News - United CoolAir

September 8, 2021 by Matt Hanson

How HVAC Retrofit Can Benefit Commercial Buildings

Every day there is a commercial HVAC system that is starting to fail as it reaches the end of its lifespan. Even well-maintained systems have components that will wear out. On top of that, the needs of a building change overtime as perhaps more people occupy the space. There could also be a change in office equipment or hours of operation. In fact, the life span of the typical HVAC system is only from 15–30 years. This is why an HVAC retrofit could be the best way to solve this unending problem.

Early Warning Signs of a Failing HVAC System

The first warning signs of a system that is starting to diminish is a noticeable change in the comfort level and changes in IAQ. Also, there could be an increase in the energy costs associated with the building. The rising costs of repairing and maintaining an HVAC system is also a sign that it might be time to consider an HVAC retrofit.

The Problem with Retrofit and Replacement of Existing Equipment

Most commercial HVAC systems are installable as packaged rooftop units or located in a basement or mechanical room. This presents s huge problem of having to hire cranes or major demolition to a building. Many times, a retrofit replacement unit is too large to move through hallways to their final destination. Complicating the process is the disruption to occupants as replacement can take a long time to complete. The cost of replacement equipment along with business down time is enough to discourage many facility managers to complete the update.

Finding the Best HVAC Retrofit Solution

Fortunately, there is a way to avoid all the drawbacks of a retrofit or replacement HVAC system. United CoolAir creates modular replacement HVAC units that can fit through standard doors and hallways and then reassembled. Additionally, this retrofit process is most often accomplished over a weekend. With United CoolAir units, HVAC retrofit and replacement is a easy process.

August 26, 2021 by Matt Hanson

What is a Water Source Heat Pump?

When it comes to reliability and efficiency, a Water Source Heat Pump (WSHP) could be the best option for commercial buildings. A Water Source Heat Pump works much in the same way as an air source heat pump; but extracts and disperses heat by water instead of air. An air source uses heat from the outside since even cold air contains substantial heat, until it reaches below freezing temperatures. This happens by cycling water through a piping system loop usually supplied by a water tower.

The WSHP operates in a simple way and operate year-round by bringing in heat in the Winter months and removing it in the Summer. Additionally, they are usually packaged units that are installed in a closet or even above the ceiling. They are deliverable into zones and controllable independently so that we achieve energy conservation. For this reason (WSHPs) are more efficient in cooling rather than heating.

During Spring and Autumn there can be extremes of both warm and cold weather and WSHPs can serve both situations. This makes them ideal for commercial buildings such as office buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools and retail spaces. The simple design of WSHPs contains a compressor, 4-way reversing valve, refrigerant heat exchanger, thermal expansion device, coil, and fan. Furthermore, the popular packaged systems can be easy for technicians to service since every component is in the same location.

United CoolAir is The Best Solution

United CoolAir (UCA), offers several units that operate as both air source and water source heat pumps. These units come in both vertical and horizontal configurations and a wide range of tonnages. As an added benefit, United CoolAir units contain modular construction which allows them to go through standard doorways. This makes UCA units the best choice when it comes to choosing a Water Source Heat Pump for your commercial building.

July 2, 2021 by Matt Hanson

Air Conditioning Installation & Replacement

The sustainability of a commercial building depends greatly on the performance of its air conditioning system. Furthermore, regulations are increasingly requiring that buildings maintain a healthy supply of fresh outside air. These systems are required for the comfort of occupants and for critical functions like server rooms and other sensitive equipment. Eventually, every HVAC system reaches the end of its lifespan and building managers face the reality a commercial air conditioning installation & replacement solution.

Even with regular maintenance and repairs no HVAC unit will last forever. To complicate the matter, replacing an HVAC system often includes significant alterations to a building’s structure. Any cooling and heating unit accounts for a significant amount of the cost to the building. With all of these concerns it is essential to explore all options when replacing a cooling system

How to know when it’s time to replace

The age of the HVAC system is one of the factors to consider since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends replacement after 10 years of use. Frequent breakdowns are yet another factor when thinking about replacement. This is due to the 50% rule that if half or more of your costs are in repairing the unit it makes financial sense to replace it. An excessively noisy system is yet another warning sign that the system may need replaced.

