Category Archives: General

How To Find Office Air Conditioning Servicing For Your Company?

For optimal comfort and productivity of your employees, it is crucial to select the appropriate air conditioning servicing for your office. Commence by evaluating your system’s requirements, encompassing maintenance, repair, or replacement needs. Take into account the age, type, and dimensions of your office area to identify providers specializing in your specific HVAC system necessities.

Prior to embarking on the search for a Commercial AC Repair service provider for your office air conditioning system, evaluating its individual needs is essential. Determine if your system necessitates routine maintenance, repairs, or a complete overhaul. Identify the age and category of your current system (e.g., central, ductless, split-system). Additionally, understand the size of your office space as various providers cater to specific sizes or types of HVAC systems. By comprehending your system’s demands, you can effectively communicate with potential service providers and obtain quotes tailored to your specifications.

The most effective method of locating a reliable Commercial AC Repair service provider is by soliciting recommendations through word-of-mouth or conducting online searches on Google, which can provide valuable insights and recommendations derived from firsthand experiences. It is imperative to acknowledge that commercial and industrial air conditioning service providers typically have fewer reviews compared to residential contractors due to practices within corporate sectors where businesses may abstain from endorsing or reviewing other entities, thus resulting in limited feedback. Moreover, exploring their website can furnish actual photos (job site) rather than generic images. Evaluating the duration a company has been operational can offer deeper insights into their services and overall reputation.

In evaluating an Commercial AC Repair service provider, prioritize the aspect of customer service for long-term satisfaction. Place emphasis on established companies with a track record exceeding 15 years, demonstrating proven responsiveness, professionalism, and transparency. Seek out knowledgeable and cooperative entities, particularly when confronted with urgent situations. Typically, smaller companies with one or two employees may not be readily available for emergency situations or critical needs.

Look for Commercial AC Repair service providers specializing in energy-efficient solutions to minimize costs and attain sustainability objectives. Seek providers offering energy-efficient upgrades, green building certifications, and expertise in designing systems for optimal airflow and temperature regulation. These enhancements reduce energy consumption, lower utility expenses, and diminish carbon emissions.

Before finalizing your Commercial AC Repair choice, inquire about the warranties and assurances accompanying the service. This encompasses scrutinizing the warranty duration for new components or systems installed in the company’s protocol for addressing issues post-repair or services.

Establish a long-term partnership with your air conditioning service provider to leverage their understanding of your system and receive expedited problem diagnosis and customized solutions with time.

Daylight Saving – Its Time to Set Your Clock! Its Also Time to Evaluate Your HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contractor

The gradual temperature drop that we are experiencing everyday, is hinting us to brace ourselves for what is coming in the following months. As we do that, let us also ask a few questions about the HVAC contractor we are going to hire for the Preventive Maintenance and winter breakdown calls.

So, let us begin with the following questions:

How long has your HVAC contractor been in Business?

It is always a good metric to know how many years has your contractor been serving their clients, how many different kinds of industries they cater to, and what expertise they have in the commercial and industrial HVAC sector. Commercial HVAC equipment, unlike the residential furnaces, have sophisticated controls and specific troubleshooting and maintenance standards. The air-cooled and water-cooled chillers, industrial boilers, process cooling equipment, process gas ovens, heat pumps, roof top packaged units, precision air conditioning for server rooms need an experienced pair of hands to be worked upon.

The Technology Web

You may not look at your HVAC contractor as a tech company but in today’s world it is almost a necessity to have web notifications of all tasks, services, reminders, pending approvals at a touch of a button. A customer online portal ensures that you don’t always have to unlock your phone and dial a number for a breakdown issue. You may be in an important meeting and still do the same online.

What is the Organisational Structure?

A properly organised operations and business team, with adequate number of field technicians can ensure proper prioritization of the services offered. Make sure you have more options from the same HVAC contractor in case of multiple breakdowns at different locations. Your valuable business can be at stake if it is dependent on a one-man show and they get too busy on another job.

Contractor Referrals

Your contractor can also play an important role in growing your organisation by supporting your building facility’s operations and making sure things get attended to and fix as soon as they come up. Just like before hiring a new employee, ask for referrals from your HVAC contractor and talk to them about the service experience.

