Diagnosing Some Common Problems With a Commercial HVAC System
Keeping your commercial building's HVAC system in good working order is more important than you may realize; for one thing, that commercial building is no doubt much larger than your residential home, so wasting energy at your commercial building can mean some steep but unnecessary utility bills. The building's temperature can also affect the overall wear and tear of computers, production equipment and even phone lines. When your commercial building's HVAC system begins to fail, note some common problems you may be facing and what you might expect by way of needed repairs.
The capacitor
The capacitor is a part that helps the motor of the HVAC system to run at a consistent speed. When it begins to wear out, your thermostat may work fine and the blower of the HVAC system may also be in good working order, but the motor of the system will slow down and then speed back up intermittently. In turn, the temperature of your building may fluctuate accordingly. In these cases, the capacitor may need to be replaced altogether.
The compressor
The compressor is what circulates refrigerant through an HVAC system to cool air before it's blown through the building's vents, and it also compresses refrigerant to make it warm, which heats the air. When the unit is overloaded with refrigerant, the compressor may begin to work too hard and it begins to fail. In this case, the HVAC unit has plenty of refrigerant, but that liquid is not being circulated as it should, and your building doesn't get cool. A broken compressor also means that the refrigerant won't be compressed when you need warm air, and the building won't get warm. In most cases, the compressor will simply need to be replaced when it begins to fail.
Wiring
Wiring issues are a common problem with HVAC systems, but they may be one of the last problems you look for when the unit acts up. However, if your commercial building's wiring is very old, it may not be able to handle the demands for power needed by a newer HVAC unit, or the wiring may simply have become frayed over time. In turn, the unit is not getting sufficient power or is only getting intermittent power as it travels sporadically across the wires. This can be very damaging to the unit, as it causes excess wear and tear on the motor, blower, and other parts, as they constantly speed up and slow down. An electrician can test the wiring to the unit and the thermostat to note if it needs upgrading.