Category: Cooling

5 Common Commercial HVAC Problems that Arise in the Summer

It’s no secret that the summer months can be brutal when it comes to your commercial HVAC system. The high temperatures and humidity levels can put a lot of stress on your equipment, leading to a variety of problems. Here are some of the most common commercial HVAC problems that arise during the summer:

1. Your AC unit is not cooling your building properly.

There are several potential causes for this problem. One possibility is that your AC unit is the wrong size for your building. Another possibility is that your air filters are dirty and need to be replaced. Finally, your AC unit may simply be overworked and in need of repair or replacement.

2. Your energy bills are skyrocketing.

If your AC unit is not working properly, it will have to work harder to cool your building, which will use more energy and drive up your utility bills. In addition, if your air filters are dirty, they will also cause your AC unit to work harder and use more energy.

3. Your AC unit is making strange noises.

If your AC unit is making strange noises, it could be a sign that something is wrong with the unit. It’s important to have any strange noise coming from your AC unit checked out by a professional as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

4. You are having trouble maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature.

If your AC unit is not working properly, it can be very difficult to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. This can lead to a lot of discomfort for you and your employees.

5. Your AC unit is leaking water.

If your AC unit is leaking water, it could be a sign of a serious problem. Water leaks can cause damage to your building and can lead to mold and mildew growth.

If you are having any of these problems with your commercial HVAC system, it’s important to call a professional for help. A professional HVAC contractor will be able to diagnose the problem and recommend the best course of action to take. In many cases, a simple repair will be all that is needed to fix the problem. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to replace your AC unit entirely.

Chiller Installation in Minneapolis, MN

When you require commercial chiller installation for your Minnesota business, you can rely on Corporate Mechanical.

Making the choice to cool your building with commercial chillers gives you unprecedented control over temperature, humidity, and ventilation. But for business owners still deciding whether or not to go with a commercial chilling system, making the commitment can seem daunting. Business owners are typically do-it-themselves types of people—after all, it’s that personal drive that caused them to start their own business venture in the first place. But there are many reasons why hiring professional help to install your commercial chilling system is the smartest, most efficient choice.

Why Choose Us?

Less business downtime. Business owners know that time their building has to be closed in order to allow for the installation equals time that the business can’t be pulling in profits. Having a professional team assess the building, listen to your needs, make their recommendations, and do a rapid, thorough job will maximize the time that your business can stay open. This will lessen the disruption an installation could present.

We will tailor the system to your needs. As a business owner, you know that you are successful when you know the customers’ needs better than they do themselves. That’s why they come to you. In the same way, delegating your commercial chiller installation to a team of experts does two things. Firstly, it gives you the support and knowledge that you need in order to make the chilling system work with your building. Commercial chillers come in a variety of sizes and our chiller installation professionals understand how your building needs to be cooled using one or more units. Secondly, delegating the installation allows you to focus on your business’s true mission: helping the customers who rely on you.

We offer maintenance support. Installing a system is not just about making it work the first time. An chiller installation professionals will help you understand the mechanics of your system, allowing you to maximize the longevity of the machines.

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Why You Should Consider an HVAC Package Unit

We all want to stay cool in hot weather and warm in the cold, but we may not have the space on our property or in our budget to accommodate a traditional HVAC system. There is an alternative, however. A packaged HVAC unit takes up less space, and is more energy efficient than other alternatives. If you want to get the most bang for your buck with your heating and cooling, consider a packaged HVAC system. Here are some of the biggest benefits to this kind of system.

Saves Space

We cannot all live in a spacious mansion. Some of us have limited space in which to live, and using up some of that real estate for an HVAC unit is just not feasible. An HVAC package unit instead gets installed outside your home or even on your roof. That way, you can use that extra space for other things that can add value to your home or provide more living space. Your comfort does not have to come at the expense of you being cramped inside your home.

Easier Maintenance

Usually when you have an HVAC maintenance plan, you are charged an upfront fee for the work, plus an hourly labor rate. The labor costs will be higher depending on how complicated the work is. With a packaged HVAC unit, a technician will not have to go back and forth from the exterior and interior, and will not have to contort themselves getting into tight spaces. There is the one simple unit to work on, which makes things easier for them and therefore much faster. It is also easier for you to spot problems since it is such a simple unit.

