Author: Alfred Austin

The key to learning is a good night’s sleep

Posted on by Alfred Austin

The key to learning is a good night's sleep

That sounds just too easy to be true…but apparently it really is! A good night’s sleep does not only do you good from a health point of view. Research carried out by a team of scientists from the Harvard Medical School shows that it also helps you to improve the way you store the information that you have acquired during your waking hours by cataloging the data, facts and figures you have gathered and linking them to existing bits of memory.

The results of the study, which were published in the “Journal of Neuroscience”, underscore just how important a good night’s sleep is. But first of all a number of things have to be observed which can all make the difference between a good and a bad night’s sleep:

  • Try to stick to regular bedtimes. This might sound relatively unexciting, but it could easily become a healthy habit. Routines such as this can help you to relax and make it easier for you to find the sleep you much need.
  • Alcohol may make you feel sleepy, but it does affect the quality of the sleep you are getting. The more moderate your alcohol intake, the more invigorating your sleep.
  • Some people are tempted to save on what they consider to be less essential items like a good mattress, the right pillow and quality bed linen. It would be better if these consumers followed the advice given by companies specialising in bedding products and invested in a good night’s sleep.
  • Bedrooms should not be too cold. Some people turn off the heating to save money. But they are not saving in the long run. Cold, clammy rooms provide ideal breeding grounds for mould and pave the way for costly renovations and repairs. The ideal temperature in your bedroom should be somewhere between 16 and 18 C.
  • Keep a close eye on the relative humidity in your rooms. The best way to do control the humidity during the drier winter months is to use a humidifier. Humidifiers add moisture to the room air and prevent your mucous membranes from drying out and becoming susceptible to colds and viruses. And because the humidifiers are equipped with an easy-to-remove, easy-to-clean, air filter which filters dust, pet hairs, pollen and other airborne contaminants out of the air, this makes them ideal for allergy sufferers too.

So if the key to learning is a good night’s sleep, then you really should do something to ensure that that’s what you are getting. Like changing one or two habits and investing in one or two things which could enrich your life. Like a humidifier from Trotec.

Lesson learnt.

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Don’t let the cowboys take you to the cleaners

Posted on by Alfred Austin

don't trust any rogue assessor for thermographic reports

Contracting a company to carry out a thermographic survey makes good financial sense. And as far as saving the planet goes, it shows that you do care about the amount of energy that is being wasted while you are heating your home and that you would like to do something about improving your eco-credentials – as well as just saving some whales.

A thermographic report can tell home owners and tenants alike just where the weak spots in the insulation of their homes or flats are and what measures need to be taken to stop the precious energy from simply seeping out through walls, doors, roofs or windows into the atmosphere and beyond.

Which is where the cowboys come in…

Just like in any other branch, there are countless companies or small firms operating in the energy-saving business that do not have your best interests at heart. In fact they have next to no interest at all in assessing just how much energy you are losing through poor or inadequate insulation or building or structural flaws and what steps need to be taken to right what has gone awfully wrong. This is because rogue assessors – just like rogue builders or rogue traders – have one thing which they lack apart from experience in the field and proper conduct – and that’s a conscience. These crooks, and we really must call them by their real names in order to safeguard those who need to be protected, are not interested in saving you money or providing you with a fair service. They are only interested in lining their own pockets and maximising their profit. Often at a staggering cost to you.

According to the VPB, an organisation comprising private home builders and house owners, there are, unfortunately, more than just a few rotten apples in the barrel. The black sheep they identified have much in common. The most popular tricks of the trade include performing thermographic surveys in conditions which render the results worthless and carrying out measurements without the necessary expertise that enables the user to correctly interpret the findings and propose the required recommendations. Strong sunlight, fog or persistent rain, for example, can distort the readings acquired using an infrared camera no matter how sophisticated the technology. And by saving on software which supports or substantiates otherwise conclusive findings, many a fraudulent contractor is robbing himself – and you – of the means that would allow them to provide an uncontroversial report which shows the true situation – and the steps that need to be taken.

