Heating costs can be a big business expenditure, but keeping costs under control should not mean turning down the thermostat. If your employees are uncomfortable, they won’t work efficiently or happily. And if your customers or clients are cold, they’ll make their visits to your establishment as short as possible – if they visit at all.

The key to controlling commercial heating costs is to make sure your HVAC system is running efficiently. This isn’t difficult with the attention of a committed facilities manager and the assistance of a professional HVAC services contractor. Here are five tips to guide your procedures and keep your employees and customers comfortable, economically.

1. Stay up to date. If your HVAC system is more than 10 years old, it lacks the latest technology. If your facilities have expanded in size but your HVAC system hasn’t, it’s likely being overburdened and running beyond its limits of efficiency. Replacement might be a shortcut to achieving quick payback. At the very least, have your older system inspected and upgraded or repaired as needed.
2. Have it maintained regularly. Most HVAC contractors offers annual maintenance plans to keep your heating and cooling systems running as efficiently as possible, and to identify and solve potential problems before they become actual problems that could cause expensive downtime.
3. Maintain the duct system. Check your sheet metal! Leaky ducts waste hot air, sometimes draw cold air into the facility, and may distribute dust and dirt throughout your place of business.
4. Ensure that air dampers and heating/cooling valves are working. This is definitely a job for the professionals. Dampers should be opening and closing fully. Heating and cooling valves that are malfunctioning can result in simultaneous heating and cooling, which in turn can result in a very high utility bill and uncomfortable or uncontrollable temperatures.
5. Upgrade your thermostats. Programmable thermostats have improved significantly in recent years. New ones are relatively inexpensive and they do a better job maintaining constant temperature. They also allow for great flexibility in conserving energy when your building is not occupied on weekends or in the evening hours.

Your facility’s HVAC system is a large investment and one you want to protect by having it regularly and professionally maintained. The team of heating professionals at Ambient Comfort have the experience to keep your employees and customers comfortable throughout the winter months and all year long. Call us today at 856-213-6586 to schedule service or to learn about our maintenance plans. We are located in Vineland, New Jersey, and serve clients throughout most of South Jersey.

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Breached or leaky heating ducts indicate maintenance and, possibly repair, is needed. Sometimes, your duct system may just need a good cleaning. Signs your home’s duct system is not functioning properly include unexpectedly higher heating bills that don’t appear to be weather-related, reduced air flow through heating vents, colds spots in your home, and even odd noises coming from the duct work.

One of the challenges homeowners face is duct work is not visible, so determining a breach or leak from a hole in the duct work can feel like a guessing game. Once you run through the basic actions listed below and decide you may indeed have a duct issue, it is time to call in an HVAC heating professional to repair the problem.

Checklist for Leaky or Breached Ducts

• Cold Spots
• Strange Noises
• Reduced Air Flow
• Cool Air
• Increased Heating Bills

Most duct breaches are triggered over long term wear and tear. Sections that are bolted together can eventually become unhinged and need to be reconnected with new bolts. Another common problem is the impact of animals, such as rodents, which have gotten into your home and entered the HVAC system. Once a duct is breached, your HVAC system has to work harder to carry warm air through a compromised delivery system – resulting in higher utility bills. Breached ducts also create the opportunity for dirt, dust and other debris to be pumped into your home’s indoor air, impacting the air quality in your home.

At Ambient Comfort, we deal with ducts day in and day out and apply the latest technology to zero in on duct breaches. We don’t waste your money or time exploring but get right to the resolution of your problem. Duct sealing can include having to rebuild a section of compromised duct, or sealing the duct with duct mastic or other materials. We will have your HVAC pumping at optimal levels in no time.

Our team of heating professionals at Ambient Comfort can inspect, clean and replace your home’s duct work. Call us today at 856-213-6586 to schedule winter service on your HVAC system. Check us out online for special savings and promotions. We are located in Vineland, New Jersey, and serve clients throughout most of South Jersey, including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.

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The colder weather is upon us and will require your home’s HVAC system to consistently perform for at least five months.  To meet your home’s heating needs over the long term, there are a few easy actions you can invest in as a homeowner to make sure your furnace, boilers and heat pumps will reward you with a warm and comfortable home all season long.

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