RE: How Lighting and Windows
Affect Comfort Systems

Dear Website Customer:

"IT WORKED BETTER THAN THIS LAST YEAR, WHY CAN'T YOU FIX IT?"

This comment has long been the source of problems between many fine customers and qualified HVAC service companies.

Let me relate a story from my own personal experience:

My wife and I recently added on to our house and had two high quality Carrier heating and cooling systems installed. Of course I had our installation department perform the work, and personally scrutinized every step of the process. When the hot Texas sun hit my house in June the indoor temperature would not go below 80 degrees. Needless to say, my wife was not very impressed with our newly installed air conditioning equipment. I poured over the calculations and came to understand (after much argument with my construction supervisor) that the source of my problem was not related to the new equipment. We had cut down a large oak tree that previously shaded a large portion of our roof from the solar effects of the sun. I had to add more insulation to my roof, and the whole situation is just a comical memory.

I tell this story to point out a commonly overlooked matter. The internal and external make up of the structure has as much to do with the comfort inside as the equipment we use to provide the hot and cold air.

Here are some of the many things that come into play when we have to determine the "cause of the problem":

• Did the amount of people in this space increase or decrease? Many times work load causes shifts in the number of people occupying any given office space.
• Are there more computers and office equipment in the space? Recently, we have been seeing instances where a computer server room is added to an office space.
• This equipment requires year round cooling and cannot be on the same HVAC unit as office occupants who may require heating in the Winter.
• Were the lighting systems modernized? Most buildings have lighting systems that generate a tremendous amount of heat. This must be offset by a lot of air conditioning in the Summer. More importantly, we do not need to provide very much heating in the Winter to warm these spaces. If the lighting is modernized, we usually have too much cooling and not enough heat to provide proper comfort.
• Did the windows previously have some type of architectural covering? Many times, window treatments ranging from awnings down to window film are removed for aesthetic reasons. When this is done, it has a great impact on the cooling and heating requirements for the exterior zones of the building.

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes we apply deductive reasoning to try to recreate the circumstances that have led to the source of discomfort. Once we identify the problem, we come up with solutions that vary depending upon budget, equipment and office downtime, and anticipated improvement of the comfort problems.

We suggest that many of these problems can be anticipated before changes are made to the environment by calling a qualified HVAC company and involving them in your plans. This advice is usually provided for free. If you take a little time to work with us before the walls, people or computers move around your building, I think you will find that we can provide inexpensive solutions to prevent potential comfort nightmares.

If you would like further information or have questions, please give me a call (214/631-1010) or e-mail me at . I'd like to hear from you!

Sincerely,

KAHN MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS

Josh Kahn
TACL A370C