The climate in the Florida Panhandle is often pleasant with moderate temperatures, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need heating and cooling to stay comfortable. It’s often a challenge to keep commercial buildings cool during oppressive heat waves. In winter, a bit of extra warmth can keep your building comfortable for employees and patrons alike. No matter the season, a bit of preventive maintenance can really pay off when it comes to commercial HVAC systems. Here are just a few ways your commercial system can benefit from routine maintenance.
Commercial HVAC and Energy Savings
Heating and cooling a commercial space certainly isn’t cheap. In fact, it accounts for about 34 percent of all energy consumed by the average commercial building. These structures are typically much larger and less efficient than the average residential home. It’s important that you don’t make this problem worse by wasting energy unnecessarily. Poor HVAC maintenance wastes energy by hampering the efficiency of your system over time. Mechanical parts wear down and work less smoothly. Refrigerant levels begin to drop. Air filters clog and restrict the proper flow of air. All of this can add up to a serious amount of energy being frittered away.
Regular HVAC maintenance is the best way to make sure this waste is kept in check. In fact, studies have shown that routine maintenance can reduce HVAC costs in commercial buildings by up to 40 percent. These scheduled service visits identify and repair worn-out parts before performance can be significantly impacted. This ensures that your system is always operating in its most efficient state. It’s a small investment that can save your business a bundle of money over time.
Reduced Upkeep Costs
Commercial heating and cooling relies on a large and complex mechanical system to do its job. Over time, the risk of a breakdown in this complex system goes up significantly. After all, even the best and most expensive systems break down eventually. That means expensive service calls, extensive repairs and possibly a full system replacement. Needless to say, the cost of a poorly maintained system can add up in a hurry.
Fortunately, there’s no need to sit around and wait for a breakdown to occur. Preventive maintenance is the best way to take a proactive approach to managing the health of your HVAC system. A trained professional can spot normal wear and tear and repair it before it leads to a catastrophic failure. This proactive maintenance means there’s less risk of failure and less need for major replacements and repairs. It can also extend the total service life of your system. Every year that your HVAC system continues to run is another year without the expense of a new system.
Enhanced Comfort
Keeping your employees and customers comfortable is imperative for any business. A well-maintained commercial HVAC system can help you do just that. A properly maintained system is better at consistently maintaining comfortable temperature and humidity levels. It also ensures that you’re always getting the proper amount of ventilation. This is an important key to improving the air quality in your office or business.
This may not seem particularly important, but it could be essential to the success of your business. Better air quality often leads to greater employee productivity. Comfortable temperature and humidity levels may also encourage customers to spend more time – and money – in your building. For best results, aim for temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees. Humidity levels should be kept around 30 to 60 percent.
Any mechanical system is bound to wear down over time if regular maintenance is ignored. That’s especially true of large and complex commercial heating and cooling systems. Consider it just another wise investment in the success of your business. To find out more about the important role your HVAC system plays, check out Lunsford Air Conditioning & Heating’s commercial HVAC services or call 850-203-3200.
