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How to Clean and Maintain HVAC Systems

Learning how to clean and maintain HVAC systems is one of the best ways to keep them safe, efficient and reliable all year round. So, what is HVAC maintenance? It’s the regular cleaning, inspection and servicing that ensures your equipment performs at its best while keeping energy costs under control. Without it, systems become less efficient, air quality suffers and unexpected breakdowns become more likely.

In this guide, we’ll explain why HVAC maintenance matters, what is done during HVAC maintenance, the simple steps you can take yourself and the benefits of using professional HVAC maintenance services. At Chillaire, we’ve been helping homes, businesses and industrial clients across the Midlands take care of their HVAC systems for more than 30 years, so you can trust that regular maintenance really does make a difference.

What Is HVAC Maintenance?

When we talk about HVAC maintenance, what we mean is the regular cleaning, inspection and servicing. This keeps your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems working safely and efficiently.

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. In simple terms, this system keeps you warm during winter and cool during summer, controlling the climate inside your building.

So, is it worth maintaining? Absolutely. Without proper care, these systems can affect your comfort, energy bills and even your health. Poorly maintained equipment can lower air quality, making it harder to breathe. Regular HVAC maintenance helps you avoid breakdowns and keeps the environment inside your premises healthy.

Is HVAC Maintenance Important?

There are plenty of benefits that come with keeping up a HVAC maintenance routine:

Safety
HVAC systems often run on electricity or gas. Having them checked each year is essential. Technicians look for electrical faults, gas leaks and carbon monoxide levels. Safety really is the top priority.

Indoor air quality
If the system is dirty, the air you breathe is dirty. Dust, mould and allergens can build up inside your ducts and filters. Maintenance makes sure your system is circulating clean air.

Lifespan
Equipment that’s blocked with dirt or never inspected will wear out faster. Regular maintenance extends the life of your system, protecting your investment.

Energy efficiency
A dirty system has to work harder, which means it runs longer and uses more power. Keeping everything clean and tuned reduces your energy bills.

Peace of mind
When all these points are covered, you can relax knowing your HVAC system is reliable, safe and ready for the season ahead.

DIY vs Professional HVAC Maintenance

Annual HVAC maintenance is an investment worth making. A system that is serviced properly not only uses less energy but also provides better comfort at lower costs.

Working with professional HVAC maintenance services is important because trained technicians can spot problems early and carry out repairs to keep everything running smoothly. Homeowners or business owners simply don’t have access to the specialist knowledge and tools required for a thorough service.

Professional HVAC Maintenance Services:

A typical annual HVAC service carried out by a professional technician should include:

  • A full clean of the furnace or air conditioning unit
  • Inspection of safety switches and devices
  • Checking for cracks or damage in the heat exchanger
  • Filter replacement
  • Calibration of temperature and airflow controls
  • Washing of the outdoor condenser coil
  • Adjustment of fans and belts
  • Inspection of drains and traps
  • Testing of all electrical components 

This level of care ensures the system runs as efficiently as possible and reduces the chance of breakdowns at the worst time of year.

How can I Keep my HVAC System in Good Condition

There are a few simple maintenance tasks that are safe and effective for homeowners and business operators:

  • Keep filters clean. Replace or wash them regularly to stop blockages and keep air moving freely.
  • Keep vents open. Avoid placing furniture or curtains in front of them so the air can circulate.
  • Clear around the outdoor unit. Remove leaves, rubbish or overgrown plants so airflow isn’t blocked.
  • Cover smartly in winter. If icicles form above your unit, protect it with a piece of plywood placed on top. Otherwise, leave it uncovered so moisture isn’t trapped inside.

These steps will help extend the life of your HVAC system, improve efficiency and make professional servicing even more effective.

Maintain your HVAC Systems with Chillaire

At Chillaire, we specialise in keeping HVAC systems running at peak performance. Our planned preventative maintenance services are designed for homes, businesses and industrial settings, making sure your equipment stays safe and reliable all year round.

When our technicians visit, you’ll receive a thorough service that includes cleaning, inspection and performance checks. We follow strict quality standards to ensure your system is cared for properly.

We also offer flexible maintenance packages, so you can choose a plan that fits your needs and budget. With over 30 years of experience and a dedicated team across the Midlands, Chillaire is here to help you enjoy all the benefits of regular HVAC maintenance without the worry.

Contact us today to find out more and book your maintenance.

