But We Occasionally Find Them on the Internet for You Who else is tired of reading the news? Whether it’s murder hornets or masks, poor outdoor air quality or the Kardashians cancelling their reality show, lately it feels like there’s nothing we like looking at online but silly pictures. It certainly lowers our stress levels, anyway. And as inconsequential as they are, ... Continue Reading
Proactive Fall Maintenance Tips for Commercial HVAC Systems
Seasonal Preventative Service Ensures Maximum Performance With so much to do before the end of the year, proactive fall maintenance for commercial HVAC systems probably doesn’t feel like that much of a priority. But what if we told you this is the number one way to save money on your heating and air conditioning, not just now but for the next year too? Take care of ... Continue Reading
Is Air Conditioning Replacement Your Next Step?
When is it time to throw in the towel on your old HVAC system? No matter how successful your business, we know saving money wherever possible is always a top priority. Indeed, there’s a reason Warren Buffett still lives in the same house he and his wife purchased in 1958 for $31,000, a decision he’s called “the best investment I’ve ever made.” For that reason, we ... Continue Reading
Choosing the Right HVAC Contractor: What to Know
Protect Your Heating and Air Conditioning Investment While we like to think we’re extra charming here at Air-Tro with our good looks and sparkling personalities, we acknowledge that we know a few other HVAC companies around that are pretty great too. We see them around town, and at the many professional conclaves we attend, and all of them would be fine choices to ... Continue Reading
It’s Summertime. Why Is Your Office Freezing?
What to Do When Your Commercial HVAC Works Too Well It’s one of life’s greatest mysteries: on the hottest days of summer, there are certain offices that blow colder than a winter’s day in the Arctic Circle. You can usually spot the employees working in those types of environments by what they wear to and from the office. While the rest of us are in short sleeves, ... Continue Reading
HVAC System Capacity for Commercial Heating and Air Conditioning: What You Need to Know
The Wrong Sized Unit Means Big Problems Later On Here’s a secret: we get many new commercial customers after they have already installed a brand new HVAC system for their building. Why? Because frequently after spending all that money on the latest indoor comfort system’s bells and whistles, it often turns out the equipment they were sold is too big or too small for ... Continue Reading
Commercial HVAC System Upkeep: Three Ways This Translates into Lower Operating Costs
The Commercial Property Owner’s Easy Way to Save Commercial real estate ownership requires a constant balance between what you have to spend and what you need to save. We understand that at Air-Tro. The newest bells and whistles for any property may not be fiscally appropriate at a particular time, whatever their benefits. The fact is that while HVAC is a “must-have” ... Continue Reading
Paying Too Much for Commercial HVAC Operating Costs?
There’s never been a better time to "go green" to get some green! For any commercial property owner interested in the bottom line, saving energy might not seem as important as saving money. Indeed, the phrase “go green” might summon images of impossibly beautiful designer homes or luxury cars, all boasting a low carbon footprint with an impossibly high cost. But when ... Continue Reading
Commercial HVAC Installations: Understand the Costs and Considerations Ahead of Time
Break It Down Before You Invest So your employees are freezing in their offices, and the upstairs storage area where no one ever goes is always blazing hot. Your current system usually sounds like an ancient VW pushed beyond its limits on the 210, and there’s a weird smell coming from the furnace, the source of which no one has been able to pinpoint since the last ... Continue Reading
Duct Sealing: The Commercial HVAC Issue That You May Have Overlooked
Ensure Peak System Performance with Proper Ductwork Installation, Maintenance and Repair According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, commercial building owners can expect to spend up to 40% of their energy costs on heating and cooling alone. And the linchpin of any conventional HVAC system, delivering all that heated or cooled air to your ... Continue Reading
Cutting-edge HVAC UV Lights for Flu Protection
Ever notice how workplace absenteeism climbs as cold, and flu viruses make the rounds? Bacteria in the form of germs, viruses, or fungi can spread through an HVAC system quite quickly. As commercial building or homeowners, what’s the solution? The answer may lie in cutting edge UV light technology. Scientist Niels Finsen won a Nobel Prize in 1903 for his work ... Continue Reading
Historic Buildings and Commercial HVAC: Retrofitting Tips
The HVAC Challenges of Older and Landmark Commercial Buildings San Gabriel Valley is famous for many architectural landmarks. Indeed, our historic buildings are part of what define this lovely area for businesses and residents alike. However, when it comes to owning an old building as part of a commercial property portfolio, the joys of these gorgeous structures can ... Continue Reading
It’s a Fact: Variable Speed Motor HVAC Saves You Money
Variable Speed Motors for Commercial HVAC Add Efficiency, Lower Your Spend Energy efficiency is great, but sometimes the cost of the new solution can seem to outweigh any immediate savings benefits. Not so with variable speed motors for commercial HVAC systems. Unlike the traditional alternating current motor that offers two modes of operation: on, or off, variable ... Continue Reading
Ductless Mini-Split HVAC Systems – A Game-Changer [VIDEO]
Thermostat wars are common in offices. It happens all over America, every day, in every office. One employee keeps the office toasty warm, while everyone else sweats in silence. Or worse, one enthusiastic supervisor insists on freezing temperatures to keep people “alert,” provoking all-out hostilities by the water cooler. With a ductless mini-split system, each ... Continue Reading
Variable Speed Motors: Harnessing the Power of Tesla Tech for Your HVAC System [INFOGRAPHIC]
Today, it’s all about energy efficiency, not just for the sake of preserving our environmental resources, but also in terms of saving you real money when it comes to indoor comfort. The fact is that the tried and true alternating current motor that powered HVAC systems from years past is no longer the best, nor the cheapest way to heat and cool your commercial building. ... Continue Reading
The Truth about the Economizer [VIDEO]
Offices get hot and stuffy, too. But most commercial building windows can’t be opened. The State of California found a genius way to bring that fresh air into the building with a simple equipment change: require outside air intakes on commercial air conditioners. Close the intakes on hot days, but open them on cooler days to draw in outside air and cut run ... Continue Reading
Is Your HVAC Hurting Employee Productivity?
