HVAC economizers are one of the most effective ways businesses can reduce energy costs while improving comfort and air quality. Are you at your best in an environment that’s constantly hot, muggy, and uncomfortable? Probably not. That’s why keeping your business properly cooled and ventilated all year, especially during the summer heat, is crucial.

If employees are uncomfortable throughout the workday, it could result in some bad moods and a drop in productivity. And, without proper ventilation, you run the risk of employees getting sick more often.

The challenge then becomes keeping your environment comfortable and improving indoor air quality, without running up the utility bill each month. One solution that you may not have considered is HVAC economizers.

An economizer, which can either be built into or mounted onto your rooftop HVAC unit, analyzes the temperature and humidity outside. When the outside temperature allows, the system uses that air, instead of your air conditioner’s cooling elements, to cool the inside of your building. In the Midwest or other humid regions, the ideal outdoor temperature is usually around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

What Are the Benefits of Using an HVAC Economizer?

Using an economizer can have several benefits to your building environment, your employees’ health and comfort and your business expenses.

1. Improve ventilation and air quality

Have you ever heard of “sick building syndrome?” According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it occurs when spending time in a building seemingly causes people to experience physical ailments and discomfort, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.

Some of the symptoms include, but are not limited to, fever- or allergy-like symptoms, headaches, fatigue and dizziness.

Poor ventilation is one of the top causes of sick building syndrome. An HVAC economizer can improve indoor air quality (IAQ) by replacing the stale air inside with fresh air from outside. This can help eliminate the harmful impact of sick building syndrome and keep everyone feeling healthy. The annual financial benefit to reducing sick days by using an economizer could be up to $16,000, according to a 2004 study.

2. Reduce energy use and utility bill costs

An economizer uses the air outside to cool your building instead of only relying on the air conditioner to control the indoor temperature and humidity level. This strategy lowers your building’s energy consumption and the cost of your monthly utility bill. In fact, research from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory revealed a cost savings of around 38%.

3. Prolong the lifespan of your rooftop HVAC unit

Since your HVAC system runs less when using an HVAC economizer, the wear and tear on the unit will be reduced. This means less maintenance, fewer breakdowns and a longer lifespan.

Different Types of Economizers

The benefits of using an economizer are clear but, for the best results, you need to have the right one for your facility. To make that decision, you will want to contact a professional HVAC contractor.

There are three types of HVAC economizers to choose from:

1. Dry bulb

This type of economizer only senses outdoor temperature, not humidity. They are the simplest type, and are the easiest to maintain, but since they do not account for humidity, they may not provide optimal comfort.

2. Wet bulb (single enthalpy)

This type is the most commonly used. It senses outdoor temperature and humidity to provide maximum comfort inside.

3. Differential enthalpy

Of the three types, this one is the most advanced. This uses two or more sensors to measure outdoor air and humidity, as well as the return air. When the outdoor temperature is lower than the return air, the economizer will be used for cooling.

Boost Your Business With an HVAC Economizer

By using an economizer to cool your business and provide adequate ventilation, you can make your employees comfortable and cut costs on your monthly utility bill.

When you’re designing a new commercial building, there are a lot of things to consider. As you put the floor plan together you’re trying to determine how it will be arranged, where everything is going to go and how the space can make things easy for the staff and improve the customers’ experience at the business.

Among all the logistics, one of the most important considerations is maintaining a comfortable and healthy climate inside the building, making new construction HVAC design-build a critical piece of the process.

During the design-build process, an HVAC contractor works closely with the business owner or general contractor to make sure the building has a heating and cooling system that fits its needs.

Sometimes, HVAC design-build can be a fun challenge. For example, we recently designed and installed a new HVAC system for Zora, a bar in Des Moines. This was a unique project because we had to design a system that would keep the space comfortable and well-ventilated, even though the first floor is wide open to the outside.

Let’s explore how the HVAC design-build process works.

Providing HVAC Construction From the Beginning of the Process

The process starts with a floor plan. An HVAC contractor will look at the blueprint and see the square footage of the rooms, which will give them an idea of how to size the HVAC system. But there are some additional things they will need to know.

They will need to know what you’re trying to accomplish in the space and what the needs of the business are. They will ask you about things that may not show up on a floor plan.

