Air conditioning can be crucial to your business. It makes your space more comfortable for your employees and customers alike. Commercial HVAC units tend to be larger and more complex systems than your home’s air conditioning unit, but there are certain signs that should tell you to call your HVAC company.
Poor Air Quality
If your air smells bad, is too dry, or too humid, you could be dealing with air quality issues. The biggest culprit of poor air quality is a dirty or clogged air filter. If your air filters haven’t been replaced in a while dust, dirt and other allergens build up and reduce the quality of your air. Be sure to regularly change all your air filters to protect your unit.
Loss of Efficiency
If your air conditioning is working overtime, your energy bills will continue to run up. A loss of efficiency could be happening because of a variety of reasons:
- A dirty air filter – Not only do dirty air filters affect air quality, they also force your air conditioner to work harder, making the unit less efficient.
- Leaking refrigerant – Leaking refrigerant means that your air won’t be as cool, forcing the unit to try and work extra hard to lower the temperature. A sign of leaking refrigerant is rising temperatures in your building, no matter what you set the thermostat to.
- An aging unit – Older units are less efficient and slow down over time. They require more energy to do the same job as newer units and require regular maintenance to ensure that they continue to run smoothly
A note on the last point: all units should have regular maintenance, regardless of age, to prolong the life of the unit.
Inconsistent Airflow
In larger office spaces, dampers in the ductwork may be in place to help control the airflow in your space. Those dampers work to send cooled or heated air to the rooms that need it. If the airflow in one of your rooms seems to be greater than in another, it could be the result of imbalanced dampers.
Another culprit may be your thermostat. Thermostats are often overlooked parts of your HVAC system, but they measure the temperature and tell the air conditioner to turn on and off. If the temperature sensor in your thermostat is faulty it could be sending the wrong message to your HVAC unit, leading to inconsistent airflow.
Strange Sounds
As units age, they can produce strange sounds that may be unfamiliar to you. If your HVAC unit starts making noises, contact your HVAC specialist to inspect your unit.
Regular Maintenance is Key
Regardless of whether your HVAC unit is a year old or ten years old, maintenance is the best way to keep your commercial air conditioner running smoothly. Your air conditioning can be a critical element to your customer’s experience and if it stops working it can cost you money in lost business and make your store, shop, or office very uncomfortable.
View maintenance as insurance against lost business. If your unit hasn’t been inspected in a while, considering contacting us today!
