Different climates present different challenges on HVAC systems in facilities throughout the country. A rooftop unit (RTU) in Phoenix faces extreme desert heat than an RTU in, say, Maine does not. Yet the need for cooling never ceases. In particular, retail stores use their cooling systems more than they use their heating systems. Even with outside air temperatures between 45 and 55 Fahrenheit, many retail stores are staying in cooling mode.
A properly cleaned, maintained and balanced HVAC system is a necessity in today’s retail setting in order to ensure a pleasant shopping experience for increasingly sophisticated consumers. Good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is equally important for proper temperature and humidity in ensuring customer comfort. Likewise, businesses are becoming more aware of the effect of indoor environments on worker satisfaction and productivity. Poorly maintained HVAC equipment adversely affects the indoor experience for your customers. It can impact employee health and productivity, and it can be a factor in losing customers and ultimately, revenue. Therefore, business owners increasingly demand spaces that provide optimal comfort.
At a Professional Retail Store Maintenance (PRSM) conference, Stanley Marcus, of Neiman-Marcus once stated that he estimated the cost of regaining a lost retail customer at $1,500 to $2,000. While that estimate may be high for most retailers, it holds truths for owners of not only retail space, but office and industrial as well: Providing a healthy and comfortable atmosphere in retail, office and industrial spaces is vitally important, and can be accomplished through a proper HVAC preventive maintenance program.
In our next posts, we will share specific advice on preparing your HVAC system for cooling system challenges. We will detail strategies for performing an electrical inspection of your unit, and the condensing and evaporating coil. Additionally, we will provide a basic checklist to use during cooling seasons – one that you can and should customize for your specific use.
As with all our blog posts, we welcome your feedback and questions. In our next installment, we’ll talk about electrical inspection, cleaning the heat exchanger, condensing coil and evaporating coil. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about CLS’s national HVAC services call us at 800-548-3542.