Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE MAJORITY OF INSTALLATIONS BESTEEL MEDIUM DUTY CURTAIN TRACK • ECONOMICAL • SMOOTH • DEPENDABLE • CONSERVES VITAL MATERIAL AUTOMATIC DEVICES CO. 1033 Linden St. Allentown. Pa. Export Office: 220 W. 42nd St., N. Y. C. Also Mfrs. of AUTODRAPE Curtain Machines TALK ABOUT ECONOMY and RELIABILITY STRONG' COPPER OXIDE AND TUBE TYPE) T The modern means of converting A.C. to D.C.as a stable power supply for projection arc lamps. Low original, operating and maintenance costs. Quiet operation. Distributed through leading independent theatre supply dealers. THE STRONG ELECTRIC CORP. 87 City Park Avenue TOLEDO 2, OHIO Air-Conditioning Can Pay Its Way If the Job is Well Planned j Regard the means of air-comfort as a box-office toolthen get an installation that avoids the extra costs CARL F. BOESTER By CARL F. BOESTER why people consider airconditioning a cost is beyond me. If a proper evaluation is made, air-conditioning is just as much of a revenue producer as projection, or sound equipment, or nice comfortable seats. Maybe we could learn to regard airconditioning as a box office sales tool, and to appreciate more our ability to take advantage of it, if we analyzed some of the expenses related to it. We must fully understand that in order to have air-conditioning we have costs apart from it, such as space available, weight of equipment, the noise it makes, and finally the reconstruction and redecoration caused by its installation. You can't expect an air-conditioning engineer or contractor to know your business, and particularly your theatre, better than, or even as well as, you know it. Because he doesn't know, and if you don't help him understand when you buy air-conditioning equipment, the chances are you'll get a compromised job at a higher price than you planned to pay. It so happens that I've had broad construction experience as well as considerable background in air-conditioning engineering. For this reason I was asked by a theatre owner to review some plans for a post-war house of about 750 seats that he hoped to build at a pretty close figure. He started off with complaints about air-conditioning costs. Percentage-wise, on total cost he wasn't bad off on the estimates he had. The estimates weren't out of line with other essential revenue producing equipment, either. He admitted that he couldn't operate without comfortable seats, but it was just hard to believe that comfortable air was just as essential. THOSE INCIDENTAL COSTS Rather careful study of his plans revealed very little thought had been given to the incidental costs of air-conditioning, such as the above mentioned items of space, weight and noise. In this case, redecorating did not need to be considered, but the way he had things worked out for him, extra trim and decorating were required, as was special and therefore extra construction. Take the matter of space: I don't care how you figure it, so much a cubic foot or so much a square foot, the fact remains that you have a terrific cost in space. If, because of lack of ingenuity or study, you require a lot of space for equipment, fans, duct, etc., you are, sure to have high cost. Let's not go the other way, though, and try to jam all the equipment in a closet. It must, on occasion, be serviced and that takes room to work in — lack of adequate room causes service time costs tc rise. Good planning in limited space is, however, in order. Many of the parts needing service can be built in to permit easy access others may be arranged for easy demounting and removal for service purposes. In detailed studies of hundreds of cases, ] have found that a surprising part of the cosi was caused by unplanned use of space. In nevi buildings this is inexcusable; but in old build ings compromises can usually be found tha will permit an economical use of space. Mam times extra space has to be added to existing buildings because of improper application en gineering. In new buildings a study of air conditioning space needs points out glarin< wastes in other directions. If you pick u\ 500 or 1,000 cubic feet of space, it goes i long way toward paying for the air-con' ditioning. VIBRATION MEANS DOLLARS Weight is another money waster. Sorm contractors sell air-conditioning equipment b; the ton rather than by the performance i gives. Big heavy compressors and condensin equipment require special bases and cribbing This is turn must be so planned as to b sound and vibration-proof. Multi-cylindere high speed compressors are the most desirabh Many of the newer types are so vibrationlc that they hardly need fastening down. I some equipment is set on the roof or hun from roof trusses, these have to be oversize and so will be your costs ! Special platforms for condensers or fan an coil units should be avoided. They not onl cost money, but many times act as a drur head amplifying vibration noise. Keep a equipment floor-supported if possible, partict larly if it is motor operated. In taking bic for air-conditioning equipment, seriously coi sider the total weight not only of the equi] ment, but of all materials used in the jol The more pounds, the more cost. Noise is always a source of added cos Some contractors, in order to price a jc under a competitor, forget all about noise, s after he leaves you have to soundproof tl equipment room. Insist on flexible conne tion units in all refrigerant lines. A vibr: tion-proof motor base is a must, but it doesn mean a thing unless the compressor is lik wise treated. A hermetic unit (motor ar (Continued on page 34) The World's Largest Manufacturer , of Projection Arc Lamps Am CD "THIRD DIMENSION" AULLK MULTIPLE SIZE SILHOUETTE LETTERS and Exclusive "REMOVA-PANEL" Glass-in-Frame Units ADLER SILHOUETTE LETTER CO. 2909 Indiana Ave., Chicago 1451 B'way, N. Y. C. If BETTER THEATRES, APRIL 28, 19'