For example, you will have to explain how the building will be used and if there will be any heat-emitting equipment that could affect the comfort of the space. Do you have 9-foot ceilings or 30-foot ceilings?

These kinds of details could affect the size of your system and the way it is designed.

Possibly, the most critical piece of the puzzle is your budget. Depending on how much you or your client are planning to spend, there is a large variety of options to fulfill your needs.

There are lower-cost systems that will save you money today, and then there are some higher-end, more efficient options that cost more upfront, but will save money on the business’s energy bills in the long run.

Air Filtration and Ventilation a New Priority

Air pollution was not something frequently considered in HVAC design-build in the past, but that was before the COVID-19 pandemic came into our lives. Now air filtration and ventilation are priorities for businesses and their customers.

Proper building ventilation and air filtration help fight against the main causes of indoor air pollution by replacing the polluted indoor air with cleaner and fully oxygenated outside air that has been conditioned.

During the design-build process, an HVAC contractor can help optimize airflow throughout the building and recommend high-efficiency HVAC filters for the system.

Learn More: Improve Your Office Building Ventilation

Rolling With the Changes

As your floor plan comes to life and construction begins, there are almost always going to be changes. It could be because of the logistics of the construction, or it could be because you wanted to split that big office into two smaller ones to accommodate future staff.

Whatever the reason, we are accustomed to shifting gears as you make changes. We can alter the design or switch the size of the system to accommodate changes to your floor plan as your vision comes to life.

No matter the challenges you may have, we are ready to work with you from the very start to design and install an HVAC system that meets your needs.

Plumbing isn’t something you think about every day, but it is crucial to your everyday life — both at home and at work. As important as it is to your home, it is far more important in your place of business.

If you are having plumbing problems at home, you might have to use the neighbor's bathroom temporarily or order takeout while you wait for the plumber to get things fixed. But if you have plumbing problems at your place of business, it could bring your operation to a halt.

That’s why people like yourself, who are running a business, need to have a thorough understanding of commercial plumbing services — preferably while the construction of your building and commercial space is being completed.

Innovative Solutions for Commercial Plumbing

Commercial plumbing includes a wide range of services. It could be as simple as running water and bathrooms for retail spaces, or it could be much bigger if a business requires a large supply of water to operate.

We recently completed a design build for a concrete ready mix plant. This system had to be able to supply large quantities of hot water for them to mix concrete, even during the winter months when it’s cold outside.

But commercial plumbing services aren’t all just pipes and running water. There are now innovative solutions to bring you these things in sustainable ways. Some of the options include:

Contemporary, sustainable toilets that waste less water

Stainless steel plumbing materials that are more easily recycled

Greywater and rainwater harvesting, which allows you to treat, filter and reuse water from sinks, showers and laundry machines

A Collaborative Effort for Commercial Plumbing Services

When we install your commercial plumbing system, we work with you and your general contractor to make sure we are meeting your needs and the needs of your commercial space.

We can look at your budget and help you decide between your needs and your wants. Want to keep it simple? No problem! Want something a little better that looks nicer? We can do it!

We can also help you understand why things you thought were a want are actually a need. Many people consider a water softener to be a luxury and not a necessity. But when you’re constructing a new building with new plumbing, installing a water softener is a necessary up-front cost that protects your investment in the whole system.

During the buildout process, we will also work with your general contractor to engineer the best plumbing system for your commercial space. We’ll take your building blueprints and floor plan and use AutoCAD software to lay out and engineer the whole system.

Bell Brothers has been in the commercial plumbing business since 2017 and you can count on us to provide the same high-quality, design-build service you have received for commercial HVAC projects for over 65 years.

As we hit the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and families are beginning to return to the places where they work, learn and shop. As we transition into this next phase of the pandemic, discussion is more prominent around the role building ventilation and HVAC systems play in creating healthier indoor air quality (IAQ).

People want to trust that the indoor spaces they inhabit are safe and clean. And even after the pandemic is behind us, people will continue to value living and working in spaces that are healthy.

Why Building Ventilation Is Important

Healthy indoor environments are made up of many things, including temperature, noise and lighting. However, the three things that have the most impact on IAQ are fresh air, ventilation and filtration.

