A working commercial air conditioning unit is essential to any business or commercial property. Whether you’re a restaurant that needs to keep a kitchen and eating area at a welcoming temperature, a medical facility focused on making sure your patients are comfortable, or a business that knows how important it is to keep employees and customers feeling good, there are a lot of factors to consider when deciding what kind of system to install. Keeping customers, employees, and other occupants cool and comfortable allows you to focus on the more critical aspects of running your business. Here are three things to remember when searching for the perfect commercial air conditioning unit.
- The size and function of the building. The HVAC system for a big, open warehouse will function and be laid out much differently from one you might find in a restaurant or apartment building. Significant differences will exist between an office divided into entirely separate rooms and one set up with cubicles in one large room. Contractors can design a commercial air conditioning unit to suit a vast range of spaces and business needs, so you should be prepared to share the size and layout of the building when you talk with an installation company.
- What kind of air filtration system you need. Commercial buildings in the middle of a city with poor air quality will likely need a higher-power air filtration system than those located in the country. Restaurants, medical facilities, gyms, apartment complexes, and any business that deals with chemicals or airborne particles will all need different levels of air purification to keep their clients and employees healthy. Check to see if there are industry standards you need to meet, and consult with your HVAC contractor to make sure you are installing a unit with the appropriate filtration capabilities.
- Long-term and short-term costs. Staying within budget is important, but opting for a system just because it’s cheap may cost you more in the long run since an inefficient system can quickly drive up your electric bill. Before choosing to go with a more affordable short-term option, consider how frequently you’ll be running your commercial air conditioning unit and how hard it will be working when it’s running. In many cases, the less expensive short-term option becomes more costly in the long term because the system does not operate effectively or is under undue stress that causes rapid deterioration.
Numerous factors must be considered before installing a commercial air conditioning unit, but there are plenty of things business or commercial property owners can do to help ensure they get a suitable unit for their needs. Being prepared to talk in-depth with your contractor about the size and layout of your building, what filtration levels you need, and what your long-term and short-term budgets are will help ensure that you get the best possible commercial air conditioning unit for your business.