February 22, 2019

Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Think About Summer Cooling

During colder temperatures, your cooling systems are offline, making now the perfect time to think about the condition of your cooling equipment, and whether it’s ready for another summer of hot and humid weather.

The best place to start is with an assessment of your current equipment.

If your existing cooling equipment looks worn, that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be replaced. GEM Energy’s HVAC experts can find and repair smaller system problems before they become bigger and more expensive repairs during peak summer operation. The team can also perform maintenance on your equipment to ensure it runs smoothly all summer long.

GEM Energy’s winter season service includes the following procedures critical to your plant’s long-term service life:

  • Replace oil filter and purge dryer
  • Clean condenser tubes
  • Inspect/clean starter contacts
  • Perform mag/ohm test on motor
  • Perform startup and operational log to verify system operation and efficiency
  • Compressor oil sample analysis to check for excessive wear and potential failure in impeller, main thrust bearing and other internal components

If an assessment reveals that equipment replacement is necessary, there’s still time to order a new system before the cooling equipment is needed by late spring. Making the decision to purchase new equipment is significant, but new equipment will typically save you money in the long run:

  • New equipment purchases can benefit from tax incentives. (Get details here.)
  • Repair costs are avoided with new equipment.
  • New equipment is more energy efficient, lowering overall energy costs.
  • New equipment significantly minimizes risk of a breakdown in the middle of a hot summer. Breakdowns can impact productivity and your bottom line.
  • If your current equipment is older, replacement parts may no longer be available. New equipment eliminates that concern.
  • The cost of temporary equipment while yours is being repaired or replaced is costly. For example, in a recent equipment shutdown incident, it took 3 days to locate a size-appropriate temporary system and ship to the site. Combined with labor charges for hook-up and per-day rental fees, it cost the facility owner multiple days of lost productivity and unbudgeted expense.

GEM Energy’s HVAC experts are local and available for fast response. Our experienced team services all manufacturer makes, models, and configurations up to 1,500 tons, utilizing the latest software to perform sensor diagnostics on many systems.

To request an assessment of your current equipment, or to discuss replacement, you can:

For more information about GEM Energy’s HVAC Program:

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