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What’s the Difference between Commercial and Residential HVAC?

rooftop-commercial-acEvery building in the area needs to have air conditioning, and that applies to commercial buildings as well as homes and residences. In fact, most of us probably spend the heat of the day in an office or commercial space of some kind (schools count, since they have the same requirements as commercial spaces). That means that commercial HVAC systems need specific care when they run into trouble. You can’t just call a residential AC repair service and expect the results to be the same. Commercial systems differ from residential systems in a number of specific ways. We’ve listed a few of them below.

Specific Needs

In a residence, the temperature doesn’t always need to be precise in order for you to be comfortable. As long as the air is tolerable, you can probably do just fine. (That’s one of the reasons why we recommend setting your home thermostat at 78 instead of 75 in the summer: to save energy.) Commercial properties have no such luxuries, however. Stored products and essential equipment like computers need to be stored at precise temperatures, and things like walk-in freezers and refrigerators have very precise power needs. A commercial system needs to be able to meet those needs precisely.

Changing Needs

As businesses grow, the specific needs of the space they occupy will need to change as well. In many cases, the business in question is just leasing the space, and the building manager may need to alter the power output of a given system to meet the needs of a new occupant.

That’s why many commercial HVAC systems are modular in nature. They use multiple small units – usually placed on the roof – that are all connected to the same system of ducts. If the occupant needs more power, new units can be connected to the system. If their power needs are smaller, individual units can be deactivated until the power levels are balanced. (This is very important in air conditioning, since an overpowered unit wastes huge amounts of money.) Best of all, these modular units can be added and removed from the outside, so an installation won’t disturb your employees or customers!

Space

Most commercial spaces are much larger than all but the most opulent homes. That means that commercial HVAC systems not only need to be more powerful, but need to accommodate spatial specifics, like the fact that heat rises and higher stories of a tall building will usually be hotter than lower stories.

In addition, commercial HVAC systems are often located on the roof of their respective buildings, as a way of saving precious space that can be better used for storage or workstations (or even parking space). That entails more dedicated knowledge, especially when installing new units and removing old ones are concerned, as well as keeping a close eye on them in the event of storms or serious weather.

For high-quality commercial HVAC services in Boerne, TX contact the friendly professionals at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. today to set up an appointment!

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