Learn More About the Innovations that Keep Us Healthy and Sustain Our Planet
As we learn more about the importance of indoor air quality for physical and even mental health, there is more attention than ever on how we can optimize our home and commercial HVAC systems. What’s more, the HVAC industry is recognizing the ways it can use energy more efficiently and sustainably.
An HVAC system is far more complex than most people think – and when optimized by the right technicians, can provide far more than warmth when it’s chilly, or cold air when it’s hot.
Set aside the notion that an HVAC system is more than just a whooshing sound from your basement that can only be fixed by companies with clever billboards and service van decals.
An HVAC system is an innovative tool that can perform wonders for your home or commercial business when it’s placed in the right hands.
The Basic Technology Behind Your HVAC System
Most HVAC systems that we are familiar with today – whether you have a system for heating and air in St. Louis or any other part of the U.S. – have a set of fundamental parts that you’ve likely heard of, especially if you’ve ever needed repairs.
These parts include:
- A blowing motor
- A heat exchanger
- A combustion chamber
- A condenser coil or compressor
- An evaporator coil
- A thermostat
These parts are essential to delivering cool or warm air to your home, and that’s without mentioning the structural elements – namely, the ductwork and main unit. However, there’s far more happening in the modern HVAC system that represents significant leaps forward in how we condition our homes for comfort and health.
New Technologies in the HVAC Industry
There’s some advice floating around about how to avoid unhealthy foods. This piece of wisdom states that if your grandparent wouldn’t recognize it as food, then don’t eat it. However, this wisdom does not apply to the modern HVAC system. The state-of-the-art technologies being used in HVAC systems today would be completely unrecognizable to previous generations – and that’s a good thing.
More has been done in the last few years to keep our HVAC systems even more convenient and efficient, turning them into more intelligent systems that can be easily monitored by expert technicians, a feat that we may not have been able to dream of just a short time ago. Here are three new technologies that have improved commercial and residential HVAC for the better:
1. Sustainability in HVAC Systems
HVAC systems, of course, use a great deal of energy, so many inroads have been made to ensure that energy can be conserved and used efficiently, so that homeowners and businesses can appreciate both a lower energy bill as well as feel that they’re making an ethical choice when using their HVAC system more consciously. For example, systems are now available with dual heat pumps that switch between gas and electric depending on the temperature outside or when rates for certain resources are lower.
2. Smart Thermostats and the Internet of Things
While Wi-Fi enabled thermostats have been around for some time, the communication between an HVAC system and other Wi-Fi enabled devices can make a big difference in the performance of a residential or commercial system. For example, your HVAC system can communicate with your service technicians to provide data on the system’s needs for maintenance. Additionally, a user can monitor energy usage far more effectively, and even create a highly specific automated schedule based on the system’s use history. Further, those with allergies, asthma, and other air-quality related conditions can stay informed about their environment, anticipate forthcoming changes, and make important preparations based on that data.
3. VR Training for Technicians
Virtual reality isn’t all fun and games. In fact, virtual reality’s earliest use-cases were in the medical field to assist researchers and caregivers in learning how to perform key procedures or to help patients rehabilitate and manage pain. In the HVAC industry, technicians no longer have to “learn by doing” or spend as much time shadowing other technicians. In a virtual reality setting, technicians can hone their craft by practicing a variety of key scenarios on a digital HVAC system, so that they can learn the ropes, anticipate and troubleshoot problems, and – ultimately – provide excellent service to customers. This way, the health and environmental benefits of the modern HVAC system can work at optimal levels.
Investing in HVAC Technology is an Investment in Human Health and Our Planet
The latest innovations in the HVAC industry can help human beings in their day to day lives, and can ensure we protect our environment. When a business or homeowner opts to integrate the latest HVAC technology, they are going far beyond what could have been imagined even ten or fifteen years ago. Selecting the right HVAC equipment is far more than investing in a system for comfort control – it is an investment in one’s health and the health of our planet.