Winter Is Coming! Think About HVAC Maintenance for Winter

We can already feel the mercury dropping, especially at nighttime, as we are back in schools and companies are planning to call people back in offices from the long work from home culture. No matter how long the transition takes, it is always better to be prepared and give your employees, students, customers & other civilians the best comfort conditions and your HVAC system plays an important role in this.

Since Canada is known for its crazy weather, there might be a weekend coming very soon where we realize we need heat from the hibernating Air handling units, boilers, heat pumps, roof top units or furnaces and the system is just not ready. This is without a doubt the best time to schedule the winter – prep HVAC maintenance.

It is always better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to the harsh winter weather. Also, considering the global supply chain crisis, every industry is scrambling to get the required parts and raw materials for their projects, the lead times can vary a lot when the need is urgent. Commercial and industrial HVAC industry is no different to this squeeze in supply of HVAC equipment.

Importance of Winter Maintenance for your HVAC system

The annual tune ups and calibration of your HVAC system is the most important thing in your “to-do” list in order to avoid any untoward situations later on.

The benefits are as follows:

Life of the HVAC equipment or Heater. All manufacturers consider the scheduled recommended preventive maintenance services into account when forecasting the life of the Heater, VRF, chillers, boilers or any other equipment which provides comfortable conditions for a facility. The heater is unlikely to make it that far without maintenance. You get the longest possible effective life for your heater with regular care.
Avoid warranty being void. Sometimes it might just be the unfortunate factory or manufacturing defect and a major costly part of the equipment can fail. When you apply for warranty claims you need to provide the manufacturer reports of timely maintenance of the equipment in order to get the parts replaced.
Maximum energy-efficiency. The regular tune ups of the HVAC system ensure the units are running at maximum efficiencies and thus reaching designed temperatures in minimum amount of time. This will bring down the operating costs to minimum and ensure longer life of the equipment as well.
Fewer repair calls. Being proactive with the scheduled maintenance most of the time results in fewer breakdowns and thus fewer repair calls.
Safer operation. Now that you have made the right choice of getting the equipment tested for pre winter maintenance, this ensures the chances for any major catastrophic event goes down and it is safer to operate.

ASHRAE Releases New Guidelines – Plasma.

Safety standards worldwide are advancing due to this pandemic and as a result, ASHRAE is constantly revolutionizing their HVAC safety guidelines and recommendations with their new Epidemic Task Force for reopening schools and universities. And the next big thing on the list, Plasma (BiPolar Ionization).

As mentioned in the lastly updated ASHRAE presentation for the Epidemic Task Force, Plasma is the newly regarded safety method for schools and universities. This method utilizes special tubes that entrap oxygen molecules from the air and converts them into charged atoms that surround microparticles and deactivate harmful substances such as airborne mold, bacteria, allergens and viruses.

If a safety method by North America’s leading HVAC association is recommended for schools, doesn’t this pertain to offices and all similar settings as well?

This brand new technology has been through quite a tremendous amount of testing before ASHRAE recommended it specifically for schools. By entrusting this method with the care of children, we at Air Track believe this method can be implemented in similar settings as well (offices, entertainment venues, clinics, etc).

Various methods have already been highly regarded by industry specialists in the fight against COVID-19 and in pandemic situations as well, with the most popular methods being UV Light and HEPA Filters. What is the difference between UV Light and Plasma?

In most commercial spaces, schools, offices, and more, are at 6 air changes / hour. The only applications where the HVAC is truly designed to wash the air that goes back into the ventilation system is in hospitals, isolation rooms, labs, etc. This ground breaking method allows there to be a completely active disinfection system that is constantly discharging these ion particles, to ensure infectious airborne particles are covered at all times, no matter the type of space.

In addition to Plasma, there are various additional filtration system options that are being implemented throughout various businesses worldwide, such as UV lights, HEPPA filtration systems, etc. At Air Track, we are well ahead and already working side by side with ASHRAE and Public health updated guidelines to deliver industry leading filtration solutions through various applications, no matter the setting.

