While both residential and commercial air conditioners and HVAC systems serve the same purpose, they are not necessarily all that similar. While they both are integral to cooling rooms down, providing ventilation and (despite popular belief) heating a room, the extent of how this is done varies significantly in a home, compared to a commercial setting.
This article will outline how commercial HVAC systems are vastly different from domestic ones, and other important information you should be aware of.
Domestic vs Commercial Air Conditioning
Commercial heating and cooling systems are designed for larger spaces such as offices, factories, hospitals, schools, care homes and much more. Whereas domestic units are only used within a home; therefore, while the technology is similar and the purpose is the same, there are several disparities in terms of the unit’s operating power, size and complexity.
Below we have outlined the key differences, to give you some perspective.
Key Differences in Commercial and Domestic Air Conditioning Units
Air Conditioning Unit Size
A commercial HVAC system is, understandably, significantly larger than a residential unit. The heating and cooling requirements in a domestic setting are much smaller than the area that needs to be tended to in a commercial building. Larger HVAC systems are required to provide enhanced air conditioning requirements of buildings which have increased capacities. Commercial systems are customised for efficiency and reliability, so air conditioning engineers must find the right balance between serving the building’s needs without excessively using power which causes other electrical issues.
Complexity
A commercial HVAC unit should be expected to meet the needs of the building, and this requires more complex system specifications. Whereas a residential unit is only required to heat and cool a single structure, and as such it has simpler requirements. Commercial units occasionally have to be segmented into different spaces, departments and floors, all of which have different heating and cooling needs. Some may require specific temperatures, whereas others may require an adjustable one, depending on the people in the building.
Ventilation, Exhaust and Drainage
Commercial systems have larger and more intricate drainage components, which have to accommodate the increased amount of condensate. While residential HVAC units will drain into a single area outside the home. By extension, commercial units have higher-powered outputs, which require additional components. To avoid overheating, the exhaust system should function appropriately for the size of the HVAC unit.
Ventilation processes are similar in both domestic and commercial units, except the latter is on a larger scale. The ventilation system directs the airflow through ducts. It’s vital to ensure that ventilation is properly maintained, no matter the air conditioning system you have.
Location
Residential HVAC systems are generally placed in a location that’s unlikely to take up usable space, frequently. Commercial units will typically sit on the roof of the building, or in the basement. This is preferable for businesses because it avoids excessive noise pollution, saves space and provides an easy, accessible area for maintenance.
Installation
Both residential and commercial air conditioning systems are used for specific purposes, and thus are manufactured in ways to best suit certain environments. Residential systems are installed so that components are split between the interior and exterior parts of the home.
For example, the blower and evaporator are inside, while the condenser fan and compressor are located outside. Commercial air conditioning units typically have an indoor and an outdoor unit; sometimes there can be several internal units connected to a larger outdoor one.
Maintenance
All commercial air conditioning repair and maintenance responsibilities are handled by technicians who are familiar with similar systems. While maintaining a domestic system may be easier, they still require the attention of an F-GAS certified engineer once a year. . This is why it’s worth a professional HVAC maintenance expert regularly tend to units, whether domestic or commercial. If you suspect there may be a prevalent issue, we would not recommend attempting to rectify it yourself.
Air Conditioning Installation
Accurate Mechanical Services are experts in installing units across the South of the UK in homes, businesses and other commercial premises. Our industry expertise, diligence and attention to detail will ensure you are left with a solution that is entirely fit-for-purpose, reliable and durable. Our maintenance services, repairs and installations are all tailored specifically to your needs.
AMS are proud members of the British Engineering Services Association, and all have REFCOM F-GAS Certification. Our engineers are all Gas Safe Registered and SafeContractor accredited as well.
Speak to one of our experienced team if you want to enquire about an installation.