There are some major differences between commercial and residential AC services. These differences are important for a number of reasons. The following items highlight the differences and why they are important.

Size Matters

Commercial cooling appliances are all big enough that your HVAC technician can walk into them. A commercial air conditioner's condenser box is the size of a small car. A commercial refrigerator is commonly referred to as "a walk-in." In every instance of commercial refrigeration, the technician is able to open a door or panel, walk inside, and locate the problem. These appliances are often easier to fix because parts are easy to remove and install without other things getting in the way.

With residential cooling services, everything has to be taken apart to get to parts that need repair or need to be replaced. The technician cannot walk inside these appliances, which is why he/she has to take them apart during repairs to find what is wrong. It can take a little longer to repair a residential air conditioner than it takes to repair a commercial one.

Some Commercial Units Are Safe to Operate for Years

Residential air conditioners will run well for up to two decades, barring unusual circumstances and including semi-annual maintenance like clockwork. Commercial units can operate even longer with similar circumstances and optimal care. Commercial units may also be federally certified and approved to run as they are with the refrigerants or heat pumps they use.

Some residential units may have to be replaced, even though they may still operate just fine. This typically happens when parts are discontinued, recalled, or made illegal, as is the case of R22 refrigerant. If your technician tells you that your unit has to go despite the fact that most parts of it are in good working condition, be sure to ask why, or have the technician show you why.

Some Technicians Only Repair Residential or Commercial A/Cs

If an HVAC technician chooses to own and operate his/her own business, he/she may focus on just residential repairs or just commercial repairs. If that is the case, you will need to find a technician that can repair your residential air conditioner. It is important to specify over the phone which type of air conditioner you want to be repaired so that you hire technicians that focus on repairing what you have. Otherwise, hire a technician that fixes both residential and commercial cooling units.

Share