One of our most prominent clients, a private school, requested to have Plasma systems installed on all HVAC equipment. This has been extremely successful as with the aid of this system and the safety guidelines implemented at this school, there have been no reported COVID-19 cases thus far. This makes us confident that these systems truly do deliver what they are manufactured to do.

This is a hard time for all businesses without a doubt, to take that extra measure and protect your workplace environment from this virus is priceless. After all, without the employee there wouldn’t be a business at all!

Contact us today for a free site assessment and learn how we can provide your workplace with the best plausible solution to protect against this horrid solution today!

Emissions zero, the new challenge in sustainable buildings

The expansion of the urban population is a phenomenon in view of the inevitable increase in the energy consumption that demands more and better comfort and air conditioning solutions.

The growing expansion towards urban areas in search of an improvement in economic growth and quality of life are the factors that led to a total energy consumption of 16 percent. It should be aligned with the criteria of sustainability and care of the planet

Although the scenario presents a challenge of high complexity, there are other variants that may interfere in the taking of solutions. To reach positive levels in these matters, the local administration must create alliances of value with private capital and encourage citizen participation.

Improving efficiency by implementing energy efficiency standards

For buildings to improve efficiency, device and equipment manufacturers must be backed by an effective regulatory framework that addresses the local market. It is therefore the responsibility of the authorities to provide a set of standards that respond to market needs and ensure improvements in energy performance in new and existing buildings as well as components and projects for construction, windows, insulation, ventilation, hot water, HVACR systems, and so on.

Energy labels, certificates or disclosure of energy consumption
after addressing the minimum and maximum energy efficiency in buildings and their components, governments should have to demand the public dissemination of information that improves decision making, such as labels, certificates and public disclosure of energy consumption. Labeling is a useful information tool for homeowners, buyers and renters that supports informed decision-making and promotes a gradual shift in market demand towards more efficient buildings.

Objective for zero net energy consumption
As policies demonstrate the success of energy efficiency standards in buildings, it is important to continue working to seek the best possible performance, taking into account the market volatility and the incorporation of the most recent technologies. Therefore, support for research, development and implementation of buildings with low energy consumption or net zero can be beneficial to advance future building codes and standards. The constant evolution of technologies focused on efficiency brings with it multiple tangible direct and indirect benefits such as energy saving in the operation and a balanced change in the supply-demand balance of prices, favoring a transition towards carbon-free sources.

Multi zone Industrial and Commercial Air conditioners

Industrial air conditioners are installed today in all enterprises, factories, manufacturing plants, business centers, shopping halls, sports complexes, large area (over 250 sq. M). Industrial air conditioners provide uninterrupted air conditioning, refrigeration and heating. Features industrial air conditioners – a complexity of use, energy efficiency, the cost of equipment. Industrial air conditioners have a resource 20 – 30 years of operation.

Multi zone system allows to condition several rooms and even the whole building. Each room is set the indoor unit and is supported by individual micro climate. Compared with the installation of individual air conditioners multi-zone air-conditioning system can save money, space, installation time. Multi-zone air conditioning units can be controlled centrally or individually. Designed for buildings containing a few (or a few dozen) areas with different requirements to the air.

Multi zone air conditioning system – profitable, convenient, safe

More than thirty years ago (1982) Daikin Company made a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of HVAC equipment by launching multi-zone air-conditioning system – VRV, which means “Variable refrigerant volume.” Since the company has patented, not only the system itself but also the abbreviation of VRV, as a trademark, other companies began to produce such equipment, began to use the name of the VRF «variable refrigerant flow.” However, in both cases we are talking about one and the same principle of operation of multi-zone air-conditioning.

Features multi-zone systems

Multi-zone air-conditioning system – it is the climate system inverter, which is installed in buildings with a large number of premises, providing a separate temperature control in the individual zones.
The multi zone system includes one outdoor unit and a lot of internal. The outdoor unit is connected to the internal pipework. Amount of internal blocks, drop their height relative to the outdoor unit, performance, pipe length are defined by the model and brand of the selected multi-zone air conditioning.
Multi zonal air conditioning systems use a modular design, so their installation are taken into account wishes of the customer in terms of the number of indoor units and their types (duct, cassette, floor, wall, ceiling).
Multi-zone air-conditioning system can be operated to cool the air in the same room at the same time, warming in the other, producing just enough cold and consuming as much energy as necessary to indoor units. Outdoor unit operating mode changes with the load of indoor units.
Control each indoor unit is carried out from the local console or centrally from the control center. Temperature parameters given in every room maintained at a constant level with high accuracy.
The performance of a number of multi-zone systems can serve the high-rise buildings.