For commercial buildings and office settings, air pollution has three main causes:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cleaning solutions, building materials and other sources.
Fluctuating carbon dioxide levels, which is common in schools and building spaces where there is a large concentration of people in a small area.
Pathogens that are circulated in the air.

Proper building ventilation and air filtration help fight against these main causes of indoor air pollution by replacing the polluted indoor air with cleaner and fully oxygenated outside air that has been conditioned.

How To Increase Airflow Inside Your Office

There are two key things you can do to improve office air quality. The first thing is increase airflow in populated areas. This is achieved by running the blower motor continuously. Many facility managers don’t do this because they think it will increase their energy costs. However, running the HVAC system 24/7 doesn’t cost extra money. What it does do is keep the indoor air moving and keep it filtered. And when the fan is continuously running, the economizer or automatic dampers are also working to help provide constant ventilation.

You do need to be careful about how much outside air is being brought into the space. Too much can lead to uncomfortable indoor temperatures and decreased energy efficiency. We recommend having an HVAC contractor do an inspection of the ventilation system to make sure everything is working properly and is set up according to building ventilation codes.

Increased airflow also helps keep carbon dioxide levels low and prevents the air from stagnating and creating hot and cold spots within the building space.

The second thing you can consider is retrofitting the existing HVAC system with energy recovery ventilators. With this solution, the system takes the air that’s inside and uses the exhaust system to push it outside. Then the outside air is brought in and goes through the heat exchanger, where it is either heated or cooled and then exhausted into the building space. With this solution, the most important thing to pay attention to is that the ventilation is controlled properly to ensure that the HVAC system runs efficiently.

Commercial HVAC Filters and Indoor Air Purifiers

Filtration and ventilation go hand-in-hand because pathogens also exist in the outside air that is being brought into the building. There are a variety of HVAC filters and indoor air purification products that support IAQ. When we meet with building and facility managers, we recommend that they use high efficiency HVAC filters – like a MERV 11 – and install a product like the Aerus® Air Scrubber that is able to kill pathogens in the air and on surfaces.

Upgrading to the best filter you can find for your HVAC system, combined with installing a product like the Aerus Air Scrubber, will provide the best results for pathogen control.

We sell a variety of air purification systems and have experts on staff that are happy to speak with you about whether one of these products fits your needs.

Here at Bell Brothers, it’s our priority to provide whatever support we can to individuals, families and the small business community. If you would like to speak to one of our HVAC professionals as you prepare to reopen your business, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

How CJM Financial Upgraded Office Air Quality to Safely Reopen

As many office-based workforces have debated how best to work during a global pandemic, Trent Murphy of CJM Financial in Ankeny has taken things into his own hands.

CJM Financial is a family-owned invoice factoring business whose main clientele work in the transportation industry. They support entrepreneurs and business owners by providing customized finance and business solutions to increase customers’ cash flow and help shield them from debt.

When COVID-19 hit, Trent and his staff worked remotely March through May. But working with sensitive information in various locations was not ideal.

He felt that working in the office was important, so Trent looked for ways to make the facility safer. He remembered working with us during their 2018 remodel, when we installed a new HVAC system, and reached out to see what other ideas and options we could offer.

To prepare the CJM Financial building for the staff’s return, we installed two Aerus Air Scrubbers, which help keep dust, germs, odors, viruses and more out of the air.

“They installed the air scrubbers very quickly, and they wore PPE and followed safety protocols the whole way,” said Trent. “We felt confident we would be safe coming back to work.”

In addition to improving air quality, the CJM team arranged for staff to be more spread out and work in cubicles with tall glass walls. They’re glad to be back in the office and supporting their customers to the best of their abilities.

To learn more about our indoor air quality, check out this page or give us a call. Read about how indoor air quality helped advanced family dentistry reopen during COVID.

Dr. Scott Yegge grew up on a farm in northern Iowa, but in college, he discovered a love for education and health care. That passion led him to dental school at the University of Iowa.

Scott joined Dr. Greg Brandt at Advanced Family Dentistry in 2006, excited to be part of a practice that was patient centered and family oriented. Since then, the group has grown to four dentists and eight hygienists and prides itself on safe, comfortable care for patients of all ages.

“We also do our best to stay-up on the latest technology and advancements in the field,” said Scott.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Advanced Family Dentistry closed for a couple months to assess how best to proceed. Scott thought a lot about what needed to happen for the business to be able to safely re-open.

