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Despite considerable efforts at education, we continue to find new heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems designed to provide simultaneous cooling and heating . In this brief forum, we can't get into what all that means, but basically it means you'll have an increased chance of being uncomfortable, and at the same time, waste energy.

There are thousands of older systems, whose simultaneous cooling and heating is the cause of much of your discomfort. A survey of 7,400 members of the International Facility Management Association ranked "Too hot" as the number one complaint of their tenants. Guess what? "Too cold" came in second! Poor indoor air quality tied for fourth.

Recent studies have indicated that 100% of existing commercial facilities are wasting a minimum of 20% of the cost of operating their HVAC systems! This is primarily due to the HVAC system not operating the way it was designed. These conditions do not have to exist! Improving poorly designed systems can save even more.

Today, we suggest you take a comprehensive look at the typical pneumatic temperature control system, to determine: what's broken; what's dirty; and how antiquated the sequence of operation, to determine if repair and updating is in your best long-term interest.

With the introduction of low cost, highly reliable electronic temperature controls, gradual system-wide replacement of pneumatic controls is often the best alternative. Properly implemented, individual electronic controls will become a building automation system (BAS).
Nevertheless, Climate Makers still helps maintain scores of pneumatic temperature control systems, at efficiencies that rival the latest in technology. How? In 1973, The Educational Facilities Laboratory, in New York published a booklet entitled, "The Economy of Energy Conservation in Educational Facilities". It begins the chapter on maintenance and operations by stating:

"Energy waste springs from two basic sources, lethargy and ignorance."

In the beginning, we could not afford to be either lazy or ill informed. We had to offer some new perspective, in order to get people's attention. Competing in the same arena with this industry's giants, we have never had the luxury of resting on our laurels. Today, never leaving a building with the customer "too hot" or "too cold" has simply become so much a part of what we are, there is just still no room for lethargy and ignorance.
 
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