Ease of Installation

A packaged HVAC unit is assembled off-site in a climate controlled facility. It is tested before it makes its way to your home so it will work once it is installed. Since it is a single unit, it is incredibly simple to install and start. It will also be cheaper since it will only take a short time for the technician to get everything up and running, reducing those labor costs.

Energy Savings

Having a compact unit to handle all of your heating and cooling needs is the energy efficient choice. One unit does everything, and it doesn’t have to work as hard to get you comfortable. Most units have Energy Star certification, so you know that they will save you money on your energy bills. Multi-unit systems work much harder and expend much more energy.

Versatility and Reliability

While it is a single smaller unit, that does not mean that you cannot choose from the same number of options that a multi-unit offers. You can choose gas, heat pump, or electric. Each choice has its pros and cons, so make sure to discuss with your HVAC professional what option is best for you. Because of its size, it is also versatile. There are more places that you can have it installed, as opposed to a bulky multi-unit system.

Heats and Cools Large Spaces

While it comes in a smaller unit, a packaged HVAC unit can still provide comfort to large spaces, if need be. Not only that, but it will work on those spaces for a fraction of the cost of a traditional unit. A standard packaged unit can cool 12,000 thermal units per hour. That is enough to cool even a large showroom or small warehouse.

There is no reason not to choose a packaged HVAC unit, whether you are moving into a new place, upgrading your business, or upgrading your home. A packaged system provides you with the comfort you need, while also giving you cost and space savings and convenience. Contact a professional today to discuss how your space could benefit from a packaged HVAC unit.

If you want your HVAC system to run more efficiently, the experts at Corporate Mechanical can help. Reach out online or call 763-533-3070.

Common Problems With Commercial Air Conditioners

There are several reasons that a commercial air conditioner may not function properly. These could include a faulty thermostat. A bad thermostat could cause the air conditioner to come on or shut off more often than it should. It could mean that the air conditioner is not doing the job as well as it should be and that it is ultimately costing more money to run. This is typically a simple fix but could cause a great deal of problems for the proper use of the unit.

Another possible and common issue relating to an air conditioner is if the unit is not properly ventilated. If there is too much around the air conditioner and it isn’t getting enough air, it could malfunction or overheat. Making sure the area is clear of all items that could stop the air conditioner from working properly is important. This also includes the indoor ventilation system that runs to and from the air conditioner. Vents that are not properly set up, that are blocked by items or that have filters that are full of debris can cause the unit to work poorly.

An air conditioner that has a great deal of debris, has not been oiled and cared for and has not been tuned up can stop working as efficiently. This can be easily remedied by having a professional such as those at Corporate Mechanical come in regularly to service the unit. This also gives us a chance to see if there is any potential problems headed your way with the unit and address them or repair your air conditioner unit before it gets out of hand.

If an air conditioning unit is working too hard to heat and/or cool a space, it can cause it to be less effective. This could happen if the space it is trying to move air in is too big. Making sure that you are using an air conditioner that is appropriate for the commercial space it is in will help it to work better.

A Comprehensive Guide to Variable Frequency Drives

Variable frequency drives (VFD) are used in appliances and compressors of all sizes. They can help make electrical motors more efficient. They work by managing the frequency and the voltage so that they use energy in the most efficient manner possible. They are being used more and more as the development of the technologies has made the drives smaller and improved their performance. Here are some things to know about variable frequency drives.

AC Motor
Usually the motor for a variable frequency drive is a three phase induction. This is because such motors are generally the most economical. Less commonly used are wound rotors, permanent magnets, and synchronous motors.

Controller
A VFD has a controller that runs because of three sub-systems. Those sub-systems are the converter, the DC capacitor, and the inverter assembly. The converter stage is where the AC voltage is converted to DC voltage. The DC capacitor assembly and the inverter assembly work in tandem to initiate the three phase voltage. In 1983, the insulated gate bipolar transistor made it so that a VFD cost less and improved its amperage ratings.

Operating
VFDs have an extensive operator interface. It can start and stop the motor, as well as adjust the speed. There are types that allow for reversing the motor and even switching from manual control to automatic. VFDs are operated by either a computer network, digital controls, or the operator interface controls on the unit.

Drive Operations
A VFD will have three options for driver operations. Single quadrant operations are most common, and involve using constant or variable torque. Two-quadrant loads are needed when the torque alters its polarity but the speed is constant. For the highest performance, a four-quadrant load can handle speeds and torques that change direction and force.

