5 Commercial Cooling Solutions for Businesses | When you’re looking to cool your business off, you have to explore a solution that works for your space as well as your budget. Much of it will depend on whether you’re looking for a temporary or permanent solution. Further, you’ll want to consider how much you are looking to drop the temperature by on an average basis.
The good news is that there are quite a few commercial cooling systems for you to consider.
HVAC Systems
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems are also known as central air. It’s one of the most common forms of cooling, especially in modern businesses.
There are a few components involved with HVAC, ensuring that cool air will circulate to achieve the desired level of comfort. You’ll need to have supply ducts installed so that they’re capable of moving the air to the various rooms/areas in your business.
As you explore HVAC systems, you’ll also want to understand that there are different types of units:
- Single-split system
- Multi-split system
- VRF or VRV system
- VAV or CAV system
What system works for you will depend on the size of the space you’re looking to cool – and even how many rooms or units you want to cool. Additionally, there are systems with a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) that will use refrigerant inside of the heating and cooling lines. You can achieve varying or constant airflow, too.
With so many things to think about, HVAC systems can be overwhelming. Additionally, with so many components, it can result in comprehensive maintenance. If you’re up for the expansive initial investment of the system and the ductwork, it can offer quality cooling for 10+ years.
Window Units
If you have a small office or single room building, you may want to consider a window unit. These are simply installed within the window frame and plugged into a standard outlet. These can be an affordable solution as they will cool off a small space quickly and not require significant installation.
Window units, however, are only an acceptable solution when you have a small area. Otherwise, you would need to install window units throughout the building – which can end up being expensive initially as well as on your monthly utility bill. Additionally, the installation of the unit can end up damaging the window frame, which means that they’re not an effective “interim” solution.
Evaporative Coolers
Evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers, use a moist media (cooling pad) that will cool off warm, dry air as it passes through the system. The evaporative process helps to cool the air significantly.
Various units are available when it comes to evaporative coolers, ensuring that they’re capable of cooling down the space that you have. Portable and fixed units are available, allowing you to get the flexibility you need for your workspace. You can pick and choose between the various blower and motor types so that you can control the overall efficiency of the unit.
One of the benefits of an evaporative cooler is that you don’t need to install ductwork. Instead, you control the blower and the overall air velocity of the unit to help with the overall airflow. The lower cost of installation can be highly desirable – and it also means that the unit is easier to maintain.
Commercial evaporative coolers do work more efficiently in low-humidity areas like Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. However, even when there are areas of high humidity, it can still offer a tremendous temperature change to offer comfort. Depending on where you are, various systems can provide you with the desired solutions.
Big Ceiling Fans
When you have a large amount of space that needs to be cooled down, big ceiling fans can be an effective way of cooling your space down. When we say BIG, we are referring to the large, ceiling-mounted fans with blades that span 20+ feet in length. In some instances, these can cut the temperature in a space by 20 degrees or more.
If you’re not looking to invest a lot of money, big ceiling fans can get the job done. If you have large loading dock doors that are opening and closing throughout the day, it may not be energy efficient for you to have HVAC. Otherwise, you’ll literally be paying to air-condition the outdoors.
Big ceiling fans may also help you in the interim until you’re ready to invest in a bigger and more effective unit – such as a swamp cooler. Depending on the size of your space, though, you may need several ceiling fans to help keep the air circulating sufficiently.
Industrial Box Fans
Industrial box fans are also an option. These are particularly effective in warehouses, garages, hangars, and loading docks where you’ll have airflow from the outside. If you’re inside a building, it will become too stuffy because the warm air won’t have anywhere to go.
Box fans can move large volumes of air. They’re also portable. If you move from job site to job site with great frequency, this can offer the portability that you need.
One thing about box fans is that they will need to be plugged into an outlet. Seeing as employees will want the box fans close to where they work, you may find that you’ll need extension cords. If you don’t tape the cords down onto the ground, you could face significant trip hazards.
Do You Need a Commercial Evaporative Cooler for Your Business?
With so many commercial cooling systems available to you, it’s important to decide what will work. While there are plenty of options out there, you want to ensure that your employees and customers are comfortable on a day-to-day basis.
At Premier Industries, we have a range of products that will meet your needs. Let us talk to you about the various evaporative cooler systems and recommend one that will fit the needs of your business. We can even custom design one so that you can begin creating a more comfortable environment for you, your employees, and your customers.
