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Does anyone else find it really hard to keep the rig cool when it's 95+ degrees out? For some reason it's nearly impossible to keep cool air flowing to the back passenger compartment. Do you have any tricks? Advice?
Cooling an Ambulance in the Summer
- Thread starter MMiz
- Start date
mikeylikesit
Candy Striper
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yeah we have a slide window on our side door in the back or the rig. i crack that a bit to create a pressure gradient and pull more toward the back.
reaper
Working Bum
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Buy a Fraiser!! They are the best in hot climates. You could hang meat back there, when the A/C is cranked.
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Park them in a cool garage... then keep them running onscene.... and make sure the AC unit is serviced once in a while.
mikeylikesit
Candy Striper
- 906
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I'm sure pretty soon though the service will tell you to just roll down your window since the A/C unit wastes too much gas.
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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Roger, Jon
A/C breaks down just after the intercom does and never delivers the CFPM the demo does at the show. Know where the system's intake and outlets are, vacuum them, keep them free of obstructions.
Reflective windows seem to help but you can't see out at night and reflecting sunlight onto other motorists helps public relations so much.
Use the exhaust fan to suck out hotter air from top of unit.
A/C breaks down just after the intercom does and never delivers the CFPM the demo does at the show. Know where the system's intake and outlets are, vacuum them, keep them free of obstructions.
Reflective windows seem to help but you can't see out at night and reflecting sunlight onto other motorists helps public relations so much.
Use the exhaust fan to suck out hotter air from top of unit.
mattulance
Forum Crew Member
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Cold packs
Grady_emt
Forum Captain
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Frazer is the correct spelling, and yes, they are quite good at cooling. Our McCoy Millers are mostly crap, but we pur 65,000 miles a year on them, so they are just run ragged after a while.
EMTAlex209
Forum Probie
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Cooling your Ambulance
Depending on your make and model. Most have an high idle option. Put your up front AC on high and your rear AC the same. Should be good to go when you get back in on scene.
Depending on your make and model. Most have an high idle option. Put your up front AC on high and your rear AC the same. Should be good to go when you get back in on scene.
KEVD18
Forum Deputy Chief
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i prefer to close the door between the cab and the pc.
blast the rear ac and the front ac. the front ac doesnt have the capacity to effectively cool both compartments and vice versa for the rear. by separating the compartments, the systems work much more efficiently(at least in my experience).
now, as far as working in a vehicle with an inoperable ac unit in the summer, this is as easy as it gets. mass oems regulations require that the rear climate control system must be fully operational for the ambulance to be used. they could hardly care less about the cab. so if the heat/ac in the back doesnt work, i simply mark the unit out of service and either take another truck or go home and get paid anyway. i simply wont work in inhumane conditions. its not good for my health or the health of my patients.
i had a shift a few years back. i was brand new at a company and hadnt yet developed my backbone as it were. the ambulance from my garage that was assigned to the paramedics had a broken ac. neither the front nor the back worked. since that particular medic crew did an exceptional amount of static posting, they refused to take it. so they were reassigned to my truck. they moved all their gear and away they went. by the time i got into work that day, the "out of service" truck was the only one left. neither me nor my partner had the stones to refuse to work, we took it. it was 110deg that day. i became severely dehydrated and required medical attention for it. since then, i'll be damned if im going to risk my health to make somebody else rich. i have since then refused to take vehicles many times if they were deficient in some way that was a significant hazard to me or my patients.
blast the rear ac and the front ac. the front ac doesnt have the capacity to effectively cool both compartments and vice versa for the rear. by separating the compartments, the systems work much more efficiently(at least in my experience).
now, as far as working in a vehicle with an inoperable ac unit in the summer, this is as easy as it gets. mass oems regulations require that the rear climate control system must be fully operational for the ambulance to be used. they could hardly care less about the cab. so if the heat/ac in the back doesnt work, i simply mark the unit out of service and either take another truck or go home and get paid anyway. i simply wont work in inhumane conditions. its not good for my health or the health of my patients.
i had a shift a few years back. i was brand new at a company and hadnt yet developed my backbone as it were. the ambulance from my garage that was assigned to the paramedics had a broken ac. neither the front nor the back worked. since that particular medic crew did an exceptional amount of static posting, they refused to take it. so they were reassigned to my truck. they moved all their gear and away they went. by the time i got into work that day, the "out of service" truck was the only one left. neither me nor my partner had the stones to refuse to work, we took it. it was 110deg that day. i became severely dehydrated and required medical attention for it. since then, i'll be damned if im going to risk my health to make somebody else rich. i have since then refused to take vehicles many times if they were deficient in some way that was a significant hazard to me or my patients.
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+1 to Kev,
In PA, the rules are similar... the back must reach a certian temp within a few minutes.
I've refused trucks because they didn't have AC, and it was just a warm spring day. I've also insisted that trucks at the vollie squad be placed OOS for the same reason... I"ll sweat my *** off doing compressions on scene.. but when we finally get the patient into the rig... it should be COOLER, not HOTTER than the scene.
Jon
In PA, the rules are similar... the back must reach a certian temp within a few minutes.
I've refused trucks because they didn't have AC, and it was just a warm spring day. I've also insisted that trucks at the vollie squad be placed OOS for the same reason... I"ll sweat my *** off doing compressions on scene.. but when we finally get the patient into the rig... it should be COOLER, not HOTTER than the scene.
Jon
MJordan2121
Forum Crew Member
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High Idle
When we press in our parking brake on the ambulance, it puts it into high-idle mode and keeps the unit cool. I live in South Mississippi and it gets quite hot with the humidity levels factored in. It helps to park in the shade, under a tree or somewhere where the sun isn't pounding on you.
When we press in our parking brake on the ambulance, it puts it into high-idle mode and keeps the unit cool. I live in South Mississippi and it gets quite hot with the humidity levels factored in. It helps to park in the shade, under a tree or somewhere where the sun isn't pounding on you.
gradygirl
TROUBLE
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We always had our mechanics make sure that the A/C was fully charged before going out. When we were out, we parked in the shade as much as possible and put the truck in high-idle with the air blowing on high both in front and back. More often than not, the cab was comfortable and the pt. compartment was ice cold.
It seems like Mississippi and Connecticut have the same idea...
It seems like Mississippi and Connecticut have the same idea...
Grady_emt
Forum Captain
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Park in the shade at post, High-idol, pop the hood and open it up to vent the excess heat in the engine compt. Finally, if there is a breeze, put the nose of the truck into it. It helps keep fresh, cooler air flowing through the engine and will in turn help the A/C
emtwannabe
Forum Lieutenant
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A good mechanic makes all of the difference....here in Houston, it is mandatory that we have fully functional a/c. Luckily, we have just acquired a terrific new mechanic that really listens to us, and fixes the broken stuff.
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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It's nice to have rules that the A/C will work,
...but Murphy thinks otherwise.
...but Murphy thinks otherwise.