Which Plumbing Products Work?

The HVAC bills associated with an office building or small business can be astronomical, and are only bound to rise as heating prices go up. Fortunately, there are still ways to keep your HVAC costs down. If you would like to learn more about how to manage the cost of heating and cooling in your commercial property, here are three effective strategies.

Tighten Your Building's Envelope

HVAC efficiency is often spoken of in terms of a building's envelope. All this term refers to is the ease with which air moves into and out of your home. Thus a building with a loose envelope is one that permits a greater amount of air flow. Tight envelopes, on the other hand, restrict air flow, thus allowing your HVAC system to maintain a higher degree of efficiency. In fact, tightening up a loose envelope can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 37%.

Start by having your building's heating envelope analyzed with a thermal imaging camera. Such infrared cameras allow inspectors to identify the areas of greatest heat transfer. These air leaks, which often occur around ducts, pipes, and in the areas where roofs and walls meet, can then be eliminated through the installation of additional insulation.

Reduce Your Load Capacity

Load capacity is another commonly used term when discussing commercial HVAC efficiency. This term simply refers to the total amount of energy your HVAC system uses to keep your building at the desired temperature. Tightening your envelope by eliminating air leaks is one effective way to reduce your overall load capacity. Yet it's important to assess other contributing factors and make changes as necessary.

For one thing, consider the lighting systems installed in your building. Systems that rely on the use of large numbers of incandescent light bulbs not only take more energy to use, but their use also generates significant amounts of heat. This requires your air conditioner to work harder during summer months. LED or fluorescent systems put a much smaller strain on your load capacity.

Analyze Your Usage Data

While your building itself affects the load capacity to a large degree, it is important not to overlook another important element--the human one. By paying close attention to your HVAC system's usage data, you can eliminate unnecessary expense by implementing simple changes. For instance, you may find that your HVAC system remains running long before, or long after, the building is occupied for the day. Rescheduling the system's settings can eliminate such inefficiencies without impeding the comfort of you or your employees.

For more information, talk to a professional like Action Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.