A properly designed, engineered, and installed HVAC system can mean the difference between throwing away money on repairs or electricity costs and a system that lasts sustainably for years to come. Only experienced HVAC engineers have the expertise to build such a system.
What Goes Into an HVAC System?
There are a number of factors that go into the engineering and construction of an effective HVAC system, ranging from control systems to the perfect sized system for your facility. When designed properly, a system works exactly as hard as it needs to, conserving electricity along the way and saving on your bottom line. From industrial facilities to commercial offices, HVAC systems consume significant percentages of the energy your facility uses every day.
The general purpose of HVC systems is to keep facilities warm or cool depending on external factors like the weather or internal factors like remediating the heat generated by various types of equipment. What are the various components that make up an HVAC system? Below, I’ve listed some of the critical components of many HVAC systems.
Boilers
A boiler’s job is to generate steam by boiling water. This steam is used for electricity generation or other operational tasks often found in manufacturing or industrial facilities. Only expert HVAC engineers should design or maintain systems involving boilers to ensure safety and to protect the heavy investment boilers often entail.
Furnaces
The primary driving force behind heating systems, a furnace is used to heat air and satisfy the H in HVAC. Furnaces can be found in almost every VHAC system, from commercial and industrial facilities to residential properties.
Chillers and Cooling Towers
A cooling tower is used to cool water by putting it into direct contact with air. When the water touches the air, it begins to evaporate, cooling the water before it is circulated back into the system. Chillers recirculate this cooled water to perform a variety of functions for the facility, cooling and dehumidifying the air.
HVAC Design – not to be Taken Lightly
Experienced HVAC design engineers, like those at Service Unlimited, will take your facility’s specific requirements in mind when designing your HVAC system. At the most basic level, HVAC systems simply consist of air, taken in from outside the top or sides of a building and then forced into the internal components that circulate warmed or cooled air through your facility.. Before it can be heated or cooled, the air must first run through a series of filters, removing outside allergens, bugs, dust, or other materials. As air circulates through the facility, it is returned, either to the system itself or back outside, through air registers.
For larger commercial or industrial facilities, this can mean complex arrays of ductwork, specific heating or cooling zones, and more. Failing to contract with the experts can result in systems that are too big, too small, or inadequate in other ways. Improperly implemented HVAC can lead to premature breakdowns, requiring constant maintenance, and/or unnecessary electricity consumption.
Design and then Build
Measure twice, cut once applies equally to HVAC construction as it does to general construction. A complex industrial system is destined for failure if every detail is not properly considered from the get-go. At Service Unlimited, we take a consultative approach to HVAC design that takes into account every detail before sheet metal, AC units, air handlers, or other components are ever ordered. Our approach starts with outlining clear objectives for your climate control system. Wherever you turn for system design and construction, make sure the process is truly holistic.
HVAC system design is best thought of as a continuous, rather than one-time, process. Complex systems like those I described above require regular inspection and preventative maintenance from HVAC engineers familiar with your system. Like with any critical infrastructure, downtime means lost productivity and can result in far greater expense than simply keeping the system healthy in the first place.
Bad design, installation, or maintenance results in one thing: higher costs. The problem here is that, when it comes to HVAC, the costs can come from many angles, including unnecessary energy consumption or constant system repairs. Contact Service Unlimited today to schedule an inspection of your current system to see where potential problems can be fixed before disaster strikes. If you’re considering a complete rebuild or are taking on a large-scale project, don’t hesitate to reach out.