So if you are planning on contacting a contractor, look out for the telltale signs that distinguish the respectable ones from the rogues and make sure that you do not fall prey to false promises or fraudulent offers.  A cowboy assessor – just like a cowboy builder – can cost you much more than you had ever banked on.

Which is why you may decide to hire an infrared camera yourself. For as little as €39.00 a day. Complete with operating instructions and the advice you need to make sure that you are choosing the correct camera for your own individual application.

Or call us on +49 (0) 2452 962 120 if you would like us to send one of our specialists round. They are all certified according to DIN EN 473!

Don’t get caught out by a cowboy. Go with the good guys. Go with Trotec.

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Prepare yourself and your cellar – the worst is yet to come

Posted on by Alfred Austin

TROTEC dehumidifiers - the solution after floodings and heavy rainfalls

The effects of climate change that we experienced in 2010 are cause for grave concern – the images ingrained in our memories of ravaged regions and lost souls still leave us shocked, shaken and helpless. The devastating heat wave in Russia, the horrifying floods in Pakistan or just recently the tsunami in Indonesia– these are probably among the most severe weather catastrophes which happened within the last year.

There are still those who say that these catastrophes cannot be linked to the change in climate and that mankind has had little or nothing to do with global warming and the effect climate change has had, and is having, on our planet. But those who believe that climate change is responsible for the effects we are witnessing by far outnumber the sceptics.

But what can we do? Some changes already seem to be irreversible. And the fruits of what we are succeeding in changing or stopping will only become evident in years, if not decades, to come.

Well, we can start by accepting that there will be many more such situations and catastrophes in the near future and that we quickly need to take some necessary steps and precautions in order to prevent the worst from happening. At this very moment there is a massive project underway in – or to put it more precisely under Mexico City – to build a 62-kilometre long tunnel 150 metres below the city’s surface with just one aim in mind: to protect the 20 million-strong metropolis against flooding and high water.

Mexico City is especially at risk because the mega city is built on a dried out lake and is gradually sinking further and further into the sandy substrate. The city itself is also surrounded by a ridge of high mountains which makes it extremely difficult – and costly – to pump the waste water out of the city and away from its inhabitants.

If nothing is done, and the heavy rainfalls during the wet season continue on such a colossal scale, then the city will literally sink in its own water. And this is what the TEO (Túnel Emisor Oriente) is designed to prevent. The tunnel will conduct the water masses away from the city in a depth of 150 metres to the lower-lying federal capital Hidalgo where they will then be processed by gigantic sewage plants which have been upgraded for exactly this purpose. The tunnel will soon be able to propel 150 m³ water per second to the nether regions, perhaps even as soon as 2012. There is even a German company from Baden-Württemberg involved in this mammoth project, which once again goes to show how highly German technology is regarded all over the globe.

So Mexico City is – for the time being at least – safe, thankfully. But where does that leave the rest of us? Our often antiquated and overburdened drainage systems are unable to cope with the downpours we have been experiencing. And you can hardly rely on sandbags and backflow flaps to stop the floods that ensue when the sewers run over, the dykes give and the rivers burst their banks. Better then to make sure that your washing machines, tumble dryers and any other possessions which you value highly are on a pedestal or other elevated place should the floods swamp your cellar. And if your cellar does one day get submerged in water you can always rely on us to dry it out again.

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best…

Our professional building dryers and dehumidifiers offer a whole range of solutions for dehumidification regardless of the scale. Take advantage of our super special offers which are currently running for new and second-hand dehumidifiers – and make sure you’re well prepared for the wet season!

TROTEC – we won’t leave you standing in the rain!

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Trotec presents new leak detection program at IFAT 2010

Posted on by Alfred Austin

TROTEC at the IFAT 2010 trade fair

September proved to be yet another busy month for TROTEC. This time we were at the IFAT ENTSORGA 2010 in Munich, which is highly regarded as being the leading international trade fair for environmental technology.

