How to Prepare Your Commercial Cooling System for Seasonal Changes

The technicians at Air Blue Heating and Cooling have seen it all. Compressors that make horrendous noises on a freezing winter morning to an entire cooling system that fails on the hottest summer’s day. In 30+ years, we’ve seen a lot, and we know the importance of staying one step ahead of the seasonal changes.

When it comes to your company’s commercial cooling system in ever-changing Chicago summer weather, you cannot go without AC. Not only is it stressful for you, but a broken HVAC system impacts your workers’ productivity, customers’ comfort, and stakeholders’ desire to stay in a stuffy conference room for one more second.

Your commercial air conditioning system is vital to your business operations. From everyone’s comfort to your business’s utility bills, you need an HVAC system that functions properly, keeps your costs low, and adapts to changes in the demand for cooling. Our expert HVAC technicians have tips to share that keep your commercial cooling system working properly throughout the year.

It’s Hard to Predict How the Summer’s Going to Go

One thing is certain in Chicago: it’s hard to predict whether the summer will match an average summer or not. This past winter had less snowfall than average. In fact, we didn’t even get 12 inches, making it the 10th least snowy winter on record. Yet, temperatures were also downright frigid with windchills going well into the -20s and even -35ºF.

Spring delivered slightly higher than average temperatures, as the Farmer’s Almanac predicted, and precipitation remained below average. This hinted that we might be heading into a hotter summer than we’re used to.

Currently, predictions from the Farmer’s Almanac are for a hot, sultry summer with some of the hottest days hitting in early to mid-July. Rainfall is predicted to be higher than average, too. If you haven’t had your commercial HVAC system inspected and cleaned, you’re running out of time. Summer’s coming up fast, and it’s time to arrange cooling system maintenance if you haven’t already.

Steps Involved in Professional Preventive Maintenance for Your Commercial AC System

Your company needs to arrange two preventative maintenance visits each year. While you can stick to an annual schedule, two is better. Your system gets a professional tune-up and cleaning in the spring before summer’s heat arrives. Add a second cleaning and tune-up in the fall to ensure your heating system is ready for winter’s blustery cold weather.

Here’s what you should expect to happen during a preventative maintenance appointment for your commercial HVAC system.

Check fan motors and blades to make sure they move freely and are not loose, dirty, or unbalanced.
Check refrigerant levels to ensure that the levels are not low, which occurs when there are leaks.
Clean condenser coils to remove dirt, pollen, grass, and leaves so that heat from inside your building is properly released outside.
Clean indoor evaporator coils, which produce the coolness that makes your workspaces comfortable, to remove any mildew or mold, which happens when it gets humid.
Drain pains and condensate lines are checked to make sure there are no clogs or excessive water build up that could leak onto floors and cause mold and rot.
Inspect electrical components to ensure there is no loose connection or contact and that components like capacitors work correctly.
Listen for unusual noises that are key indicators of failing components or system issues.
Look at the ducts for excessive mold, mildew, or dust/dirt deposits and arrange a duct cleaning if needed.
Lubricate moving parts like bearings and motors to keep friction to a minimum and reduce unnecessary wear and tear.
Run a system check to verify that airflow, pressure, and thermometer settings match what the specs list.

Routine Maintenance Your Company Needs to Prioritize

Those are the maintenance steps a commercial AC technician follows. There are things your maintenance team should prioritize throughout the year.

Change air filters at least as often as the installer recommends, which is often every three months. (You may need to change them more often if they seem excessively dirty, or the system isn’t cooling your building as well as it usually does.)
Check air filters each month to look for excessive dust, dirt, and other contaminants.
Clean up around the outdoor unit, especially after a storm or landscaping/mowing tasks are completed.
Close exterior doors when no one is entering or exiting the building. (Someone might be cold, but letting heat in gives the cooling system extra work to do.)
Consider locking thermostats that prevent employees from turning the temperature down to colder-than-necessary levels.
Keep shrubs, trees, and other plants at least two feet from the outdoor unit.
Turn down the thermostats in rooms that aren’t used a lot.

Book an Extra Professional Check-up Before Winter Arrives

Twice-yearly cleanings and inspections benefit Chicago businesses. Your commercial cooling system worked hard all summer and possibly part of the spring. It’s a good time to check in and make sure nothing has started to wear out or fail over the summer. You don’t want to hit the cold winter months and suddenly have an HVAC system that’s refusing to heat the space.

During a fall check-up, many of the same steps occur, only they’ll focus more on how well the heating system part of an HVAC system is working. It’s also beneficial to clean the condenser coils in the fall so that a summer’s worth of grime isn’t sitting on the copper coils all winter.

If there are condensate lines that are exposed to winter’s cold temperatures, you want them drained for the winter to prevent lines from freezing and cracking. This is a step that some business owners don’t consider. You’ll save money by taking this extra preventative step.

There’s one more reason to have this year-end commercial HVAC maintenance performed. If your system is getting older and starting to fail or cost more to fix than you’d spend on a replacement, fall is a good time for replacing commercial cooling and heating systems.

If you have your system upgraded or replaced before it’s too cold and after it’s hot and humid, you’re not worrying about how to keep your workers, shareholders, customers, and clients comfortable. Your commercial HVAC system needs to be shut down for the installation of new components or systems, so it’s best to do this when the temperatures outside are still mild enough that your building’s temperature doesn’t fluctuate much.

When to Consider Commercial HVAC System Upgrades or Replacements

Is it time for an upgraded or replacement commercial heating and cooling system? How old is your current system? Most commercial HVAC systems are designed to last no more than 20 years. With proper usage and professional maintenance, you might get 25 or 30 years if you’re lucky.

Are your energy bills skyrocketing? Newer HVAC systems are designed to lower energy consumption. While there is an initial investment involved in the new installation or upgraded commercial HVAC system, the savings on your energy bills often offsets that increased expense.

How much are your yearly repairs? When you reach a point where a repair is 50% the cost of a new system or more, it’s time to replace your outdated, broken commercial cooling and heating system. It’s simply no longer worthwhile to spend that kind of money.

Finally, are your employees and others who frequent your building complaining that it’s just not cool or hot enough? Is it too humid and mildewy? When temperature fluctuations occur and nothing you do is correcting the issue, it’s time to consider a new HVAC system for your business.

Staying ahead of changing demands due to Chicago’s weather is the most important thing you can do to ensure your commercial AC system performs well all summer. Air Blue is here for you. Contact us to arrange a time to come inspect and clean your business’s HVAC system to ensure you’re not struggling to stay cool as summer’s heat and humidity become oppressive.