Business owners in the market for a new or replacement commercial HVAC system are faced with many questions about where to start. First and probably most importantly is the cost. However, cost not only pertains to the price of the equipment, but to the installation cost as well. Equipment cost will vary from one brand to another and between companies performing the install. Since most buyers are usually not HVAC experts, they often defer to the expertise of the engineer or contractor and may not search or understand that there are alternatives.
Commercial HVAC systems are generally quite large and in many cases are installed when the building is constructed. The condenser unit is typically placed on the rooftop or outside the perimeter on the ground which causes them to be susceptible to weather damage and vandalism. The evaporator section is then placed in a mechanical room and cannot be easily relocated.
These units generally need to be replaced after a few decades and the building owner is faced with the daunting task of choosing a replacement unit. Building owners are routinely told by installers that in order to replace the unit, they will have to remove some of the walls or part of the roof in order to complete the retrofit install. The reason is although the old unit can be chopped up and removed, it is very difficult to get a replacement unit in the space. Additionally, if the building is several stories high, a crane is needed to hoist the replacement unit into place.
The total cost of installation can be broken down into separate categories; labor materials, and tasks. Installation companies will compute hourly wage times how many laborers it will take to complete the change out. Other expenditures could include permits, insurance, supervision, warehouse, crane rental, and delivery.
The selection of the proper HVAC system is yet another consideration. Owners, architects, engineers, and contractors have the choice of chilled water, refrigerant direct expansion, packaged, air-cooled, water-cooled, and VRF systems. Will the system be a central or floor-by-floor method? Each of these will have pro and cons and can be one of the more difficult decisions to be made. Sometimes decisions are based on building codes. Historic districts usually have restrictions on placing units outdoors or on the rooftop.
There is a better way!
United CoolAir (UCA) products are designed to avoid all of the unnecessary costs that can occur in a typical retrofit installation. UCA HVAC units are designed differently than most other units on the market. It all begins with units that are designed as packaged systems and installed completely indoors. This factor alone saves the unit from weather damage and potential vandalism. Additionally, UCA units are built as modular units that fit through doorways, meaning there is never a need for expensive rigging or demolition of the building. UCA units can also fit into historic buildings, thus avoiding the aggravation of code restrictions. Additional permits or non-allowance for outdoor equipment. United CoolAir HVAC units not only save in installation cost but their units last longer over the competition.
