At many points in our life, we’ll be working, shopping or living in buildings with powerful air conditioning units. It’s easy not to notice, as we’ve grown accustomed to the comfort that an air conditioning system brings, and many consumers don’t realise just how necessary air conditioning is in the UK.

The difficulty lies in the wide variety of choice there is – it can be really confusing choosing the right system for your building, but it’s an important decision for any organisation to make. At MFM Group, we work with organisations ranging from manufacturing sites to hospitals, providing a bespoke air conditioning service across Bristol, the South West and Wales. We’ve put together this guide to run you through what to consider when selecting an air conditioning system for your building.

How Does a Commercial HVAC System Work?

Your HVAC system is a flexible piece of kit with several functions. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, so its use case is quite explicit from the get-go!

  • Heating – to heat the air, combustion gases are created in the system’s burners and are transported to a heat exchanger. These gases are then blown across the heat exchanger. The warm air is then distributed via ductwork throughout your building.
  • Ventilation – you don’t want to be breathing in stuffy, recycled air. Your HVAC system will exhaust spent air while bringing fresh air into the building, keeping everything fresh and preventing issues like mould and mildew.
  • Air conditioning – perhaps the star of the show, by using a refrigeration process, air is cooled, and humidity is managed. This is achieved with either an air-cooled or water-cooled system.

Types of Air Conditioning Systems

When choosing your air conditioning system, it’s important to understand the different types that are available in order to select the right one for you. If you’re ever unsure, we recommend getting in touch with air conditioning experts, who can advise you on which system would suit you best.

Single Split Air Conditioners

No matter the system, it will be comprised of one part indoors, and another part located outside. A single split air conditioner is the perfect solution for spot cooling in a smaller space; as it only has one indoor unit, it will generally cover a relatively local area. Many businesses that only have a single room needing temperature control will use a single split air conditioner, as it does the job with less to maintain in the long run.

Multi Split Air Conditioners

As you might have guessed, a multi split conditioner acts like its single cousin, but rather than having one indoor unit, it has multiple units spread throughout a building. These units are linked to the same individual exterior unit, making these systems more efficient in general. Do note – if you have a large building that requires lots of interior units, then you’ll likely have to install multiple exterior units to support them.

Multiple Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Conditioners

An advanced version of multi split systems, a VRF conditioner strikes a balance between heating, cooling and heat-recovery. Modern VRF systems have some nifty tricks up their sleeves – they can control temperature by zone, use less ductwork and are generally completely electric based. VRF systems are, on average, 20-30% more efficient than traditional HVAC systems.

What Buildings Benefit from Air Conditioning?

The general consensus in the UK is that air conditioning is a little unnecessary as we don’t often get sweltering temperatures. However, this is a misconception, as HVAC systems provide so much more than simple cooling. The advanced heating capabilities prove invaluable in the winter, and the ability to reduce humidity is crucial in many buildings (especially on those rainy summer days!). There’s a whole host of buildings that benefit from a HVAC system, including, but not limited to:

  • Offices
  • Manufacturing sites
  • Health centres & hospitals
  • Laboratories
  • Schools & universities
  • Government buildings
  • Shopping centres
  • Retail stores
  • Leisure centres

New Builds

Getting ahead of the curve in your new build can save costs in the long run. Proactively installing a HVAC system means that it can be incorporated into the building more easily, and generally at a lower cost.

Retrofit Older Buildings

HVAC retrofit projects are becoming increasingly popular across the UK. Many older buildings still function without a good air conditioning system, despite the fact that a retrofit can easily be done, even in protected listed buildings.

How to Choose Your Air Conditioning System

Now it’s crunch time – we’ve got to select the perfect air conditioning system for your building. There’s a lot of things to consider, so we’ve narrowed down the most important questions to ask.

Consider The Size

Your requirements will vary depending on the size of your building. You’ll want to establish how many rooms you need conditioning, the square footage and the volume of footfall. Many buildings save money by only installing their HVAC in rooms that are essential and highly populated.

A unit that’s too large will be inefficient, consuming far more energy than required, while producing excessive indoor humidity. Too small a system and you’ll find yourself with rooms that aren’t cooled or heated particularly well. Like Goldilocks, you want your HVAC system to be just right.

Focus on Reliability, Quality and Efficiency

When selecting a system, you want to avoid cutting costs. A cheap system will reduce air quality and be prone to breakages. A poorly functioning system will be noticeable by customers and employees, and can prove detrimental to those with respiratory illnesses.

Frequent maintenance and consistent reviews are key for ensuring the longevity of your HVAC system. Make sure that whoever provides your system also provides emergency call-out support – you’ll be glad to have it when something goes wrong!

Pick a System That’s Appropriate to Your Climate

If your building is by the coast, you’ll need a system that handles both humidity and corrosion well. Depending on your position in the country, you’ll want to make sure that your HVAC system keeps the internal climate as comfortable as possible.

Commercial Air Conditioning Consultation, Installation and Maintenance with MFM Group

Our specialist team at MFM Group have extensive experience working on, installing and maintaining air conditioning systems. Get in touch today for a tailored consultation – we always take your unique circumstances into consideration before making any recommendations, and our team are on hand 24/7, 365-days a year, giving you the peace of mind that your HVAC system is covered.