Benefits of replacement

There are many benefits to upgrading to a newer energy efficient air conditioner. With the increasing cost of energy, significant savings become achieved by upgrading. Newer systems are more efficient and therefore do a better job of controlling temperature and humidity while also improving indoor air quality (IAQ). Newer systems also use better refrigerants such as the replacement of R-22 with R-410A. In the future there will be even more efficient refrigerants. Also, worth considering is that a new HVAC system will have a warranty which can save money on costly repairs. Finally, the Government often supply’s tax incentives for the purchase of newer higher efficient systems.

Split vs Packaged

Most commercial buildings contain split systems that use ductwork with an outdoor condensing unit pared with an indoor evaporator system. Many of these units were installed when the building was under construction presenting a problem of needed demolition to walls when replacing the units. There is often lot of expense in replacing these types of units because of building alterations but also hiring of equipment to lift the unit on to the roof. Packaged units on the other hand also use ductwork but here the condenser and evaporator reside within a single unit. Many times, there is not enough room outside to place the retrofit unit. Most packaged units operate outside but indoor packaged units like the ones produced by United CoolAir also exist. For this reason, an all-indoor packaged unit can save money on air conditioning installation & replacement when factoring the total install cost.

May 10, 2021 by Matt Hanson

Energy Recovery Wheels for Max Energy Savings

What is an Energy Recovery Wheel?

One of the best ways to make a DOAS unit function more efficiently is to add an Energy Recovery Wheel (ERW). In many cases local codes make it necessary for HVAC units to meet minimum standards for efficiency. An ERW also called an Enthalpy wheel works as part of a DOAS unit to remove moisture and deliver room neutral air to the heating and air conditioning unit. By using an ERW the U.S. Department of Energy determined that energy savings of 15% are achievable.

Why you need an ERW

Commercial buildings are full of indoor pollutants and volatile organic compounds. These pollutants including CO2 accumulate everyday with office variants such as people, furniture, carpeting and office machinery. It is imperative that this polluted indoor air is replaced regularly with clean fresh air. If the poor indoor air is allowed to remain it ultimately leads to negative health effects to the building’s occupants. Although standard HVAC units cool and heat the air and provide minimal ventilation, they do not provide the amount of fresh air recommended by ASHRAE 62.1-2016.

How an ERW works

Energy Recovery Wheels work year-round cooling down the warm Summer air and heating up the Winter air. In either case the ducted sensible and latent heat comes from the outside where it goes through the ERW. Conversely the leaving or exhaust air also goes through the ERW where the absorbed moisture is expelled from the building. As the wheel turns it removes moisture from the air and changes the air to a room neutral temperature. The wheel will spin slower during the Spring and Fall season where temperatures are not as extreme. This in turn helps the cooling or heating unit perform better and leads to increased energy savings.

Conclusion

With the ERW rotating, recovered heat is moved from two streams of air transferring energy from fresh air and exhaust air. Proper ventilation removes contaminants from inside air and reduces energy costs. A United CoolAir DOAS unit including an Energy Recovery Wheel is a wise choice when replacing an existing unit.

February 22, 2021 by Matt Hanson

Improving Indoor Air Quality in Commercial Buildings

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air can be considerably more detrimental to people’s health than outside air. With this in mind, it is important to identify where indoor air contaminants originate and address the possible health effects. To begin with, we can improve indoor air quality

Particulate matter
Carbon Monoxide
Secondhand tobacco smoke
Pesticides
Solvents
Volatile organic compounds
Biological pollutants
- Mites
- Allergens
- Molds
Built environment
Radon
Asbestos
Occupation-related contaminants

Schools present an extraordinarily important focus due to the unique vulnerability of children. This is because children inhale more pollutants per kilogram of body weight than adults. Furthermore, with children having narrower airways, indoor pollutants can result in proportionately greater obstruction to airways.

