A commercial property has a lot of maintenance needs, so some people hire the same handyman to do it all. That’s one person to clean out gutters, fix running toilets, oil squeaky doors, and investigate problems like low temperatures from an HVAC system. But how can one person be an expert in all of this?
The average handyman can do a lot of good on a commercial property, but when it comes to an HVAC system, they may cost you more than it’s worth. We strongly recommend only working with commercial HVAC specialists whenever your system needs service—or for annual maintenance.
Commercial specialists get thorough training.
You should know that a commercial HVAC specialist does not just jump into the job. To become an HVAC technician, you typically need years of training. First, a technician may work as a residential technician, moving on to an apprenticeship in commercial HVAC. They receive ongoing training on changing standards in the industry along with the newest equipment.
This is not the same for every company, but in any case, your technician is trained specifically on large residential heaters, air conditioners, and ventilation systems. This includes testing and commissioning, something a handyman or even a residential HVAC technician would not be qualified or prepared for.
The equipment is not the same as residential systems.
You might think that a commercial HVAC system is just like a residential unit, but bigger. Anyone who can service a smaller air conditioner or heater can fix my commercial system, right? But this just isn’t the case.
Serving the heating and cooling needs of a large building requires careful engineering. Proper sizing is difficult enough, let along balancing to ensure that every space across the building gets the cooling and heating it needs. This is simply not something covered in residential HVAC technician training, and it’s not simple to come by.
Commercial ventilation systems need special attention.
One thing that often needs work in a commercial building is the ventilation system. When a building is hot on some floors and cold on others, careful air balancing must be achieved. Done improperly, airflow may be impeded from the system which could cause it to malfunction.
That’s another reason commercial specialists are so important for commercial HVAC services. While other people may only look at the system itself when something goes wrong with your heating and cooling, HVAC specialists investigate the ventilation system as well.
Find the solutions you need for indoor air quality problems.
One final reason to hire commercial specialists is that they don’t just help with temperature concerns. Commercial properties notoriously have problems with indoor air quality. Commercial specialists can help you find an air purifier that reduces sick days for people in an office or complaints from tenants. You can get humidifiers and dehumidifiers to help with comfort and protect valuable equipment. Specialists can also help with proper ventilation and with keeping the air filters cleaned or properly replaced.
3 Things to Know about Heat Pumps » « Need a New Heating Installation? Read This First