For anyone who owns or manages a business, it is clear that things are a bit different than they are at home. The size of building systems like plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are much bigger than residential systems and are under much more stress. This increased size and increased use means that maintaining a commercial building system requires much more work and routine maintenance than a residential system does. Most people don’t understand how complicated HVAC systems are or how much work they take to maintain. In order to help our customers get the most out of their systems, we’ve decided to offer in-depth information about how to care for a commercial HVAC system.
MEETING OSHA STANDARDS
The first major “special concern” that businesses have is the health of their employees. In homes, making sure an HVAC system is healthy is a little bit easier because there is usually just one vent per room and all it takes is a glance in that direction to make sure the vent is clear of debris, mold, or mildew. In a commercial HVAC system, however, it takes a lot more work to ensure that the building’s indoor air quality meets government standards. Since there are air vents all over the building and in places that are not easy to see or access, it is always a good idea to have a professional HVAC company come out twice yearly to assess the health of the system and check the vents for possible hazardous growth.
CONSTANT FILTER CHANGE
Another important part of maintaining air quality and maximizing the life span of the HVAC components is to replace filters every few months. Depending on the filter, it may remove dust, pollen, or even microscopic materials from the air. Changing the filters prevents these things from getting re-circulated but also makes sure they don’t get sucked into, and break, the various HVAC components. Clogged filters are unable to continue cleaning the air and can actually make it dirtier. Aside from the increased allergens and pollutants flying around the building, clogged filters can decrease the air flow necessary to make sure the HVAC system functions properly. Results of clogged air filters may include burned-out motors and rusted fans.
KEEP IT CLEAN
In order to make sure that a commercial HVAC system continues running smoothly, the condenser and evaporator coils need to be cleaned about twice a year. Without the services of a professional HVAC company, these important components can easily degenerate and harbor viruses, fungi, and bacteria. By cleaning them twice a year, businesses can be sure to get a return on their investment and avoid having recurring, expensive repairs.
CHECK THE BELTS
While the HVAC technician is busy cleaning coils and changing filters, be sure to ask that the fans, belts, and bearings be looked at too. Just like in a car, fans and belts play a huge part in how the system works and, if they break, the repair can be rather expensive. By having these components inspected twice a year, businesses can drastically reduce the amount of money they spend on major repairs.
USE A PROFESSIONAL
By having a professional HVAC company do a twice-yearly inspection, businesses can save thousands of dollars in HVAC repair. Remember, even though it seems counter intuitive, a bunch of small, periodic repairs is almost always cheaper than a major one.