6 questions about underfloor heating

Warm floors are increasingly part of our lives. Someone “felt” warm floors, being at a party, and now dreams of a similar system at home. Someone found them in the bathroom, I liked it, and decided to do around the house. And someone had just heard about underfloor heating, and does not know if he needed it. We will answer your questions.

1. Is warm floor safe for kids?

Underfloor heating is completely safe for children. It can be easily installed in the children’s room. Moreover, even with an open window in the room there is no draft. You can leave the kids play on the bare floor. However, if you choose an electric radiant floor heating, you should purchase and install is a two-core cable systems. In contrast to the single-core, they are more expensive. But the level of electromagnetic radiation in two-wire electrical floors so small that it has no effect and does not bring any harm.

2. Is it possible to lay floor heating in the bedroom?

It is believed that the warm floor cannot be laid in the bedroom. Supposedly heated air coming from the bottom, a negative impact on healthy sleep. In fact it is not. If exposed to moderate temperature, then sleep will be quite comfortable. Modern thermostats are equipped with timers, daily and weekly programming, so at night the warm floor temperature can be set lower by 2-3 degrees than in the day. This will not experience discomfort during sleep and still walk on the floor without slippers.

3. Is it true that the underfloor heating system improves the health of asthmatics and allergy sufferers?

Uniform distribution of heat from the floor heating prevents burning of dust, the air drainage. Also underfloor heating to prevent the emergence and spread of mold and mildew. In addition, no radiator dust much less flying across the room, leaving the air clean. If the home is equipped and the system of underfloor heating and ventilation system, there is no doubt, it will be easier to breathe. People with asthma or allergies, begin to feel better.

4. Is it possible to install a warm floor under furniture, under laminate, a parquet floor, under the carpet?

Underfloor heating is spread only on the free space (under the fixed furniture and appliances to mount the floor heating is not recommended). Special electric floor heating for wood can be installed under laminate and parquet board. On the radiant floor heating is also possible to lay laminate or flooring, but it is important that these coatings were of high quality. Carpets and rugs lay undesirable. They impede the free flow of heat across the room.

5. Can I install the underfloor heating in showers and bathrooms?

And the water, and electric floor heating can be installed in bathrooms and shower rooms. Electrical cables are protected from short circuits. Underfloor heating will forget about the “cold tile”, quickly dry the wet floor, and make it less slippery and dangerous.

6. Can I make a warm floor in the balcony on the balcony? And if so, how – water or electric?

In an apartment building with a central radiant floor heating system cannot be installed, an electric only. In this case, the heating cable or heating mat can be laid on the balcony or loggia. However, it is necessary that the balcony was sufficiently insulated, especially the floor and ceiling. In a private house permissible conduct electric underfloor heating on the balcony or loggia. Water heating in extreme cold can freeze. Therefore, in the cottages should apply anti-icing system.

Ventilation Unit: Advantages and Disadvantages.

What is forced ventilation? How it is done and what is required? In our review – all kinds of equipment for ventilation systems, pros / cons, characteristics. Tell me what to look for when choosing what to buy venting units

Ventilation system in an apartment or in a house:

If exhaust ventilation is usually designed and laid at the stage of building a house, the plenum often left unattended builders. It is assumed that the flow should be carried out through the open windows, leaky structure. But most of the houses are insulated which do not let the air to flow. As a result, there are problems arrive, without forced ventilation which works much worse or does not work at all.
Ventilation devices are capable of ensure the house quiet, clean, comfortable and fresh air.

1: Window flaps.

Mounted on PVC windows. The advantages: cheap, invisible in the interior, installed quickly and easily, does not require drilling holes in the wall.
Disadvantages: window flaps are usually not equipped with filters and sound insulation, are not protected from freezing, moreover manufacturers specify that the window ventilators are functioning only with good extract.