The fair, with its focus set firmly on water, waste water and waste and raw material management, attracted approximately 110,000 visitors from a total of over 185 different countries. During the 5-day event, which lasted from 13 – 17 September, 2,730 exhibitors from 49 countries rose to the opportunity to showcase their most prized products and the latest in cutting-edge technology in their own individual fields. One of the many innovative initiatives which caused quite a stir at this much-acclaimed venue was the state-of-the-art measuring technology program for leak detection in drinking water systems which we at TROTEC took great pride in presenting exclusively. The LD-series is based on the principle of combined detection, using acoustic and pressure sensors to systematically locate possible leaks. The program is made up of the following individual components:

  • The LD5L wireless data logger, which is positioned in the respective pipe system in order to constantly measure the sound level before transmitting the data it has collected to a passing measuring vehicle.
  • The LD5DL pressure data logger, which monitors the pressure status in water supplies both quickly and reliably. The high sampling rate of up to ten measurements per second enables the logger to record even the smallest of pressure surges before storing the data for later assessment and analysis using the software included in the scope of delivery.
  • The LD20PC multifunctional correlator, which is designed to pinpoint any possible leaks in pressure lines. The device registers the impact sound at different points in the pipe network and is then able to detect the exact position of the leak by comparing the length of time which has elapsed between echoes.
  • The LD 6000 combi detector, which is designed expressly for mobile leak detection and the acoustic location of water pipes. The device, which is the first of its kind worldwide, is excellently suited for versatile use as a means for mapping out routes, narrowing down the possible position of a leak or for pinpointing leaks accurately and reliably. When used in combination with the LD 6000 H2 hydrogen sensor, the combi detector can also be employed to detect leaks using trace gas. The optionally available LD-PULS pulse wave generator, which can be used to detect the position of non-metallic pressure water pipes, rounds off this package admirably.

This means that TROTEC now offers a complete and comprehensive program designed to assess the condition of drinking water systems for water suppliers and metrological service providers alike.

The reaction among experts and professionals can only be termed as extremely positive. The specialists responsible for pipework infrastructure in town councils , local authorities and large industrial areas showed great interest in this new product series which has been designed specially with the intention of making their job easier and even more efficient.

If you want to find out more about the measuring devices in the LD-series visit our product catalog!

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Trotec exhibitor at NordBau Trade Fair in Neumünster

Posted on by Alfred Austin

Trotec at the NordBau Trade Fair 2010

This year the 55th (!) annual NordBau Trade Fair, the long-standing international venue which not only attracts  a huge amount of interest from local companies and members of the local community but also from exhibitors and visitors from all over the globe, opened its gates in Neumünster from 02 -07 September. The event brought representatives from the building trade together with professional visitors, home builders and prospective house buyers, providing them with a platform to enter into dialogue and find out more about the latest building trends and traditional construction methods – quite simply everything in and around the field of building design and construction.

The organisers’ concept of bringing architects, builders’ merchants and countless other members of the building trade and interested members of the public and the commercial sector together proved once again to be resounding success. Over 900 exhibitors from 15 countries took hold of this unique opportunity to showcase their specialist portfolios and present their products and services to over 70,000 visitors. The topics which ranked high in the exhibitors’ and public’s interest this year were well-being, energy efficiency and sustainability.

TROTEC was among the companies at the Nordbau fair that were keen to take advantage of this chance to present their comprehensive product portfolios. The professional products from TROTEC span the fields of indoor climatisation, heating and ventilation, building drying, air purification and measuring technology with each area offering an impressive number of substantial solutions with regard to maximizing energy efficiency. Did you know, for example, that by carrying out drying during the building phase you too could save a significant sum of money which you would otherwise have to fork out for energy costs in the long run? Or that infrared cameras can be employed to detect defects in a building’s insulation, thus uncovering your home or flat’s weak spots, which can invariably cost you the owner, or you the tenant, a small fortune in energy and utility bills?

So now that you have read about the fair and learnt more about the interesting opportunities which such a splendid platform offers a variety of people from trade, industry and the public sector to meet and exchange ideas and information in and around the building sector, perhaps you would like to make a note of the date of the Nordbau 2011 Trade Fair, which is on from 08 – 13 September 2011.

…We for one will be there for sure!

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