Friday, September 10, 2021

Throttle Controllers: The Best Way to Improve the Performance of Your Vehicle

 Petrol and diesel are the main types of fuel that make our cars go nowadays with electricity slowly but surely catching up. Since we still rely on internal combustion engines our vehicles need to make use of throttle bodies. These components are what help control the amount of air that flows into the engine and thus petrol/ diesel too. Throttle bodies are often part of the air intake system which when you apply the gas pedal they open up the air intake thanks to a sensor.


This is the temperature sensor that helps measure the temperature of the air-fuel mixture and thus regulating the flow of air needed to make your vehicle run more efficiently. Today's throttle bodies rely on what is known as a drive-by-wire system which can be improved upon thanks to a small throttle control unit.

Why Get a Throttle Controller

Performance

An electronic throttle control device is able to improve your vehicle's performance since it adjusts the fuel-air mixture more efficiently. This is because a car throttle controller offers more control over how well you want your car to run thanks to different modes and settings. You can get more torque without pushing on the accelerator pedal as much.

Efficiency

Another advantage that throttle controllers offer is fuel efficiency. Performance is the first thing people want when driving an underpinned vehicle. But if you have a big rig, you want to save more on fuel. You can still benefit from installing a throttle controller by setting it up so that it doesn't use as much fuel in the mixture. This way you increase the intake of air but do remember your vehicle won't be as powerful when going over obstacles.


Throttle Lag

Something that almost every driver has experienced at least once in their lifetime is throttle lag. This is when you push the accelerator pedal and nothing happens for about a couple of seconds until you feel some acceleration pulling your vehicle forwards. Well, with a throttle controller this can easily be solved.

What to Look for in a Throttle Controller

Adjustment Levels

As you already know a car throttle controller comes with different modes on it. These modes come at various levels though. You can adjust each mode according to your driving style. This gives you more versatility and the more adjustment levels you get on each mode the better since you can fine-tune the controller to work better with your vehicle. If you don't want to fiddle with these levels you can always set the mode on your throttle control unit to automatic. Just make sure that the controller comes with such a mode since not every model has it.

Power Modes

Talking about power modes, they usually come as three different options. Typically an electronic throttle controller will have an eco, performance, and normal mode or automatic.. Eco mode makes your vehicle run in a way that will save the most amount of fuel without hindering performance as much. This can be achieved especially if the modes on your throttle controller have many adjustment levels.

Pro or performance mode (sometimes called sport mode)  favours torque and acceleration over fuel efficiency. Again the more adjustment levels you have the more aggressive or toned down you can make the performance of your vehicle. On some throttle controllers, you can make your own mode. especially models with many adjustment levels come with this option.

Installation & Set Up

While every electronic throttle controller can be installed easily not every model is easy to set up. Some throttle control units require you to just turn them on and they do the rest but others require extra steps. These often include selecting the mode that you need or turning off your vehicle and turning it on again. But it's nothing more complicated than that.


How to Install a Throttle Controller

1. To install an electronic throttle control module in your car you need to first locate the plug to your accelerator pedal which is often found on or under it. Once you've found that plug, remove it from the connector it's sitting in and connect the piggyback adaptor coming from the throttle controller.

2. Once you have the plug from the throttle controller connected where the original accelerator plug of the vehicle was, connect the original plug to the piggyback adaptor. The adaptor has a connection point on the backside where the original plug needs to go.

3. After connecting the original plug to the piggyback adaptor mount the throttle control unit somewhere on the dashboard and run the cable preferably through the steering column. This way you have a clean installation and you're ready to use the unit to your advantage.

Conclusion

No matter the size of your vehicle or the number of valves it has there is always something you can upgrade. Be it improving performance or fuel-efficiency, an electronic throttle controller can help make that happen. By dimpling plugging a palm-sized device, you can enjoy a better ride be it on city streets or mountain paths.

Friday, April 23, 2021

Tips for Choosing Flooring for Healthcare Environments

 Hospitals are busy places with a lot of people and staff going in and out and plenty of medical procedures performed during the day. For that reason, hospital flooring has to be able to withstand all the traffic, the pressure from the beds and machines and to be waterproof and easy to clean. Don’t forget that aesthetics is just as important. Hospitals in general need to represent a warm and safe environment for the patients.


