Commercial buildings with more than a few floors present special challenges for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Because heat naturally rises, the higher you go in a building, the more heat must be dissipated. Higher floors are also closer to the heat of the sun. There is less natural air flow and likely no other buildings or foliage to provide shade or assist in the cooling of the building.
In short, higher floors are left to bake in the sun with little or no help from nature. This can tax even the largest heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, so it is important to think about how to handle issues such as daily temperature swings, building occupancies at different times of the day, seasonal fluctuations and overall demands on the system.
Things to Consider and Tips for Cooling Top Floors
- Big windows on higher floors present special challenges: they attract heat and air leakage canincrease cooling costs by up to 30 percent. Consider new technologies designed to reduce air leakage. New window films can increase efficiency by up to 80 percent.
- Poor air flow within the ducting and due to improper placement of systems can dramatically reduce the efficiency of your system. Avoid extremely long run cycles and ask your HVAC specialist to check the air flow.
- Check to see if new additions are properly ventilated. Many times, rooms are isolated and do not get the proper level of air flow. Avoid closed rooms in the centers of your higher floors, as they restrict air flow.
- Consider automated systems that adjust the temperature based on time of day, occupancy and season.
Ways to Optimize Your HVAC System
- Work with a company that has direct experience with taller commercial buildings. Such companies know the nuances associated with tall buildings and can inspect for leakage, poor air flow and other problems that reduce the efficiency of your system.
- Be sure your system is operating at peak efficiency with regularly scheduled preventative maintenance and cleaning. Don’t wait for problems to occur. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of care in the world of HVAC systems.
Cooling higher floors in a commercial building in Florida requires an extra level of expertise many companies just don’t understand. The commercial technicians at Cox Air have the experience and expertise to help cool your entire building and make sure your equipment runs smoothly at all times.
Transitional times in the fall and spring and higher floors present special challenges that Cox Air has been dealing with since 1958. The company’s technicians know what to expect and how to adjust your system to handle the special challenges associated with higher floors.
