If you operate a business in Westfield, NJ or the surrounding areas, the HVAC equipment that keeps your commercial spaces properly conditioned around the year is an essential part of daily operations. But few people really understand the workings of commercial air conditioning and the ways it is often different from residential air conditioning and heating. This is why you must always work with commercial HVAC experts in Westfield, NJ for all jobs, large and small.
One of the least understood parts of commercial HVAC—a part that many customers have no idea is even there—is the economizer. An economizer is an important part of helping keep costs low when providing environmental control for a building.
What the Economizer Does
An economizer is part of rooftop package units—the most common type of HVAC system for businesses. What it does is permit the unit the use the outdoor air to help with cooling as long as the indoor air is cool enough and the humidity already balanced. Essentially, if it isn’t too hot inside your building, the economizer allows the refrigerant-based AC to take a break while the outdoor air does most of the work. The building won’t have to expend extra electricity to power the compressor in the rooftop AC. This will also extend the equipment life of the air conditioner, since the compressor will suffer much less stress.
Not all economizers work identically. A dry bulb economizer uses a sensor to determine the differential between the indoor and outdoor air, and then opens up a damper allowing the outdoor air to intermingle with the air coming through the return air ducts; the outdoor air helps to cool down this air as it moves through the ventilation system. However, a dry bulb economizer can create higher humidity.
There are other types of economizers that use outdoor humidity sensors and won’t allow outdoor air to flow inside if the humidity is too high. There are advanced models that connect to an indoor multi-stage thermostat to create the best possible balance.
Aside from helping to lower costs by relieving the AC of some of its job, an economizer is a way to enjoy better ventilation in a building and improve indoor air quality. Modern commercial buildings often have poor ventilation, which allows for chemicals and VOCs to build up and affect health and comfort. Economizers can be designed to help detect carbon monoxide and open up to remove it.
Does My HVAC Equipment Have an Economizer?
Not necessarily. If you live in an older builder with out-of-date equipment, you may not have an economizer. Or you may have one that needs an upgrade or repairs to fix its sensor and dampers. If you want to know about economizers and whether you either need one installed or need your current one repaired/upgraded, then work with HVAC professionals.
When you require service for your commercial HVAC equipment 25 tones and under, contact our team. We have extensive experience working with both commercial and residential cooling needs. We have a combined 60 years in the industry, and we’ll see the job gets done right.
Air Creations, Inc. serves Central and Northern New Jersey with excellent commercial HVAC services. “We Do It Right!”