Indoor Comfort Is More Than Just a Meme We wrote about it in this white paper, but the office wars are still upon us. Whether it’s considered too hot or too cold, your employees may still be uncomfortable. What’s worse: employee productivity may be affected. Studies show that uncomfortable indoor temperatures have a significant impact on employee work output and morale. ... Continue Reading
Ways To Make Your Commercial Building’s Indoor Air Smell Less Like Work and More Like a Forest After a Storm
Okay, So Maybe At Least Just Less Stuffy, Anyway The weather has been beautiful lately here in Southern California. While anyone who works in a commercial office building can tell you that it’s sure nice to be inside when the weather isn’t so great in the San Gabriel Valley, we do hear from a lot of people when the air outside is fresh and clean. “My office is so ... Continue Reading
Take Advantage of the HVAC Tax Deduction [VIDEO]
Did you know? Business owners can expense qualified HVAC products at time of purchase and installation As a result of recent changes in federal law, US tax code 179 allows commercial property owners to expense all qualified HVAC products at their time of purchase and installation. But few small business owners are yet aware of the impact these shifting regulations will ... Continue Reading
The Electric Motor for HVAC Goes Hi-Tech
Get the Download on How Variable Speed Motors Can Lower Your Energy Bills Anybody who knows anything about a conventional electric motor can tell you how it works. After all, its design was first settled upon in the late 19thcentury by folks like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Used in everything from air conditioners to industrial tools and printing presses, you can ... Continue Reading
Thinking about a Solar HVAC System for Your Commercial Business? Watch this Video first.
In Southern California, there’s no shortage of sunshine. It only makes sense to install a solar power system to lower operational costs. Solar panels are a great way to absorb sunlight as a source of energy which can then be used to generate electricity. A solar installation is a serious investment. A high-quality solar system is not cheap. But the day to day savings ... Continue Reading
Southern California Edison Shifts Peak User Times, with Mixed Results for Commercial HVAC Users
Plan Your Utility Usage Accordingly In the heat of summer, it seems intuitive that the most expensive hours for commercial HVAC would be those hot afternoons when even the coldest iced coffee seems to melt immediately, and a team meeting can feel longer than the movie version of Anna Karenina, minus the subtitles. Indeed, it’s worked that way for a while here in the ... Continue Reading
Still Using Freon®? Replacing Your HVAC System May Be Inevitable
If your HVAC system is one of the hundreds of thousands that runs on refrigerants that will be phased out soon, the prohibitive costs of its repair might make your HVAC system’s replacement an urgent priority. Some pre-2009 HVAC units require FREON®, also known as R22, to function properly. But this and other chlorofluorocarbons have been considered to cause ... Continue Reading
Energy Conservation for Commercial HVAC and Office Buildings: Are You Ready to Go Green?
Environmentally responsible heating and air conditioning can save property owners big money, too. Against today’s fever-pitch public rhetoric, “going green” when it comes to HVAC could be construed as more of a political act for a commercial property owner than a practical one. And yet, regardless of your stance on any number of issues, streamlining your heating and ... Continue Reading
Commercial HVAC for Data Centers: Strategies to Know
Avoid Server Performance Issues with Best Practice Installation and Maintenance For many businesses in Los Angeles, computers play a critical role in day-to-day operations. When a server is malfunctioning or down altogether, it can spell disastrous profit margins for weeks or even months to come. Nevertheless, many commercial building owners are not aware of the HVAC ... Continue Reading
