Your HVAC is not something your buy, install, turn on, and forget about for a few decades as it does it’s thing. This isn’t to say business owners treat their equipment this way. But those who want to protect their investment and increase its longevity know that the only way to do this is through periodic inspections and maintenance.
Studies have shown that less than 50% of companies perform any kind of preventive or predictive maintenance on their HVAC systems. It’s difficult to pinpoint why this is. Perhaps it is because the HVAC system is seen as a necessary evil or an expense that contributes nothing positive to the bottom line.
But common sense says that the more you invest in the care and maintenance of something, the more life you get out of it and the more return you get on your investment.
Keeping it all together
Commercial HVAC systems have over 100 components, all of which need to work together in unison. This means that one part that isn’t working properly can degrade the performance of many others. This leads to the system needing to work harder to maintain air flow and proper temperatures and when this happens it leads to inefficiencies, higher costs, and the potential for more damage. Below are how some of the things that can go wrong in major components of your HVAC system can break down and how maintaining that one piece can prolong the life of your system.
- Dirty chiller tubes – If you allow microbes to build up in the tubes, your system needs to get colder in order to transfer heat. In extreme cases, this can cause your air conditioning system to be 35% less efficient.
- Low (or high) refrigerant levels – If you are losing coolant, or if the system is improperly maintained and the coolant was overfilled according to your system’s manufacturer’s instructions, it can result in a loss of 20% efficiency.
- Compressor leaks – Any leak in the compressor results in air building up in the unit. For every 1 psi of air in the condenser, the unit loses 3% of efficiency.
- Thermostat control problems – Improper settings, improper calibration, no night time setup, or faulty wiring can reduce the efficiency of your system by as much as 40%.
- Air flow problems – This can be caused by damaged ductwork, ducts that are improperly connected, or dirty filters. This can reduce efficiency by as much as 10% but more of your ventilation system is needed for clean rooms or greenhouses.
These are only a few problems that can prevent your system from working at it’s best. To make sure your HVAC system is heating and cooling at an optimal level, you should have a professional inspect and repair your system regularly. The best time to do this is before the winter and summer months.
Call John’s Service and Sales today and our trained technicians will give your entire system a thorough check to make sure it is running perfectly.
