Measuring Your HVAC System’s Performance

When it comes to your commercial HVAC system, how do you know that it’s operating at optimum performance? It can become a complex process, as measuring the output and performance of a commercial HVAC or air handing system can take some work. Luckily, there are practical industry standards that you can depend on to evaluate how well your HVAC system is performing.

Here are some ways to evaluate the efficiency of the HVAC system and HVAC air filters in your facility:

BTU

A BTU, or British thermal unit, refers to a specific scientific unit of heat. It equals the amount of heat it takes to change the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. It can also be defined as the amount of heat released by one wooden match. Each room requires just the right amount of BTU in and out of them, or it becomes uncomfortable. Look for machinery that will measure the number of BTUs released by the system and adjust accordingly.

Tons

One ton of nominal cooling equals 12,000 BTU (however, equipment that delivers 12,000 BTU per ton is no longer manufactured). Under ideal conditions, most cooling equipment delivers around 11,700 BTU.

Airflow

Airflow is the fluid we use in most of our systems to move the BTUs around. An HVAC professional will observe airflow issues to see how much warm or cool air reaches different parts of your facility at a time. However, it’s typically easy to assess airflow intuitively by listening to air vents and other apertures to determine whether air is flowing, as well as how much force is behind it.

Run Time

Another way to measure the performance of your HVAC system or HVAC air filters is to observe the furnace, boiler or whatever is responsible for temperature output, and watch for how long and how often this runs. If it’s running more frequently and for longer lengths of time, this indicates inefficiency.

If you suspect that your commercial HVAC system or HVAC air filters are performing poorly, contact an expert to discuss concerns such as increased utility costs, decreased heating and cooling performance, or problems reported by building occupants.