Category: HVAC

Did you know that your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems pose a fire hazard to your building? It is possible for your air conditioning system catch on fire. Therefore to prevent damage and injury, it is important to be aware of HVAC fire hazards. Though the chances of a fire are low, the following factors have been known to pose a fire hazard and should be monitored to ensure safety.

HVAC Fire Hazards

Electrical connections

Bad electrical connections are one of the main causes of HVAC failure and fires. Old connections tend to become loose and with the constant high demand for power, burnt and exposed wires can trigger a fire. The smell of smoke or burning plastic is a giveaway.

Leaking fuel line

Without performing regular maintenance, it is difficult to spot leaking fuel lines. What makes this especially hazardous is the fact that a highly flammable substance – such as oil, gas, and petroleum – is coming into contact with hot elements inside the A/C unit. The combination of heat and flammable material increases the chance of a dangerous fire.

Faulty gas connections

High gas pressure causes the heat exchanger to heat up. Low gas pressure can cause condensation. Both increase of risk of damage and fires. Poor workmanship or years of neglect can lead to gas leaks and bad air quality, not to mention the potential for an out of control gas furnace.

Crowded furnace

This is a relatively easy problem to prevent. Stuffing creates, boxes, cleaning equipment, and a host of other materials on or near your HVAC system increases the danger of damaging the unit and causing a fire. All that junk around the unit could catch fire, damaging not just the A/C system, but a large portion of the building. To prevent this, ensure that all nonessential equipment is kept away from the unit. Clean chemicals that may react to heat or catch fire as well.

What to do in case of a fire

The first thing to do in case of a fire is to exit the building and call for help. If possible, turn off the main power switch to the unit and the building. Alert everyone in or around the area and ensure that unsuspecting visitors do not enter the building.

How to avoid HVAC fire hazards

While it is possible for HVAC systems to catch fire randomly, HVAC experts insist on regular maintenance as the best way to prevent instances of damage, leakage, or circuitry problems. Fire prevention does not begin and end with authorized inspections. If you are going to ensure the safety of everybody using the system, it is recommended that you play an active role in promoting safety. If you suspect there might be an issue with your HVAC system, or you smell burning wires, oil, gas, or any other suspicious material, contact a Altemp Mechanical immediately for an inspection.

Do you find that it is difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature in your building, no matter what steps you take? Have you caught yourself asking, “Why is my thermostat not working?” If so, your building may be suffering from one or more of these common thermostat problems…

Why Is My Thermostat Not Working?

Reason #1 – Your Thermostat is Located in Direct Sunlight

Regardless of the weather, does your building’s interior always feel too cold? Your thermostat might be exposed to too much direct sunlight. Observe your thermostat during the day and see if it comes into direct contact with sunlight at any point. If this happens, the thermostat may begin to read the air temperature as much higher than it really is. This inaccurate reading can cause your heat to turn off too early or cause the air conditioner to run for too long.

Reason #2 Your Thermostat is Located Too Close to Sources of Heat

Having a thermostat that is too close to an oven, fireplace or other heat source inside your building can produce similar results to a thermostat in direct sunlight. If your building is always too cold, but your thermostat is not located near a window, one of the above heat sources could be the cause of your problem.

Reason #3 Your Thermostat is Not Located Centrally

Does the temperature inside your building seem unbalanced? Is one side of a building warmer or cooler than the other? A thermostat that is not located centrally in your building may be the culprit. Your thermostat should be located somewhere “central” – like a hallway – to ensure an even balance of temperature distribution. If you continue to experience pockets of uneven temperature, you may want to consider zoning your commercial structure.

Reason #4 You Have an Old or Broken Thermostat

Although thermostats are designed to last for many years, occasionally they will need to be replaced. This is especially true if your thermostat uses mercury. You should consider upgrading to a newer, more accurate digital thermostat.

One of the most frustrating problems is when your heat pump begins blowing cold or cool air instead of warm air. This problem occurs more often than you may think. It can be caused by a number of issues. Below is a list of answers to the question: Why is my heat pump blowing cool air? Discover the most common causes, and what you can do to fix it…

Why Is My Heat Pump Blowing Cool Air?

The compressor is not operating properly.

If the compressor in your system is not operating properly, your heat pump will not be able to adequately remove heat from the air to carry indoors. A heat pump essentially works as an air conditioner in cold weather. In an air conditioner, the compressor cools down the coolant that is used to draw the heat from the air, removing heat from the walls and interior of a building and pumping cool air back into it. In a heat pump, the process is reversed. Heat is drawn from the air outside and then blown into the structure, rather than drawing air from the structure’s interior. If the compressor is not properly keeping the coolant cool, the system cannot efficiently produce warm air.

The heat pump is frozen.

In extremely cold temperatures or extended periods of cold weather, the outdoor unit may be frozen and covered with ice. The unit may have to be thawed.

The defroster is running.

Your heat pump is equipped with a defroster that comes on once every hour to prevent the buildup of ice. This causes the pump to blow cold air into your building for a short period of time. It is not something that you should be concerned about. If the system is running and your fan is not blowing, it simply means the heat pump is defrosting and should begin blowing warm air again soon.

There may be no problem at all.

Sometimes people assume there is a problem with their heat pump when in fact there is no problem at all. Many buildings have furnaces that rely on short blasts of hot air to keep the interior heated. Heat pumps, however, work by supplying a steady stream of warm air to regulate the temperature throughout the building. If you are used to having a furnace in your building, you may have to deal with a short adjustment period.

Heat Pump Repair

Still asking, “why is my heat pump blowing cool air?” If you are dealing with a damaged or broken heat pump, or your pump is blowing cold air into your home or commercial structure, give us a call at 651-275-9111.

There was a time when the cost of food was more expensive than energy bills. Today, the tide has changed. The cost of energy is ten times greater than what it was only a few years ago. Unfortunately, we cannot thrive without energy. It is used in so many applications, including cooling, heating, lighting and much more. If you run a business from a central location or office and you plan to maximize your monthly profits, you must understand how to manage your commercial HVAC costs. Below we discuss a few methods that should help you get started.

How To Manage Your Commercial HVAC Costs

Carry out routing maintenance.

A faulty HVAC system tends to consume more energy. Therefore, you should schedule a quarterly inspection with qualified HVAC company such as Altemp Mechanical. This will ensure that your HVAC unit is not only working and operating at its optimal level; you can make sure that its components are in good condition.

Take advantage of the outside air.

Rather than always relying on your HVAC system, you should consider allowing outside air to cool your facility when the weather permits it. An economizer allows for “FREE” cooling of your building when the outside air is below 70 degrees. This will result in large energy cost savings, reduces the wear and tear on your HVAC units, and provides fresh air to your building.

Have you considered programmable thermostats?

Programmable thermostats permit you to program your unit in such a way that it does not operate during non-business hours. This offers a better option than standard thermostats. Standard thermostats may allow your HVAC unit to operate at all times, even when conditioning is not necessary.

Ensure that you hire a reliable and well-respected heating and cooling company such as Altemp Mechanical to carry out maintenance and HVAC repairs to reduce energy consumption in your facility.

The HVAC system in your building can do more than keep the temperature regulated. It is a major factor in determining safety, comfort, productivity and your energy bill. In order to keep the unit running smoothly, regular maintenance is required. However, even that cannot guarantee that the system won’t break down once in a while. Let’s take a look at the most common commercial HVAC problems and what causes them.

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