“In a dental office, you're working in small rooms and working in people's mouths, so air quality is obviously very important,” he said. Scott began to look at things the business could do to sanitize and purify the air, and that’s when he had a discussion with Jason Gassmann at Bell Brothers.

“They told me about the activTek INDUCT 2000, which is a UV light air scrubber that continually turns over and sanitizes both the air and the surfaces in a room,” said Scott. “Once the UV light air scrubbers were purchased, Bell Brothers had them installed within two days — the turnaround time was amazing.”

Because of the dental environment, Scott also knew they needed to mitigate aerosol, so they purchased E HEPA aerosol vacuum and air purification units. Even though Bell Brothers didn’t sell that product, we gladly helped them install the E HEPA filter system.

“Now we have what’s essentially like a hooded duct we place near the patient’s face, and the air goes through both the E HEPA filter system and the UV light air scrubbers to remove pathogens and become sanitized,” said Scott.

With both IAQ solutions in place, Advanced Family Dentistry is proud to provide a safe and sanitary environment.

“Bell Brothers was a true partner in the whole process,” said Scott. “We want our patients and employees to feel safe coming in, and I think they really do now.”

Learn more about our air quality solutions on our website or give us a call at 515-244-8911.

Many states, including Iowa, have begun the process of loosening stay-at-home restrictions and are allowing businesses to begin resuming normal operating procedures. As businesses begin to reopen and bring employees back into the office, providing a work environment that supports employee health and safety is a main priority.

In this next phase of recovery during COVID-19, businesses are focused on workplace readiness and preparing their building. This includes cleaning plans, pre-return inspections and HVAC and mechanical checks.

Here are some HVAC related tips and things to consider as businesses begin to reopen and employees come back to work.

Commercial HVAC Maintenance

Many buildings have been closed for eight weeks or more, making it important to do a thorough inspection of the heating and cooling system. Because of the time of year when COVID-19 heightened in the United States, many building managers may have been unable to schedule their spring commercial HVAC maintenance.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to schedule a maintenance appointment with an HVAC contractor. This will provide much needed cleaning and inspection of equipment as employees begin to return. Here are a few of the key things that should be done during a maintenance and service check:

Full cleaning of HVAC system
Inspection of safety switches and devices
Check of heat exchangers for cracks or damage
Filter replacement
Calibration of temperature controls and economizer controls
Adjustment of fans and belts
Inspections of all electrical components
Check for proper AC compressor operations and refrigerant levels
Check AC cooling coils and clean as needed

When your air filters are replaced we recommend using the highest efficiency rated filter allowed by the manufacturer. If your building or facility manager is replacing the air filters be sure they use proper safety procedures and PPE. Try to avoid dropping or shaking the filter and dispose of the filter in a plastic bag to limit exposure to the indoor office space as much as possible.

Building managers should also do a quick check of the building controls and thermostats to make sure they are at the correct set points and batteries are replaced if needed.

Learn more: Dynamic Air Filter For Allergy Relief

How to Improve Office Air Quality

There a couple of things building managers can do to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). Increasing outdoor air ventilation within the office building by adjusting the outdoor air dampers as high as 100% to eliminate recirculation can be helpful but be aware that this can also create some comfort issues as we head into the warm and humid summer months.

We recommend having an HVAC contractor do an inspection of the ventilation system to make sure it is working properly and hasn’t been disconnected because of previous problems. The final thing that can be done to support air flow and ventilation is to run your system 24/7.

There are also a variety of air purification products that support indoor air quality inside the office. These solutions can by no means prevent illness, but they can be used as a preventative measure.

Businesses can look into investing in ion generating air purifiers to support and improve IAQ. Ionizing products have been around for many years, but up until now they have mainly been used in hospitals and labs. This type of air purifier works by using ions to remove particulates, microbes and odors from the air.

Learn more: Indoor Air Quality Tips to Fight Fall Allergies in Des Moines

Supporting Local Businesses With HVAC Guidance & Air Purification Solutions

We sell a variety of air purification systems and have experts here on staff that are happy to speak with businesses about if one of these products is right for them and answer any additional questions they may have.

HVAC can play a role in helping to control the spread of COVID-19 within the workplace. But even more significant prevention tactics are social distancing, hygiene and our personal behavior.

