Solving Your Cooling Problems Before The Summer Sets In

Depending on how large your building or commercial setting is, your summer air conditioning needs could be giving you some of your biggest problems. One tenant may call up complaining about the heat while the next calls in and complaints about being too cold.

In many cases, the most common problems with your cooling system are also easy to fix because they are human error. Before the heat wave of the summer sets in, keep these things in mind.

Some of the easiest ways to fix cooling problems:

1. Adjust the thermostat

Thermostats are usually kept in a place where everybody has access. One may be too warm, and turns the temperature gauge down. When the next person gets cold, they turn it up.

Before you call in a technician for a service call, adjust the thermostat up and down to make sure it still functions, and the air conditioner will turn on when the gauge is brought to a position lower than the actual room temperature. It may seem like a silly step, but it is the first thing a technician will try, knowing that it’s a common problem where many people reside.

2. Check the registers

The cooling system may be running properly, yet the air can’t get through the air vents because the registers have been shut down. Depending on the location, they can be bumped by a vacuum, stepped on as people pass by, or deliberately shut down by someone trying to adjust the air flow. Check every vent within the building, making sure its properly adjusted, especially in rooms and spaces where complaints have been made.

3. Clean and check the filter

A dirty filter can reduce efficiency by as much as 20 percent. And if dirt goes unchecked for extended periods of time, it can quickly cause mechanical damage that will require additional repairs. Your filter should be checked at a minimum once per month, and replace it on an as needed basis. Your manufacturer’s guidelines will give you a recommendation for how often to change it, or work with your maintenance technician for a regular schedule.

The cooling system’s capabilities can be reduced in a number of ways:

1. The condenser coils may be iced

Because air conditioners are designed to cool, there may be some cases where they try to freeze up. An air conditioner is designed to prevent this from happening, but if the unit isn’t working properly the condenser coils can ice over. This can be caused by a blocked airflow, low refrigerant, an old system, or low air temperatures. A technician can help you locate and fix the problem and bring your system back into working condition.

2. Low refrigerant

Gage the level of refrigerant in the system and recharge it if necessary. If you notice any refrigerant leaks, repair should be made immediately.

3. A worn out compressor

The compressor may no longer be able to compress the refrigerant because of wear and tear to the system. Again, a technician would be able to monitor your system and make recommendations accordingly.

4. A blocked drain

If a drain line if blocked from the condensation pump, it could be causing a leak in the system. A block can be cause by a variety of reasons, including debris or algae, and cause condensation to begin pooling in the drainage pan until it overflows. If this is the case, the line must be cleaned thoroughly before diagnosis of the problem can occur. 

Controlling Your Building’s Cooling Problems

How old is your building? What is built for today’s heavy IT needs?

Just a few years ago, a commercial location’s biggest problem was keeping the building occupants cool. Yet very quickly that’s emerged into a two pronged strategy. If the tenants and employees don’t have proper ventilation, the complaints will flow in. But there is another inhabitant whose demands are even higher. yet silent in their needs: your technology room.

As servers and IT equipment spread across buildings – often into spaces never designed for the demands of such equipment – managers are faced with the challenge of keeping the equipment in proper working condition. We’re seeing IT equipment being kept in janitorial closets, under stairwells, or in small closets with little air flow. We’ll find a server next to cleaning supplies, all enclosed in a space just waiting for problems to occur.

And a problem is usually what has to occur before a strategy for cooling is considered.

IT needs occur rapidly. A company will decide to take on a large portion of their own computing needs, buying up many different pieces of equipment. Then without a place to put it, they’ll start looking for out of the way areas. Very quickly it can grow to where you have $1 million or more tucked away into a closet, and without the proper cooling, something overheats, something shuts down, and the problems begin.

One of the first steps a manager should take is to understand the proper cooling needs of that much equipment. Problems arise when management underestimates their needs. Will your IT be increasing in the near future? Will you be adding even more equipment, and upgrading quickly as your business grows? A proper cooling system will have to be installed for the wattage being generated by the equipment. And if that’s expected to grow quickly, thinking bigger rather than smaller with your cooling equipment is in your best interest.

It’s also important for management to consider the issue of heat rejection. If you will be using an air cooled unit, where will the heat be rejected to? In many cases, heat is sent back up into a drop ceiling. If there is an air plenum back into the HVAC system in that space, everything will work well. If the drop ceiling is simply dead space, your problem will continue to grow as the heat builds up.

Another area for consideration is with condensation removal. When IT systems are built in unexpected places, there is rarely a drainage system available exactly where you need it. Will you pump the water out? Are you going to install a gravity drain? Will you choose an evaporator method of removal? Air coolers produce water. And if water builds up where it isn’t supposed to, additional problems can quickly surface, like mold and mildew.

