Just like residential homes, businesses have heating and cooling systems that need to be maintained to keep them operating at their highest efficiency and to lengthen their lifespan. Even though both residential and commercial systems are similar, they have significant differences that business owners should understand. When scheduling commercial HVAC maintenance on your system, contact a licensed and experienced central heating and air contractor that specializes in commercial equipment. Our NATE-certified technicians at Douglas Cooling & Heating are qualified and knowledgeable to handle any commercial HVAC repair or maintenance you need!
What Makes Commercial HVAC Systems Different?
Even though commercial and residential HVAC systems are similar when it comes to heating and cooling methods, as a business owner you need to understand what makes your commercial unit different so you won’t experience costly breakdowns when you least expect them. The significant differences between commercial and residential systems are:
- Different locations for commercial systems
The size of commercial heating and cooling systems require unique placement compared to the typical location of residential units. Residential equipment is installed behind or next to a home, but commercial HVAC systems need more space due to the large size of the unit. Installation of a commercial system is on the roof of your building where ample space is available. Placing your commercial system on the roof also protects it against vandalism and offers easy access for commercial HVAC repairs and maintenance without disrupting daily business operations.
- Ventilation for commercial systems
Extra ventilation for residential homes is achieved through the use of windows, but commercial units don’t always have windows available for extra ventilation. Instead, commercial equipment utilizes other types of components for more complex ventilation to provide consistent temperatures throughout your building and increase indoor air quality for your employees and customers.
- Commercial systems are packaged
With a residential system, the equipment is often split with the blower, evaporator, and condensate drain housed indoors and the compressor, condenser, and condenser fan housed outside. Commercial HVAC units are packaged with everything in one single cabinet. The only part of the commercial system housed indoors are the zone dampers and ducts. Only an experienced central heating and air contractor should perform commercial HVAC repairs considering the system is more complicated with all the major components grouped in one place.
- Commercial drainage systems
The drainage system for residential equipment is much smaller than the drainage system of a commercial system. There are multiple pipes and pans utilized to ensure complete evaporation and reduce the possibility of overflow from your commercial system.
- Commercial systems are more powerful
A residential system only has to provide enough cooling and heating to a small number of people living in a home. Commercial equipment is much larger and more powerful to provide sufficient climate control to a higher number of employees and customers during peak operating hours, and sometimes are used to facilitate production. Installation of a correctly sized unit for your business should be done by a commercial central heating and air contractor that understands the power you need to create a comfortable indoor environment.
- Commercial units are more complex
An HVAC system for a residence is simple with the outdoor unit and indoor unit working together. When one fails, generally both are replaced to create a matched syste,. A commercial system is more flexible and sophisticated compared to a residential unit. An HVAC system for a business is more adaptable to the building’s structure, the number of occupants, and how often the building is in use. Commercial HVAC repairs are performed on components independently in a commercial system, which offers easy replacement for damaged parts without replacing the entire unit.
Why Commercial HVAC Maintenance Is Important
Commercial buildings spend a significant amount of energy with their HVAC systems, and routine maintenance keeps your equipment operating at its highest efficiency. Just like with residential systems, commercial units will perform longer with fewer breakdowns when they are serviced on a regular basis. Replacing a commercial system is far more expensive than a residential unit, which is why maintenance should be high on your priority list for your business. Douglas Cooling & Heating offers commercial HVAC maintenance plans to keep your equipment operating efficiently for a long time.
Douglas Cooling & Heating has experienced and skilled commercial central heating and air contractors that will keep your system performing efficiently year-round! Contact us today to schedule your commercial HVAC maintenance with our NATE-certified technicians.
