiller systems which has to work harder to keep the room cool thus using more un-necessary electricity!)

So what can be done as the standard notices stating “please turn off the lights” appear to have little effect in certain environments?

The only answer is to remove the human element with the installation of automatic controls that recognise the occupancy levels within the work space and adjust the lighting provision to suit.  This could be as simple as a retro-fit to existing fittings, or a new installation of “smart” fittings that will not only take occupancy into account, but will also allow for the natural light levels and adjust the light fitting output to achieve the desired illuminance thus reducing further the electrical cumsumption.

Not all existing fittings will be suitable for retro-fit of controls but if a replacement scheme is viable and the fittings correctly specified the payback of investment can be as low as 12 to 18 months whilst also achieving a significant reductions in CO².

Electricity will, unfortunately, only get more expensive and the drive has to be to get consumers to reduce their demand.  Energy efficient lighting is a simple first step in achieving this goal.

Mitchell’s was originally started as a company of electricians wiring housing stock in 1905 at the advent of electricity in the home.

As the company evolved it diversified into Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and has always led the field as new technologies and innovations were designed and released.

They have since added a Heating Division, Data and IT Section and offer a complete Facilities support team to companies that require the complete package.

Alongside the ever growing Air Conditioning services, Mitchells also offer:

• Electrical
• Heating
• Refrigeration
• IT, Data & Comms
• Facilities And Project Management

They have undertaken turnkey projects encompassing all disciplines for the provision of commercial offices and premises and also work within the public sector and are a well-respected contractor working in schools, libraries, hospitals and other public buildings.

If you would like to find out more information about any of the services that Mitchells can offer, then visit their informative website or give one of their specialist team a ring by calling 01452 302206.

Air conditioning systems can contribute greatly to the energy consumption of a building and have therefore been targeted as a potential way of reducing electricity consumption, operating costs and carbon emissions.

Under the Energy Performance of Building (Certificates and Inspection) (England and Wales) Regulations all air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kw must be regularly inspected by an accredited Energy Assessor.  These inspections must be a maximum of five years apart.

For air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of greater than 250kW, the first inspection should have taken place by 4th January 2009

For air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of greater than 12kW, the first inspection should have taken place by 4th January 2011.

For all systems first put into service on or after 1st January 2008, the first inspection must have taken place within five years of the date when it was first put into service.

We would stress that only air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kW are affected by these regulations.  For clarification the effective rated output is the maximum calorific output in kW stated by the manufacturer for the system as deliverable during continuous operation while complying with the useful efficiency indicated by the manufacturer.

One or more air-conditioning units within a building controlled by a single person are considered to comprise a single air-conditioning system for the purposes of the regulations, therefore, if you have 3 individual 5kW machines this will require an air conditioning inspection as the combined total is above the 12kW limit.

For the purposes of the regulations, a building is defined as “a roofed construction having walls, for which energy is used to condition the indoor climate, and a reference to a building includes a reference to a part of a building which has been designed or altered to be used separately”.

An air-conditioning system refers to any system where refrigeration is used to provide cooling for the comfort of occupants, however, this would exclude separate refrigeration or chillers provided solely for process applications such as cold stores, pharmaceutical production chilled water for production processes etc.

Crucially, getting your air conditioning systems checked and serviced regularly is critical to make sure that they potentially operate at their best efficiency and will last for the longest possible time, but these inspections also make sure that the systems are suitable for the current application and are being used in the best possible way.  If there are any ways to improve efficiency and reduce running costs the Assessor will make recommendation within the report.

Steve Coleman joined Mitchell’s on August 15^th 2011 to work alongside Trevor Clark, the existing Service Manager, until his retirement date of 4^th November 2011

After 26 years dedicated service Trevor is joining his wife in retirement, and it was felt a prolonged handover period would be beneficial to the Company and Customers most of which are long standing Customers and have dealt with Trevor for many years.

The transition period will help Steve’s integration into the Company and the Service software and operational routines whilst allowing the opportunity for Steve to get to know the Customers and their requirements while Trevor is still involved.

With the help of Cathy Dey (Service controller) and Chris Dunn (Assistant Service Manager) Mitchells are confident that the transition will be smooth and that Customers will continue to experience the high level of service they have come to expect.

Mitchell’s is one of the most recognised brands in the area due to the varied services offered, something that has been demonstrated over the years by updating and adapting their services to suit their Customer requirements.

If you would like to find out more about the services that Mitchell’s can offer your business why not check out their website or give the team a ring by phoning 01452 302206

Electrical and PAT testing is done to comply with legislation yet we often overlook the plant and equipment that keep our businesses functioning. Boilers, Air Conditioning units and ventilation systems which keep premises comfortable are expected to run with little or no thought as to the amount they are used and it is not until they break down or fail that they receive any attention.

It has also been proved that well maintained equipment uses less energy than plant with blocked filters or worn drive belts. A unit will have to work significantly harder if it cannot “breathe” and will therefore use more energy. The cost of a maintenance regime can be partially offset by the lower running costs associated with a clean efficient system but will be cheaper in the long run than repairing failed components

Our Service engineers have had to change compressors and fan motors in the past as a direct result of dirty and poorly maintained filters which would not have occurred had the plant been maintained.

The same applies to boilers and with the “summer” rapidly eroding away we will soon enter the worst period for heating breakdowns. When we first require heating after a prolonged period of inactivity we all reach for the controls and expect the systems to fire up – would you leave your car idle for six months and expect it to work without a hiccup?

If you have your boiler or air conditioning system serviced correctly on an annual basis it will not only work when you need it to but it will also:-

• Keep running at the optimum efficiency
• Prolong the lifetime of the equipment maximising your initial capital outlay
• Keep repair bills and spare parts to a minimum
• Ensure that the unit is safe to operate with occupants in the same space

Service and maintenance contracts can be arranged around the specific requirements of both the client and their plant and can be as little as an annual service or as much as monthly visits depending on the type and complexity of the systems.

With rising energy costs it makes more sense than ever to make sure your systems are operating efficiently and are maintained on a regular basis to ensure continued efficient operation and prolonged life expectancy of the equipment.

The benefits of regular servicing and maintenance are clear to see and if your business is failing to do the basics then it can often mean that when problems do occur, they can harm you far more than if they had of been tackled in the early days.