During the summer heatwave when the harsh Australian sun has peaked, there are times when your commercial space may feel like an oven and all you want it to do is turn up the air conditioner. Similarly, throughout the chilly, winter months, you want to stay warm and keep your workplace as insulated as possible. If you do not want to deal with the hassle of turning air conditioners and heaters on and off, a ducted air conditioning system may be the solution for you.
A ducted air conditioning system functions as a series of ducts connected to an internal unit, which is installed either on the roof or under the floor of a workplace. The ducts, in turn, heat and/or cool each room of the home individually. In other words, different temperatures can be switched on in different parts of the office or switched off in rooms that are not being used.
Of course, there are a few factors to take into consideration before making a purchase. A ducted air conditioning system can be pretty expensive to install and run, especially if your ducted AC is not zoned. For this reason, it is necessary to determine the floor plan of your commercial space, the availability of ceiling space, the number of individuals working in your building, as well as any limitations.
Without a properly designed ductwork, the system will not be able to accommodate your workplace with the comfortable temperature(s) you seek.
Here are 5 common issues with ducted air conditioning:
- Loss of air – If the series of ducts are not properly aligned, they can become wobbly, thereby allowing warm or cool air to escape. Not only does this result in loss of air, but it can also bring harmful gases from the outdoors into the air conditioning system, and spark a rise in electricity bills.
- Filthy ducts – If there are gaps in the ducts, debris such as dust and pollen can be sucked inside. In turn, filthy ducts can severely affect indoor air quality, causing or worsening issues such as eye or nasal allergies.
- Poor insulation – During the summer, when a ducted air conditioning system is turned on, the cool air moving throughout the ducts actually absorbs heat from the surrounding environment. By contrast, during the winter, heat is distributed through the ducts. However, if there is poor insulation, loss of energy leads to inefficiency of the entire system.
- Limited airflow – If airflow is struggling to make its way through the ducts, for whatever reason, this forces the air conditioning system to work twice as hard. As a result of limited airflow, you will notice stagnant air pressure issues, higher electricity bills, as well as constant breakdown and reduced lifespan of your air conditioner.
- Poor ductwork design – An air conditioning system that has been designed poorly will undoubtedly lead to significant shortfalls. Too large of a system for a small office leads to massive energy losses, while too small of a system for a large space forces it to work harder to meet heating and cooling needs.
Need to repair your ducted air conditioning system? Apex Airconditioning can help!
With more than 60 years of experience within the industry, Apex Airconditioning specialises in designing and installing various forms of cooling, heating, and ventilation systems. Our projects are overseen by a qualified team of professionals who also help to resolve ducted air conditioning issues, thereby ensuring both reliability and quality.
We aim to help air conditioning systems work at their best, all the while meeting your expectations. Our reputation precedes us, and you can rest assured that we will provide you with a complete solution to all of your ducted air conditioning problems.
To learn more about how the team at Apex can help improve your commercial air conditioning unit, contact us today.