Your Guide to Avoiding HVAC Emergencies
The right strategies can help you avoid an HVAC emergency.
Your business relies on heating and cooling to remain comfortable for employees and customers alike. When that system fails, it can be catastrophic. But here’s the good news: most HVAC emergencies can be prevented with a few simple strategies. So how do you do it?
What Is an HVAC Emergency?
First, let’s explain what qualifies as an HVAC emergency. If your furnace is making a funny noise but is otherwise operational, it’s not an emergency. If your air conditioner doesn’t seem to cool as quickly as it used to, it’s not an emergency. But if you’re stuck in a building during a cold blizzard and the heating is completely unavailable, that qualifies as an emergency.
Essentially, anything that jeopardizes the health or reasonable comfort of people in a building can qualify as an HVAC emergency. If you don’t have any heating or cooling available, if the outage is expected to last a long time, and if external temperatures create extremely uncomfortable conditions, it’s important to take action. If there are other reasons to be concerned about health or safety, such as leaking coolant or a detected gas leak, it’s also important to treat the situation as an emergency.
An Emergency in Commercial HVAC: What Do You Do?
What do you do if you have an emergency in your commercial HVAC system?
Attempt Easy Fixes
Even if you’re not an HVAC professional, there are a few potentially easy fixes you can apply to try to correct the problem. Check your circuit breaker and see if a circuit has been tripped; if so, you can flip it back. You can also check to see if the service switch has been flipped off and restore it if necessary, then turn the system off and on again to restart it. If you’ve done all you can and the system still isn’t working, you’ll need to make a call.
Analyze the Situation
Take a moment to analyze the situation. What was happening leading up to this event? What’s happening now? Is there any part of your system that still operates as intended? Is there anything you can do to address it?
Contact a Professional
Commercial HVAC companies in Atlanta are standing by to handle your HVAC emergencies. When you find a partner you trust, you can work with them to quickly resolve the issue. Many of these companies can fix your issue in a matter of hours.
Consider Evacuation
In some emergency situations, it makes sense to evacuate the building. If you’re concerned about the safety of your employees or customers, provide them with instructions for how and when to leave.
Why It’s Better To Avoid Commercial HVAC Emergencies
That said, it’s usually better to avoid commercial HVAC emergencies rather than addressing them reactively. There are several reasons for this:
Cost Savings
As you might expect, it’s easier to correct an issue with your HVAC system than to call for emergency help and repair it reactively. It’s usually cheaper to fix small issues than big issues, and contacting emergency help can be expensive.
Time Savings
You’ll also save time with preventative maintenance. You can schedule a regular visit to service your system—and not have to scramble at the last minute to find an emergency commercial HVAC technician.
Smoother service
No business owner wants their HVAC service to be disrupted, especially during working hours. Avoiding commercial HVAC emergencies means your system will have more consistent uptime.
Preserved Reputation
Suffering an HVAC outage is understandable, but your customers and employees may find it irritating, especially if the outage is protracted or untimely. Avoiding emergency situations can therefore help you preserve your brand reputation.
How To Prevent Commercial HVAC Emergencies
These strategies can help you prevent the majority of commercial HVAC emergencies:
Ensure a Quality Installation
Some installation jobs are more complicated than others, to be sure, but it’s important to nail the installation the first time around. Proper care and attention to the installation can help the system run more efficiently and prevent a number of potential issues down the road.
Schedule Preventative Maintenance
The most important strategy is to practice preventative maintenance. Simple tasks like inspecting units for damage, changing out the air filters, and cleaning out individual components can keep the system running efficiently. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to identify and take corrective action on potential flaws or issues.
Fix Small Issues Early
When you discover small issues with your HVAC system, address them early. It’s cheaper and more convenient to fix a small issue when it’s small rather than waiting for it to snowball into something much harder to address. Your regular HVAC maintenance technician can guide you on what to fix, what to replace, and when to do it.
Practice Responsible Use
Take the time to understand your HVAC system and use it responsibly. Forcing your system to work extra hard by opening the windows or using it in a corrosive environment can be detrimental to its performance and lifespan.
Where Can I Find 24-Hour HVAC Repair Near Me?
Not all commercial HVAC companies in Atlanta offer 24-hour HVAC repair for emergencies, but Frazier Service does. No matter what the nature of your emergency is or when it happens, we’re on standby to help you.
Looking for an experienced, professional commercial HVAC partner? Frazier Service can help. Contact us for more information today!
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