When you’ve made the decision to protect your crops with frost fans, there are several important factors to think about before and after they are installed.
Council consents may need be obtained, decisions need to be made on where to place the frost fans and whether there is sufficient access for the trucks to come onto site, concrete bases need to be installed, and ongoing monitoring and maintenance needs to be considered. Thorough planning means getting the most out of your frost fans, and ensuring they are effective when protecting against frost damage.
Let's delve into the key things to keep in mind.
1. Council Consents
Your local council may require you to apply for a consent or permit to place frost fans on your property. Depending on your location and the size of your operation, they may have specific guidelines you’ll need to adhere to, such as noise, installation or impact on neighbours. Ensuring you comply with these regulations from the outset can save time and potential headaches down the line.
In some areas, FrostBoss® can help you with the consent process. Please check with your FrostBoss® representative whether this is something we can work through with you.
2. Placement of Frost Fans
Choosing where your fans will go is so important to protecting your crops effectively. Strategic positioning of your fans will minimise the effect of obstructions (natural and man-made), maximise the coverage area and help you comply with regulations.
Identifying and understanding the katabatic drift (where cold air flows downhill and settles in valleys and low-lying areas) will tell you where frost may accumulate. It is important to understand the direction of the katabatic drift because the frost fan covers an elliptical rather than a circular shape.
Then you’ll need to consider topography, prevailing wind patterns, obstructions such as a row of trees or a building where the cold air can build up behind them, the layout of your crops, and the vicinity of your neighbours to get maximum coverage, while keeping noise levels down.
3. Ordering & Installation
The timing of your frost fan installation is critical to making sure you have protection in place before a frost season. Ideally, fans should be installed well before the onset of freezing temperatures, allowing time for testing and commissioning.
Before your frost fan goes in, we need to prepare the site, and install and cure a concrete base. You may also need to create additional access for concrete trucks, cranes and future service trucks, such as removing overhead branches or cutting a 3.0 metre wide gravel track through the existing crops.
Consider lead times when ordering your frost fans to ensure they arrive well in advance of when you need them. Allow for your council consents to be obtained (if required), adequate preparation and installation of the site, and importantly, time to manufacture and ship your frost fans to you (especially if overseas or you’re ordering a large quantity).
Planning ahead reduces the risk of delays and avoids any potential disruption to protecting your crops, particularly if there is an unexpected frost event.
4. Future Planning
If you intend to expand your operation and plant out more land in the future, the coverage area you need to protect will increase.
Strategic planning is recommended before the expansion begins, to ensure you can continue to meet the extra demands with the existing installation, or there is space and budget for any additional frost fans you may need to install, and any changes to existing consents are in place.
5. Monitoring Your Frost Fans
FrostBoss® frost fans come with hardware pre-installed to enable you to monitor your frost fan regularly and remotely including wind speed, the temperature at fruit height compared to the temperature at the top of the tower and whether they’re armed and ready for a frost event.
Ensuring you have a FrostSmart® subscription in place gives you access to these features and the relevant data. Once your fans have been installed, you will receive an email with subscription details.
6. Servicing Your Frost Fans
Like your car, your frost fans need regular checks and maintenance for optimal performance. Getting your frost fans serviced annually will prolong their lifespan and maximise their effectiveness over time. Annual servicing by an authorised representative is an important condition for your 4-year warranty.
The major cause of failure is lack of use, so the frost fans should be run and checked well before you need them to protect your crops.
Chat with us early in your planning journey and we can share our insights and guidance to ensure you’re well-protected at each step.
If you’re interested in learning more about the innovative FrostBoss® range of frost protection solutions, get in touch to see if a frost fan is the right solution to protect your investment.
.svg)
.svg)
