"Determining how much air conditioning you need for a tented event is as much of an art form as it is a science." Holly O'Dell, InTents Magazine
I couldn't have said it better myself so why try! InTents Magazine is all about delivering the total tent experience and they're right -- it's as much an art form as it is a science.
It's tricky to figure out how much tent air conditioning is needed to get the right temperature. Each tented event is unique and there are many variables that must be taken into consideration to figure out how much cooling is needed for each event and which tent air conditioning method is best. O'Dell offers tips for getting the perfect temperature in her recent InTents article.
"As a rule of thumb, one ton of air conditioning can cool about 125 square feet of a tent," says AirPac's Art Behnke in O'Dell's article.
Here are some event-specific items to consider when determining the right amount of tent air conditioning:
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The size of the tent
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The location of the tent -- will it be on a grassy field or on asphalt?
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The time of day for the event -- afternoon, evening?
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The type of tent -- pole, clearspan, etc?
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How many doors or access points are there?
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What color is the tent -- white, clear?
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Is there any interior draping or blackout fabric?
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What's going on in the tent -- a sit down dinner or an event with lots of high-energy dancing?
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Is there additional lighting or audio-visual equipment in the tent that produces heat?
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Are there any items in the tent that are heat sensitive -- elaborate cakes, ice sculptures, etc?
See where I'm going with this?
In order to figure out how much cooling is needed for tented events, it's best to work with a tent rental professional or a company that specializes in temporary cooling and heating for special events. They'll know how to guide you through this process and you'll end up with an event that's memorable for... the event... and NOT how uncomfortable the guests were.