Here at Bell Brothers, it’s our priority to provide whatever support we can to individuals, families and the small business community during this unprecedented time. If you would like to speak to one of our HVAC professionals as you prepare to reopen your business, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Learn more: Is it Time for a Home Air Duct Cleaning?

No matter what kind of heating and cooling system your commercial building may have, preventive maintenance is the key to keeping it up and running. Still, all HVAC equipment will require repair at some point. Unplanned downtime can be costly. Here are the most common signs that something needs attention:

Odors or poor indoor air quality
Strange sounds
Inconsistent air flow — including hot or cold spots
Loss in efficiency
Higher heating or cooling bills

If you’ve noticed any of these signs in your commercial facility, it’s probably time to call a trusted commercial HVAC contractor. Here are some of the common Commercial HVAC issues the technician will be checking for.

Lack of regular maintenance — Minor problems can quickly become major problems if you don’t get regular checkups on your system. Our techs can identify issues before you may even notice a difference and prevent system failures before they turn into a costly and time-consuming affair.
A dirty filter — This can force your HVAC system to work harder, which is not only bad for the equipment but bad for your bill. This is a simple fix that can greatly improve the indoor air quality of your building.
Improper thermostat settings or other thermostat issues — Don’t assume that the issue is with the actual HVAC system. Many times, it’s the thermostat. If your thermostat is malfunctioning or the settings that you’re using are incorrect for the situation, your building will experience temperature fluctuations.
Leaking refrigerant — This liquid is essential to cooling your building. If it leaks from the coils, your system can’t do its job. This makes your building hot and your service call more expensive.
Improper air balance — Parts called dampers help control the airflow in your building’s ducts. If they are not balanced properly, some areas will heat or cool more quickly.
A failed motor — If your motor has failed, you’ll notice most or all of the signs listed above. Obviously, you want to catch issues before it gets to this point, which brings us back to the importance of regular maintenance appointments.

Whether it’s your daily, monthly or annual budget, every dollar counts when operating a business and unplanned downtime of your HVAC system can be costly. At Bell Brothers, our primary objective is to help eliminate problems related to building operations.To learn more about our commercial HVAC services and maintenance contracts or to receive a free estimate, call 515-337-2456 or contact us online.

Whether it’s your daily, monthly or annual budget, every dollar counts when operating a business. The larger your retail or office space — the greater the potential to either waste or save money on energy costs. Although it’s an upfront investment for your business, professional commercial HVAC preventative maintenance will save you money in the long run.

What preventative maintenance is and why it’s important

Preventative maintenance is maintenance that is regularly performed on a piece of equipment to detect early signs of deteriorating equipment and to predict potential system failures.

Preventative maintenance is one of the most important parts of managing a building or facility. Along with lighting, HVAC systems are some of the biggest energy users and are responsible for about 60% of energy use in commercial buildings. Regularly cleaning and inspecting your building’s HVAC system will improve energy efficiency, reduce overall operating costs and ensure occupant comfort.

Additional benefits of a preventative maintenance program include:

Extended equipment life from proper maintenance and documentation
Reduced emergency situations due to planned services and evaluations
Improved safety and healthier environmental conditions for occupants

Preventative maintenance checklist

Every building and its environment have unique needs, which is why a customized preventative maintenance plan is ideal. A full-service HVAC contractor will conduct a comprehensive survey of the mechanical and environmental systems to create a customized plan.

A customized preventative maintenance checklist should include:

Full cleaning of HVAC system
Inspection of safety switches and devices
Check of heat exchangers for cracks or damage
Filter replacement
Calibration of temperature controls and economizer controls
Adjustment of fans and belts
Inspections of all electrical components

Cost of preventative maintenance

The average cost of a commercial HVAC maintenance contract is between $10 and $15 per square foot. The main factors that impact the cost are the building size, the building environment and the size of equipment in the facility. For example, a data center typically requires a more extensive HVAC system and maintenance program to properly maintain the critical environment than a small to mid-size retail building does.

At Bell Brothers, our primary objective is to help eliminate problems related to building operations. We work closely with our clients to understand their needs and challenges and help them create a customized maintenance plan.

To learn more about our commercial HVAC maintenance contracts or to receive a free estimate, call 515-244-8911 or contact us online.