2:Wall intake valves

These devices are mounted on the wall. In fact, they are adjustable window. Equipped with thermal insulation layer, filter against coarse dust and insects. What is important to consider when choosing a valve? For effective ventilation in the apartment or in a house must be a sufficient number of the incoming air.

Disadvantages: of air-supply valves – in extreme cold can pass the cold, and in summer (at the same temperature of air inside and outside) cease to provide the inflow

3: Ventilators

Advantages of ventilators – the ability to perform forced ventilation at any time of the year (as there are fans, forced pounding the air), the presence of the ceramic heater, performing the heating of the cold stream from the street, high performance, the ability to install high-quality filters, providing multi-stage cleaning system from dust, exhaust and other contaminants. What is important to consider when choosing? The volume of incoming air, noise, filter class, power consumption, and size of the device.
Disadvantages: with the installation of the ventilator increases the cost of electricity (especially in cold weather).

4: Supply and exhaust valves recovery

This is not entirely forced ventilation, because the devices have not only the influx, and the hood. They can operate with a ventilation system as well as regular air inlets. Their main advantage – the presence of the built-in heat exchanger, allowing to warm air without energy. Almost invisible in the interior. When choosing-exchanger valve is necessary to take into account the capacity of the device, air flow, noise level, country of origin, the period of warranty, the build quality.

Disadvantages: the heat exchanger valves – not as effective as in ventilation installations, reheating is not provided, so the frost can pass cold air.

5: Fresh air ventilation systems.

This is ideal ventilation for the house, apartment or office. The interior ventilation is invisible (hidden under the ceiling ducts). At the same time the performance of the device will be enough to ensure effective ventilation throughout the house, apartment or office

Disadvantages: complexity of installation work – need to lay ducts, installation of the system is possible only before the final finish of the room. You cannot save on electricity

Basic Modern Air Conditioner Functions

Air conditioners can be found in all price categories with a similar set of features and modes.

Infrared remote control with LCD display used to manage all the modern air-conditioner that allows you to set the mode of operation of a split system, the desired temperature, programming the timer to turn on / off the air conditioner, etc.

As a rule, the number of functions of an economy class air conditioners do not differ much from the models top price category. Reason such harmonization is that to provide added functionality is not required to modify or complicate the design of the air conditioner, only need to reprogram the microcontroller controlling the operation of the air conditioner and add the buttons on the remote control.

Because of this producers can inexpensively add new modes conditioners or additional functions and successfully build on their basis of their advertising campaigns. As a result, in terms of affordability, the difference between the air-conditioned different price groups are often absent.

Less common features that really lead to a rise in price of air conditioning, as their implementation requires changes in its structure. For example, the built-in motion sensor saves energy and temperature sensor in the control panel allows you to maintain the set temperature of the indoor unit is not in the area, and where is the remote. How these functions are needed and whether or not for them to pay for the air conditioning to you.

Major modes and air-conditioning functions:

Cooling and heating

The main modes of the air conditioner used for air conditioning and heating.

Ventilation

The operating mode in which only works indoor fan, without including the compressor. Used for even air distribution throughout the room and can be used, for example, in winter, when warm air from heaters or central heating batteries accumulates on the ceiling and the floor is cold.

Automatic mode

In this mode, the air conditioner itself controls the selection of the operating mode (cooling, heating or ventilation) to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Dehumidification

The dehumidification air conditioner reduces the humidity. Generally speaking, dehumidification is always accompanied by its cooling. The warm air comes into contact with a cold heat exchanger (radiator) of the indoor unit, resulting in a heat exchanger to condense moisture, which is discharged through the drain hose. The same principle works all modern air driers. Therefore, in the dehumidification mode, the air conditioner operates in the same manner as in the cooling mode, only the room temperature is reduced by no more than 1 ° C.

Air purification.

To clear the air before the heat exchanger of the indoor unit set one or more filters. The primary air conditioner filter for cleaning the air from large dust. This filter is a conventional fine mesh and protects not only the inhabitants of the conditioned space as the interior of the air conditioner. To clean this filter enough wash it with warm water.

Setting the temperature.

