Energy costs can take up a large chunk of a restaurant’s budget, so commercial kitchen managers are always
looking for ways to defray those costs. You may install cooling fans, turn down the thermostat on the water heater, buy Energy Star® appliances, or have your
commercial equipment cleaned and maintained regularly. One major system that needs to be regularly maintained is the HVAC unit that heats and
cools your restaurant. It’s an essential piece of equipment that affects the comfort, health, and safety of your team members and your customers. When the weather begins to cool, and it’s time to turn the furnace on, you may wonder if your HVAC system is ready to make the switch. We’ve collected the following tips to consider before moving from cooling to heating.
1. Perform routine maintenance before you switch from air conditioning to heat.
When a
furnace is off for over 3 months, dust, grime, and dirt may have accumulated, making the unit run less efficiently. To make sure it’s ready to operate without issue, use a trusted
commercial kitchen equipment repair service
to
perform a multi-point checklist. Cleaning the equipment and changing the filter are small, essential tasks that make a huge difference in the life of your HVAC equipment. A repair service can also check for ductwork leaks, test range ventilation power, and carefully calibrate the thermostat to optimize the performance of your HVAC system.
2. Remember that HVAC is an essential player in health and safety.
Commercial kitchen HVAC isn’t just about ambient temperature. Powerful components of the system clear the air of aerosolized grease, allergens, and even viral particles, making it a key part of the health and safety of your restaurant. Weak, inefficient systems can circulate stale, dirty air, compromising the quality of your space and the wellbeing of your employees and customers. Ideally, the unit should facilitate three air exchanges per hour for optimal health. Prior recommendations called for one complete air exchange per hour, but new research suggests 2-3 air exchanges per hour promotes healthier
indoor air quality.
3. Don’t wait until the ambient temperature is uncomfortable to change to heat.
Switching to heat in your restaurant or commercial kitchen should be done before colder temperatures make patrons or employees uncomfortable. While it may be tempting to “hold out” until temperatures drop in order to turn on the furnace, this will compromise the
comfort of both your workers and your customers. Their discomfort is not worth the small energy savings you’ll gain from waiting to switch to heat. This will also give you some lead time should repairs be necessary once you swap over to heat.
4. Try not to toggle between heat and AC too frequently.
A well-maintained HVAC unit will be able to switch fluidly between heat and air conditioning, but it’s still best practice to try to switch over only once a season. Toggling between heating and cooling can be tougher on the component parts of your equipment, so it’s not ideal. A gentle transition is best for switching from AC to heat. When the furnace hasn’t been running for some time, it may take a few hours or even days for the system to switch over completely. When changing to heating, keep in mind that the thermostat has likely been set higher during the summer months. Lower the thermostat significantly before turning on the furnace. This will ease the burden on your furnace for the first few days of the seasonal transition.
Let ATECH Help Keep Your Team and Customers Warm
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