Types of Variable Frequency Drives

Controlled Source Inverter
A controlled source inverter (CSI) works by using a SCR converter to convert all the incoming power to DC. CSI have a large internal inductor so that they can work efficiently and properly to handle the incoming power load. The advantages of this type of VFR are that the circuitry is relatively simple, they are very reliable, and they are capable of regeneration. Some of the drawbacks are that it relies on that large conductor, which is expensive, and that it is not compatible with multi-motor applications.

Voltage Source Inverter
Voltage Source Inverters (VSI) are similar to CSI in that the prime function is the covert power to DC by using a SCR converter section. However, VSI drives cannot regulate current, which the CSI drive can do. The VSI can create an adjustable frequency output for motors.

Pulse Width Modulation
The pulse width modulation (PWM) design is the most common drive controller. It can work with the largest variety of motors, and is very reliable. It is the most sold by manufacturers as well, so there are many brands from which to choose. As opposed the the VSI and CSI drives, PWM converts AC voltage to DC voltage. It does this by using an inverter section that also has gate bipolar transistor that are insulated. This creates a near-sine wave output. These drives are a low cost upfront, are compatible with multiple motors, and can operate through a power loss. The only issues are that it cannot regenerate, and can break down because of the switching transistors.

Benefits of Variable Frequency Drives
VFDs come with a host of benefits. For one, they are very energy efficient, in particular with regards to centrifugal load service. Estimates show that well over 60% of all used electrical energy is consumed by power motors. VFDs and other efficient technologies help to reduce that energy footprint.

Performance Control
VFDs allow you to regulate the amount of power a motor delivers. With fixed speed drive, a motor might be delivering more power than is needed. To have better process control, VFDs will regulate that power and only use as much energy as is required.

Now you know about the different types and benefits of using VFDs. Make sure to choose the right one for the job you have to do.

If you want your HVAC system to run more efficiently, the experts at Corporate Mechanical can help. Reach out online or call 763-533-3070.

How Air Conditioning Impacts Productivity

How can the loss of commercial air conditioning impact productivity during hot summer days?

It’s hard to believe that after one of the coldest winters in history, summer is about to embark upon us, bringing with it much anticipated warmth, sunshine and the ability to be far more active outdoors. However, if you own a business, summer doesn’t necessarily equate to happier employees due to increased exposure to the Vitamin D supplied by the sun. In fact, chances are, that as a business owner, you probably already know that the loss of your commercial air conditioning for even a day can dramatically impact the productivity of your employees in a very negative way.

How Air Conditioning Impacts Productivity

Despite commercial air conditioning being created for the benefit of cooling machinery (mainly the paper press), it was quickly recognized as a breakthrough invention that benefited businesses greatly as consumers flocked to air conditioned movie theaters and stores. Hypothesizing that climate controlled environments could benefit not only machinery, but humans, as early as 1950, government researchers began studying the effects of air conditioning within the workplace. They quickly recognized the increased productivity of employees working within offices and factories that were commercially air conditioned. The initial study noted that air conditioning boosted the productivity of employees by at least 25 percent, as well as led to less employee absenteeism when compared to employees that didn’t work in air conditioned environments.

In addition to providing physical comfort to employees in various workplaces like offices and factories, commercial air conditioning also provides added health benefits as well. Medical journals are full of documented studies citing the adverse effects that extremely hot temperatures can have on a persons health. These studies include indisputable correlating data between summer heat waves and increased mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Loss of commercial air conditioning within your business, for even a day, can attribute to high levels of frustration, stress, exhaustion and thereby, naturally, decreased productivity.

William Nordhaus, an acclaimed Economist at Yale University, created a mapping analysis that found that individuals living and operating in cooler climates generated 12 times the economic production versus their counterparts living in the hottest climates across the globe.

Humidity also plays a large role in the comfort of employees and their productivity. The loss of commercial air conditioning within a work environment can wreak havoc upon the desired humidity level, attributing to sluggish employees and diminished work output. If the weather is highly humid, air doesn’t just feel heavier, it is heavier, and moves differently. High humidity doesn’t allow the human body to evaporate sweat as easily as it can at comfortable humidity levels. Commercial air conditioners supply climate controlled comfort by including condensing units that draw the humidity out of the air as it cools the workplace down.