For heating and cooling modes can be controlled by the air temperature to within 1 ° C in the range of 16-18 to 30 ° C. Typically, the temperature sensor is installed in the indoor unit, but some models have an additional sensor, built-in remote control (function «I Feel»). In some models also have built-in indoor unit remote infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of the surrounding surfaces (function «I See»).

Fan speed

The indoor unit fan can rotate at different speeds, respectively, changing the amount of air passing through the internal unit (this option is called the air output or “pumping”the air conditioner is measured in m³ / h). Typically, the fan is from 3 to 5 fixed speeds plus auto mode.

The direction of air flow

The direction of air flow generated by the indoor unit can be adjusted vertically by means of horizontal plates (louver) having fixed positions 5-7. In cooling mode, the flow is usually directed horizontally along the ceiling to the cold air did not get to the people. In heating mode, the air flow is directed downwards, because hot air is lighter than cold air and rises upwards. In addition, the blinds can automatically swing up and down, evenly distributing the flow of air around the room.

The timer on and off

With the 24-hour timer, you can set the auto power on and off the air conditioner, for example, can include air-conditioning for an hour before returning to work.

Night mode

After the inclusion of the air-conditioning mode, sets the minimum speed of the fan (to minimize noise) and gradually increases (in cooling mode) or decreases (in heating mode) at a temperature of 2-3 degrees for several hours. It is believed that such temperature conditions are optimal for sleeping.

Boilers: Various Types and Classification

In today’s energy work a variety of types of boilers. They can be classified by type of fuel, coolant type, accommodation type, level of mechanization. The specific type of boiler is selected depending on the goals and objectives, operating conditions and customer requirements.

Fuel type

Gas: The advantage of this kind of boiler is that the gas – one of the most economical and environmentally friendly fuels. Gas boiler does not require complicated and cumbersome equipment fuel and slag removal, and can be fully automated.
Fuel oil: These boilers can run on waste oil, fuel oil, diesel oil. They quickly put into operation, do not require special permits, the connection negotiation, obtaining gas limits (as opposed to gas).
Solid: To the solid fuel concerns coal, peat, wood, pellets and briquettes from waste wood processing and agriculture. The advantage of this type of boiler is the availability and low price of fuel, but it requires the installation of fuel and ash handling systems.

Coolant type

Steam: In such a boiler heat carrier is steam, which is used mainly for manufacturing processes in industrial plants.
Water: This type of boiler is designed for heating and hot water supply of residential buildings, industrial and public facilities. The coolant is water, heated to +95 +115 ° C.
Combined: In these boilers are placed as steam and hot water boilers. Hot water is used to cover the load for hot water, heating and ventilation, and the steam is supplied to provide the technological needs of the enterprise.
Diathermic oil: In this boiler is used as a coolant in the high-temperature organic liquid, the temperature of which can reach +300 ° C.

Accommodation type

Modular: This type of boiler is becoming increasingly popular in Russia in recent years, thanks to many advantages in comparison with stationary boilers: fastest time of installation and commissioning, factory-assembled modules, the ability to increase capacity by adding units, battery life, high efficiency, mobility. Depending on the placement of block-modular boiler can be detached, and attached, integrated, roof, basement.
Stationary: Stationary boilers are usually built when the required power exceeds 30 MW, or the construction of a modular boiler for some reason impossible. Stationary boilers distinguished by major building and construction (foundations, walls and partitions, roof). Installation of equipment on site is performed.

The level of mechanization

Depending on the degree of mechanization / automation processes are the following types of boiler:

Hand: Small boilers can be equipped with boilers, in which the fuel supply is performed manually by operators. The fuel is supplied to the boiler room truck or in some cases from the outside through a loading hopper. The ash and slag from the ash hopper and are removed manually by the operator and exported outside the boiler room via trolley.
Mechanized: Modern boilers are equipped with solid mechanization, significantly facilitate the work boiler operator. Fuel supply by means of conveyors or skip hoists. Coal is pre-processed. The ash and slag may be removed by various methods – mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or a combination thereof.
Automated: This type of boiler assumes full automation and minimal presence of the human factor. Fully automated, as a rule, gas boiler.