Vinyl Flooring for Easy Maintenance

Vinyl is a synthetic material consisted of polyvinyl chloride and other polymers and resins. Many people know vinyl by the vinyl records that were once used to play music. They still exist and can be bought today and many people even collect them.

Despite for records, vinyl is popular as a material for flooring too, mostly because vinyl flooring for hospitals is high-quality, durable and versatile. When choosing flooring for a healthcare environment, in particular, vinyl has to be your number one choice. With only 2mm in thickness, vinyl flooring is able to withstand high amounts of pressure, weight and traffic which are all very common in hospitals.

Before installation the subfloor needs to be completely dry and inspected, then a suitable adhesive is being applied and on top of that goes the vinyl floor. Vinyl flooring for hospitals is even suitable to use on top of underfloor heating as long as the heating temperature doesn’t pass 27 degrees.

Once you install the hospital vinyl flooring rest assured that it will last a lifetime no matter the circumstances it is exposed to. With this, you also save up a lot of money that otherwise would have been spent on floor maintenance and repairs.


When choosing the right vinyl flooring for hospitals you can opt for one made out of recycled materials that’s 100% recyclable. Most vinyl floors are made following all the required safety regulations and are waterproof, abrasion-resistant, fire-resistant, have high chemical resistance and reduce sounds meaning they act as isolation too.  

As per cleaning, hospital flooring vinyl is super easy to maintain and keep hygienic at all times. You can use standard floor cleaners and disinfectants, but you can also steam clean the vinyl floor from time to time without it suffering any damage at all. And of course, vinyl floors are slip-resistant too which is perfect for hospitals because it can get quite messy sometimes.

Premium Rubber Flooring for Easy Installation

A good alternative to the vinyl flooring is the premium rubber floor which is used in hospitals just as much. Similarly to the vinyl floor, the rubber floor is budget-friendly, it’s very easy to install and maintain, has great isolation properties and will last for quite some time with the proper care.   

Rubber flooring can vary in thickness and the right thickness can be picked according to the room in which it’ll be placed. For example, waiting rooms and entry halls are the places that suffer the most traffic so it will be best if thicker rubber flooring is placed there. Thinner rubber flooring can be placed in patients’ rooms, nurses and doctors’ rooms and operating rooms.


The rubber flooring is the choice of many when it comes to hospital facilities because it is very low maintenance and hygienic. Let’s face it. Carpet flooring would be the worst option for a hospital room and ceramic tiles or wooden floors would turn out too expensive having in mind the enormous surface that needs to be covered.

Many rubber floors have an additional top layer that is bacteria resistant and suffers little to no damage over time leaving no space for bacteria or dirt to accumulate. Rubber is also very pleasant to walk on so it will be perfect for the medical stuff too.

Linoleum Floor with Antimicrobial Properties

Linoleum flooring belongs to the group of eco-friendly and budget-friendly flooring options suitable for healthcare environments. It’s not a new invention rather an old one but it’s popular even today because of its features.

Linoleum is a very resilient and long-lasting material that feels very pleasant on the feet when walking on it since it creates a bounce back experience and a soft cushion-like effect. That soft feature makes it easily foldable, almost like cloth. Linoleum can be found in sheets or tiles but both are very easy to install. It is made from natural materials that are also renewable and include cork powder, linseed oil, pine resins and wood flour. That means that linoleum is also biodegradable.


Additional substances can be added to the mix in order to make the linoleum floor harder and stronger than it usually is. For additional protection, a coating or layer can be applied on top of the linoleum floor, and this is especially recommended for hospitals since it enhances the waterproof feature.

The Design of the Flooring has to be Warm and Homey

All of the previously mentioned flooring types come in many bright and happy colours as well as vibrant and contemporary designs. When choosing the right hospital flooring design, colour and style you have to take into consideration the impact that the floor and the whole ambient will have on the patients.

The overall design of hospitals needs to have a positive, warm and homey effect on patients. Many studies have shown that the environment can play a major role in the faster healing and recovering of patients and their overall mood while they’re in the hospital.

Take children’s hospitals for example. It is best if you choose the flooring that has an interesting and colourful design, maybe with some kind of print that will make the whole room seem welcoming and suitable for little kids.

Despite for patients, the right design and style can have a positive impact on the employees too. Take into consideration that healthcare workers have long shifts and they spend many hours in hospital rooms taking care of patients and performing procedures. The right design can elevate their mood too and boost their performance.