The loss of commercial air conditioning within your business can have devastating effects on the productivity of your employees, so as warmer weather looms on the horizon, savvy business owners should be preparing to assure that their air conditioning systems are up to par in order to avoid not just the cost of emergency repairs, but also to assure that productivity remains at an optimal level.

Tips to Save Air Conditioning Energy This Summer

There may be nothing better on a summer’s day than to come in from the hot weather, thirsty and sweaty, to a nice cool building. Air conditioning has become a lifeline for so many in the summer who cannot stand the heat. Unfortunately, your air conditioner uses a lot of energy, and can be quite costly. Here are some tips to keep your energy consumption low this summer.

Seal and Insulate

Make sure your building is well insulated, and seal any spots where air from the outside can get in. If hot air is coming in, then your HVAC system will have to work harder to cool down the building, which will cost you money. Your entire building should be well insulated as well, to keep the heat out and the cool in.

Use a Fan and Shades

Yes, a traditional fan can save energy. A standing fan or a ceiling fan can help circulate the cool air to better cover every spot in the building. On days that are not too hot, you can turn off your AC and use fans to be cooled by their breeze. Shading your windows will also help prevent your building from getting heated up by sunlight like your car does on a hot day.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat can be set to only run the air conditioning at certain times of day when it is most needed, or to maintain a certain temperature. You can set it to a slightly higher temperature than what you originally want, as well. Instead of setting it low to get an immediate blast of cold air, set it a bit higher. You’ll cool more slowly, but you will not work your AC system as hard.

Use A Swamp Cooler

A swamp cooler evaporates water in the air, so that the area cools. It uses much less energy than a compressed air AC system. The windows should be left open for this method.

Maintain Your Filters

Your filters can get clogged with all sorts of debris, so make sure you change them regularly, especially if you have pets. The less airflow there is because of a clogged filter, the harder your AC unit will work.

Do not let your energy costs get out of control this summer. Save energy with these helpful tips.

Tips for Office and Warehouse Air Conditioning

We all know it is tough in the summer to live in a home with no air conditioning. Sleeping can be difficult and uncomfortable, cooking makes it even hotter, and you probably do not want to snuggle with your kids or a significant other. What about work, though? It is important for workplaces to be kept comfortable as well, so keep staff and customers happy. Here is some advice regarding air conditioning in commercial settings.

Capacity

With larger spaces holding more people, the unit at your office or warehouse should have more capacity than a residential unit. People, plus machinery, combine to heat up the property, so you need to have the power to cool everything down.

Evaporative System

In a factory or any large commercial space, there are extra challenges when it comes to cooling them down. An evaporative air conditioner might be a good option. They use less energy than traditional air conditioners, which means they’re cheaper to run. They are very good at cooling large factory settings with lots of hot machinery, as well.

Machinery

Speaking of machinery, you would be surprised at how much they can add heat to a building. And it is not just large factory machines, either. Computers, printers, and photocopiers will also give off heat and make any office hotter. When you’re getting a quote for air conditioning, make sure to notify the contractor how much machinery you have, so they can get a good gauge on how much capacity you’ll need.

Keep Everyone Happy

There is no doubt that productivity can suffer if a workplace is not property air conditioned. Instead of working, staff will be fanning themselves, talking to each other about the heat, and generally being distracted by their discomfort. Also, if you have an office or a shop where clients come in to see you, then they may not come back if they were not comfortable. The important thing is setting your thermostat so there is a good balance between too cold and still hot. You’ll have staff and clients that have different comfort levels, so it is important to try to please everyone as best you can.

It is important for any workplace to provide a comfortable space for both workers and clients. Use these tips to keep productivity and comfort at high levels.

Xergy Currently Developing Greener HVAC Systems

Bamdad Bahar is the founder of Xergy. Xergy is a Seaford startup that is working to find a way to make greener HVAC systems for homes and businesses. Their goal is to find a way to convert the membrane technology used in fuel cells for climate control purposes. As a result, modern HVAC systems will be more environmentally friendly. Says Bahar of the project, “There are literally hundreds of applications for this membrane technology in everything from electronics to industrial to medical. But right now refrigeration and air conditioning is our main focus.” But what does this technology entail? How is it different from traditional HVAC technology? And how is Xergy currently developing greener HVAC systems to use on a larger, nationwide scale? Continue reading “Xergy Currently Developing Greener HVAC Systems”