"Bar and restaurant close due to unbearable heat"

[adam2]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57899296

This sort of thing does underline the importance of energy efficiency in such establishments.
A great deal of the heat in most bars and restaurants come from low efficiency refrigeration. Most managers of such establishments are unable to understand such matters.
Fridges are generally a "distress purchase" with least first cost being the main factor. Beer fridges are often on free loan from brewers whose concern is least first cost.

Draught beer coolers produce a lot of heat again partly due to poor efficiency.

Apart from the energy cost, all this wasted energy appears as heat and can make the premises uncomfortably warm in the Summer, and intolerable in a heat wave.

I have often suggested that energy efficiency be considered when purchasing refrigeration and other appliances. Have also suggested different DESIGNS of refrigeration appliance be selected in which the heat is removed to the outdoors and not to the internal room air.

In all but a handful of cases such advice falls upon deaf ears.

With a warming climate, many bars and restaurants will need air conditioning, but this will be cheaper in both capital and running costs if excessive heat production is addressed first.

[Stumuz2]

Good advice as usual, Adam

[Potemkin Villager]

With a warming climate, many bars and restaurants will need air conditioning, but this will be cheaper in both capital and running costs if excessive heat production is addressed first.

But we know this will not happen because of the double financial hit of replacing
the inefficient fridges, chillers etc and installing aircon. So the most likely
outcome will be installing oversized aircon and recovering the cost with higher prices.

I can think of traditional underground wine cellar bars (bodegas) in Southern Spain, pleasantly
comfortable on the hottest day, contrasted with a beach front sweltering Brit Bar with a noisy portable
aircon having little effect, as the doors and windows were all left wide open. I. as diplomatically as possible,
suggested to the owner that it might work better with the windows and doors closed but he was having
none of it and was convinced I was mad.

[Stumuz2]

contrasted with a beach front sweltering Brit Bar with a noisy portable
aircon having little effect, as the doors and windows were all left wide open. I. as diplomatically as possible,
suggested to the owner that it might work better with the windows and doors closed but he was having
none of it and was convinced I was mad.

You were in a beach front Brit bar in Spain trying to be 'cool'?
You are mad.

[adam2]

All new fridges sold in the UK are meant to be marked with an energy efficiency label. Leaving aside the fact that most bar managers cant understand this, there is an exemption if the appliance is called a "cooler" and not a refrigerator.

Before the pandemic, in an earlier heatwave, my then local pub was unpleasantly hot. I made several observations as to energy consumption and heat production.
1) A small fridge supplied FOC by Budweiser in order to promote their beer. This was of the old fashioned absorption type and was consuming 180 watts 24/7 to cool just 24 bottles of beer.
2) A newly purchased kitchen fridge was of the lowest availability efficiency rating.
3) The trendy new coffee machine had an attached miniature peltier effect fridge to keep a supply of fresh milk cold, next to the hot coffee machine, this had a continual loading of nearly 100 watts to keep cold 3 liters of milk.

And of course the usual uninsulated hot water pipes, and obligatory halogen lamps, even in areas with direct sunlight.

[Potemkin Villager]

contrasted with a beach front sweltering Brit Bar with a noisy portable
aircon having little effect, as the doors and windows were all left wide open. I. as diplomatically as possible,
suggested to the owner that it might work better with the windows and doors closed but he was having
none of it and was convinced I was mad.

You were in a beach front Brit bar in Spain trying to be 'cool'?
You are mad.

As it happens I wasn't trying to be 'cool", I had popped in because it happened Sky News was on their telly
and justified my presence by drinking a "cooled" beer.

[kenneal - lagger]

............. The open fire is now in use, burning broken pallets mainly ....

...and taking most of the "free" heat straight up the chimney. Tell them to put a closed stove in with a nice big glass door. It will make a huge difference to the comfort of the place.

[adam2]

I agree, but closed stoves find less favour in a pub for two reasons, firstly customers fiddle with them, and secondly most customers prefer the tradition of an open fire.

[kenneal - lagger]

But they need to think about global warming a bit more instead of tradition.

[adam2]

As already said, the energy saving from use of my "invention" is hard to calculate due to the many unknowns, but is significant and now even more worthwhile due to the substantial increase in energy costs.

There is no intention to do away with the open fire since this facility is much liked by customers. The efficiency/effectiveness of the fire has however been improved at my suggestion, as follows.

