It may surprise some business owners or facilities managers to find out that approximately half of their business energy use goes to heating and cooling their premises. Every business requires heating and cooling. So, when your business depends on controlled temperatures for employee work areas, or if your warehouse is stocked with goods and merchandise that require control of minimum or maximum temperatures, it’s always beneficial to invest in routine maintenance for your heating and cooling systems to ensure their maximum efficiency and reliability.
It’s a nightmare situation: Your business heating or cooling system goes down and you’re forced to close up shop until the system is repaired or replaced. Dollars are on the line and every day you spend working on your air conditioners or furnace is costing you money. It’s the kind of event that can put a serious bite on the revenues for the quarter. On top of all that, you have a service team working ‘round the clock, and it’s costing you. With a little preventive service, however, this might have been avoided.
The following is industry-standard advice on servicing your HVAC system.
- Have your HVAC system inspected and properly maintained by a licensed, professional contractor.
- For your furnace, test, clean, and adjust as necessary. Adjust air ducts and registers. Replace all filters regularly.
- Have all your systems tested to make certain that your thermostats are giving you true readings.
- If you have a forced air system, instruct your contractor to make sure the system is delivering the hot or cool air where it is supposed to go.
- Have the duct work inspected for leaks – and repair any that are present. Wrap insulation around ductwork.
- Have your heating and cooling contractor advise you on the optimum settings for your system.
- If possible, install an ENERGY STAR certified programmable thermostat to automate your HVAC system.
- Control your thermostat settings. In the summertime, the dial equals dollars. Your business electric bill will rise by 2% for every degree cooler you lower your dial setting. If you can’t control your thermostat, you may consider installing a locking device over the thermostat itself.
- And remember to turn down (or off) your heating and cooling systems when not needed.
Have an older system in the building? Keep in mind that commercial cooling systems that are 10 years old or more don’t run as efficiently as newer units. Consider replacing an older system with a new high-efficiency unit and you’ll be better able to lower your quarterly energy costs associated with cooling.
Some industry experts say that an optimized, well-serviced HVAC system can save a business as much as 30% on their total energy bill. And although each business will experience a different level of energy savings from routinely servicing their HVAC systems, an energy or cost savings is certain.
At Aaron’s Service, we can install and maintain any heating or cooling system, regardless of size or brand. If you have a question about our commercial service offerings, heating or cooling products, or our company, we encourage you to phone us at (816) 451-5606 or click here to send us an e-mail from our online form.