Particle Size

Pollutants travel through the air by multiple means. For instance, particles come in an array of sizes ranging from coarse particles (2.5–10) to fine particles of less than 2.5 micrometers. In particular, the size of particles is a determining factor in which part of the lung receives particle deposits. For this reason, children may be greater affected by the smallest of particles according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, children that reside in urban areas are at greater risk of IAQ due to spending more time indoors than rural children.

Sometimes the negative impact of indoor air quality is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and poor ventilation. Yet other times poor air quality is associated with building materials such as asbestos, formaldehyde, paints, glues, resins, spray propellants, and cleaning agents.

Acute and Chronic effects of air pollutants

Poor indoor air quality can affect people in a variety of ways from mild to severe.

Acute:

Irritation of mucus membranes (eyes, nose, and throat)
Cough, wheeze, and chest tightness
Increased airway responsiveness to allergens
Increased incidence of acute respiratory illness:
Tracheobronchitis
Exacerbation of asthma

Chronic

Long-term exposure decreases lung growth
Impairment of pulmonary function
Increased susceptibility to chronic obstructive lung diseases
Other

Prevention is the key
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas formed by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels. Exposure to this gas can lead to intoxication that results in tissue hypoxia. Breathing high levels of carbon monoxide can lead to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and weakness. Breathing even low levels can cause fatigue and increase chest pain in people with chronic heart disease. Smoke and CO detectors may provide early warning and prevent exposure.

Tips:

Keep fuel-burning appliances in good working condition
Check heating systems, chimneys, and vents on a regular basis
Never burn charcoal indoors
Never leave a car running in a closed garage.
Consider CO detectors

Ventilation is Paramount

Finally, one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is to bring clean fresh air into the building. Of course, this is easily accomplished by the use of a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS). These units work in conjunction with an HVAC unit to bring in fresh room neutral air which also saves energy by helping the HVAC unit run more efficiently. Besides, United CoolAir makes several packaged DOAS units in various tonnages.

January 22, 2021 by Kevin Stepp

What ERVs Can’t Do

Background

Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) have flooded the HVAC market. Building owners want more fresh air in their buildings, but don’t want to pay the costs associated with conditioning it. They know it is far more costly to remove heat and humidity from 95° air than it is to do the same with return air. So, the industry has turned to the energy recovery ventilator as a means of efficiently reducing ventilation costs.

ERVs use a device (typically a wheel or a fixed plate) with heat transfer media to exchange heat from a building’s exhaust air to its fresh air source. In the summer, this means pre-cooling the outside air before it reaches a cooling coil, and in the winter it means the opposite; pre-heating the air before it reaches a heating coil. Pre-treating the air reduces the amount of energy required to heat or cool it. ERVs accomplish this with little power consumption, making them a desirable means of adding fresh air to a building.

The ERV Problem

Standard energy recovery ventilators, though, are a half-measure. While ERVs provide energy savings, they stop short of fully conditioning the air they are responsible for bringing into a building. Most ventilators discharge air off of the media at around 80° db and 67° wb in the summer. These are the classic full load design conditions for commercial comfort cooling applications. So, while an ERV reduces the outside air load, it adds more CFM of relatively warm, wet air that must be conditioned by the building’s other equipment.

A Better ERV

What if, instead of adding load, an ERV delivered fully conditioned air? The size of the comfort cooling equipment could be reduced and energy dollars would be saved. United CoolAir’s Alpha Aire does just that. By using two energy recovery devices, a small compressor, and a hot gas reheat coil, the Alpha Aire delivers room neutral air to a space. It does so without increasing load on the existing equipment. Plus, the unit is so efficient that it operates at near identical FLAs to the top ERVs on the market. Click this link for more details on the Alpha Aire, and join our mission to provide healthier, more efficient buildings.