Firewood was previously burnt upon a raised grate placed within the fireplace. Looked as though it was intended for coal, and not suitable for wood, which burns best upon a bed of ash and not in a raised grate through which the ash falls.

I advised very strongly against lighting the fire directly on the hearth, this can be a significant fire risk if structural timbers are nearby, perhaps with only a relatively thin layer of brick or stone between a hot fire directly on the hearth and the timber.

Instead an open topped box has been made of heavy steel plate, about 700mm wide from left to right, and about 400mm deep from from front to back. This is supported about 150mm above the hearth on steel legs.
The fire is lit in this box and thus not in direct contact with the hearth. The rear and end walls of this box are about 300mm high and lined with fire brick. The front wall is much lower and is topped with an iron log guard to stop logs falling out, give a good view of the fire and allow some air in.

The heat radiated directly from the fire at the front, and indirectly from the fire bricks behind the fire is considerable.

The base of the box is protected from direct heat by a layer of ash and should therefore last well. The ends and rear are protected from direct heat by fire bricks and should last well.
The front of the box will probably burn out in a few years, but welding in a new piece is easy.

Fuel consumption is a single very large log per day, and one broken pallet. The old grate has been stored in case coal is burnt in the future.

[adam2]

My improved open fire is in general giving satisfaction and saving fuel.
Wood consumption is roughly halved, heat output improved, and the fire stays in overnight.

[adam2]

Use of the open fire now discontinued due to warm weather.
Beer cooler still in winter mode as the bar would otherwise be a bit chilly in the mornings. Summer mode probably needed soon.

Next project is a walk in fridge for the kitchen, with some form of remote heat dump. research underway.

[mr brightside]

As already said, the energy saving from use of my "invention" is hard to calculate due to the many unknowns, but is significant and now even more worthwhile due to the substantial increase in energy costs.

There is no intention to do away with the open fire since this facility is much liked by customers. The efficiency/effectiveness of the fire has however been improved at my suggestion, as follows.

Firewood was previously burnt upon a raised grate placed within the fireplace. Looked as though it was intended for coal, and not suitable for wood, which burns best upon a bed of ash and not in a raised grate through which the ash falls.

I advised very strongly against lighting the fire directly on the hearth, this can be a significant fire risk if structural timbers are nearby, perhaps with only a relatively thin layer of brick or stone between a hot fire directly on the hearth and the timber.

Instead an open topped box has been made of heavy steel plate, about 700mm wide from left to right, and about 400mm deep from from front to back. This is supported about 150mm above the hearth on steel legs.
The fire is lit in this box and thus not in direct contact with the hearth. The rear and end walls of this box are about 300mm high and lined with fire brick. The front wall is much lower and is topped with an iron log guard to stop logs falling out, give a good view of the fire and allow some air in.

The heat radiated directly from the fire at the front, and indirectly from the fire bricks behind the fire is considerable.

The base of the box is protected from direct heat by a layer of ash and should therefore last well. The ends and rear are protected from direct heat by fire bricks and should last well.
The front of the box will probably burn out in a few years, but welding in a new piece is easy.

Fuel consumption is a single very large log per day, and one broken pallet. The old grate has been stored in case coal is burnt in the future.

Any chance you could attach a dimensioned fag packet sketch of the 'open topped box'?

[adam2]

Regret no good at posting sketches.
Perhaps someone else would care to make a sketch ? based upon the dimensions given earlier.

Height from hearth to underside of box is about 150mm, one leg at each corner made of square steel tube.
The rear legs are about 450mm high, and extend to near the top of the rear steel plate.
The front legs are shorter and extend to near the top of the front steel plate, which is much lower than the rear.

The rear and end pieces are lined with fire bricks, set in furnace cement. This protects the steel from direct heat. The front plate IS directly exposed to the fire and may need regular replacement. The steel plate forming the base was directly exposed to fire INITIALY but was soon covered with a deep bed of ash.

[mr brightside]

I've got a Baxi installation on the opposite side of the wall to my stove. It's sealed up at the moment, but i've been trying to think of what to do with it and this idea of yours seemed workable. As with all Baxis there is an underfloor air supply controlled by a damper on the hearth which could be rejigged for burning solid fuel.

Do we rate the Baxi installation on this message board?