A lot of considerations go into deciding the best methods for keeping your building cool. But if you haven’t taken into consideration the needs of your IT equipment, your building could be at risk. Start today by having a heating and cooling audit performed. Then we can show you where your vulnerabilities lie, and how to quickly increase your efficiencies throughout your facility.

Why You Need A Quality Commercial Thermostat

With most aspects of your commercial HVAC system, you are one of only a few in control. If you need access, the system is kept behind locked doors. Repairs, maintenance, installation, all is monitored on an as-needed basis.

Not so with the thermostat.

The thermostat is generally the only component of the HVAC system that many in your building will have access to in a hands-on manner. And for the most part, one thermostat is similar to another, all being fairly easy to operate. But if you don’t have a quality thermostat installed in your office, building or complex, you may be spending more on your energy bills every single month, and having a less than comfortable office environment.

While quality is your number one consideration when making your final selection, finding one that is user friendly is also key. In a home environment, only one or two people will typically control temperatures every day. In an office, dozens may come in contact over any given period of time. And having one person bump up the temperature a degree or two because they are cold, followed by the next bumping it down a degree or two because they are warm will prove to be anything but efficient.

A digital display is certainly a key feature in today’s world; its convenient to look at a clear display and know exactly where the temperature is. Yet for most digital thermostats, display is the starting point, and most will offer many more features that can help you stay comfortable and control your costs.

Consider a programmable thermostat that will allow you to turn on and off, and control the temperature to varying degrees throughout the day. This helps you save energy and allows your employees to be comfortable from the moment they arrive for work. Plus it prevents the building from being heated in the evening hours when no one is in the building.  

You can also get a smart thermostat that will allow you to save the most energy possible, even when you’re away. Smart thermostats have advanced technology that makes it capable of learning what temperatures you prefer throughout the day. Download an app and you can adjust temperature, check readings, even check on the energy usage from anywhere you have access.

When was the last time your commercial thermostat was replaced? If you could benefit from upgrading your current thermostat to allow you to better control your environment and your energy costs, schedule a routine maintenance call today. We can help show you the latest models and help you make the right choice for your system

What Is Your Commercial HVAC Security Plan?

We incorporate security into all kinds of things that take place in our daily lives.

We set up a home security system to keep our families safe.  

We use security and backups on our computer to make our most sensitive data more protected.  

We even buy insurance policies to ensure everything in our daily lives is safe from harm, from our homes, to our cars, and even to our very lives.

But what about the HVAC system in the property you manage?

HVAC systems are designed to spread air throughout the building. Yet just as easily it can spread other, more dangerous contaminants as well. Whether accidental or intentional, your HVAC system could be putting your building at risk; unless you take adequate precautionary measures.

HVAC security risks can include a variety of things: fires, natural disasters, chemical spills, bacteria, viruses, mold, VOC fumes, smoke, asbestos and carbon dioxide. And they can spread through your building in a variety of ways: production activities within an office, sick office workers, chemical spills inside or outside of the building, water damage from a flood, even normal day to day activities can add in to the problem.

While its impossible to eliminate the chance of a problem from ever occurring within your building, it is important in having detection measures in place so you can eliminate the problem as quickly as possible.

Every HVAC security plan should start by having a design document that outlines how the system works, where every piece of equipment is placed, and what safety or alarm features exist. It should outline how the system functions, what equipment is in use, and where key entry points lie.

With a thorough planning document in place, the next step is to evaluate the system and find the greatest areas of vulnerability. Risk assessments should include determining where a potential contamination can easily take place, and what actions would be required to remedy the situation.

In many commercial environments, HVAC equipment is located on the outside of the building. Who has access to the equipment? Is it on ground level, easily accessible to anyone who may walk by? Or is it on the roof, protected and available to only those who have access to the building? Access doors should be secured. You can also build in additional security measures, such as monitors and alarms that will alert key personnel if and when the security is breached.

You should also build in security measures for accidents that may occur relevant to what is housed within the building itself. If the building is leased by a painting company, for instance, it will be at more risk for chemical spills and VOC hazards. Proper security should be added for both protection and detection.

Never forget that even minor, routine maintenance items can sometimes be your biggest defense. If your security plan calls for regular scheduled maintenance from a professional HVAC contractor, you will know that air filters are cleaned and replaced regularly, all filters are properly installed, equipment is running in its proper manner, gas detectors are properly calibrated, and screens and grates are cleaned and kept free of debris. Just these few routine tasks can alert you to problems that can quickly escalate and grow in a short period of time.

So what’s your plan? If this is the first time you’ve contemplated what your plan should be, there’s no better time than now to fix it. Let’s talk. With one of our professional HVAC contractors, we can help you design the perfect HVAC security plan for your building, giving you both security and peace of mind in the years to come.