Heading infographic for article on how to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings

How to Improve Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings

With the ever-growing importance and issues of climate change impacting our future, it’s wise to know how to improve the energy efficiency in your commercial building. As a result of the government’s Energy White Paper released in 2020, the Net Zero policies confirmed the minimum energy efficiency standards for rented non-domestic buildings to be EPC B by 2030. Making it now, more than ever, important to improve your energy efficiency.

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5 Benefits of Air Source Heat Pumps

With the rise of environmentally friendly heating options, air source heat pumps are becoming more common for industrial application. Their sustainability and energy efficiency makes them a popular choice for heating solutions in commercial properties. 

Within this article, we will discuss five benefits of air source heat pumps and how Chillaire can help with your heating requirements.

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Graphic for how to choose the right commercial heating systemHow to Choose the Right Commercial Heating System

Choosing the right commercial heating system can be key in helping your business. Whether you are looking to keep your customers warm in the winter or maintain a consistent temperature throughout your office, it is important to choose a heating system that will benefit your business.

Here at Chillaire, we have decades of experience supplying, installing and maintaining commercial and industrial heating systems across Coventry and the Midlands.

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energy-efficiency-grants-chillaire

What Do the Government’s Energy Efficiency Grants Entail?

While the cost of living is still affecting households across the UK and energy fees are rising, businesses are seeing a huge reduction in the amount of electrical goods they are selling and installing. To combat this, the government has provided a variety of energy efficiency grants worth £6 billion.

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Engineer repairing a heat pump system

Heat Pump vs Gas Boiler: Which One Is Better?

The heat pump vs gas boiler debate is one that is currently popular, and it is also one that is fairly complex. But are heat pumps better than boilers? If you are looking to make the move from your traditional boiler to a heat pump, the answer to this question will be of great interest. In some cases, a heat pump may prove to be a superior alternative to your gas boiler. In other instances, it may prove to be a backwards step. Today the team at Chillaire are going to unpack this and look to settle the heat pump vs gas boiler debate. 

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Powrmatic / Combat / Winterwarm – Gas Fired Warm Air Heating

Why Gas Fired Warm Air Heating for Commercial or Industrial Environments?

Gas fired warm air heating is a cost effective way of heating large spaces such warehouses or distributions centres or showrooms or similar.
The latest gas fired heaters manufactured by Combat / Winterwarm or Powrmatic are modern energy efficient and highly reliable and ideal for commercial / industrial premises and work by forcing warm air around the building. These heaters are most often used in commercial properties and public spaces such as retail outlets, sports halls, distribution centres, warehouse storage facilities, production areas and sports halls and are known to improve energy efficiency when compared to other systems. Additional installation costs are easily absorbed by long-term savings.

Why Use Warm Air Heating Systems?

Warm air heating works by pulling cold air from the building and pushing it across a heat exchanger. The cold air is heated via the fan and re-distributed back into the environment until an ambient temperature is achieved. There are a wide variety of fuels to choose from, such as natural gas, LPG, oil, and biofuels, to operate the system. By combining warm air heating with a sophisticated control system, businesses can easily manage the temperature without overheating or getting too cold.
Warm air heating systems can include roof suspended and floor standing cabinet units, making them an extremely versatile choice for industrial and commercial premises.

Powrmatic and Winterwarm have a unique range of gas fired heater range:

Powrmatic recently introduced its new LNVX energy efficient heater range.

Winterwarm has the XR range with stainless steel heat exchangers.

The Combat Compact range is ideal for smaller buildings that may require less heating, particularly when space is at a minimum. Alternatively, for improved energy efficiency, you may want to consider the Combat ECO Condensing Unit Heaters, which are one of the smallest condensing heaters on the market at present.

Why Combat Heating Solutions?

Combat 1 air conditioning unit
Combat air conditioning system
Red metal box

Combat have been manufacturing heating products for over 40 years and have an extensive knowledge of the commercial and industrial heating sector providing help to find solutions. Combat have a wide range of heating appliances for most applications.

Radiant Heating

Radiant heater

What is Radiant Heating?

Radiant heating is a cost-effective, reliable method of heating small to very large indoor areas that require a more even spread of heat. The best way to simply describe how infrared radiant heaters work is to compare it to the most reliable known heater – the Sun. The heat energy from the Sun radiates through space and our atmosphere, striking the Earth’s surface and heating it. It is this warmed surface that then heats the air and raises the air temperature.
Due to the versatility of radiant heaters, they are utilised for large spaces such as factory and warehouse heating.

Why Radiant Heaters?

Radiant heating, unlike fan assisted warm air heaters, does not heat the air. It first heats the people and the objects around it, including the floor, which in turn act as secondary heaters, raising the air temperature. The main benefit of radiant heating is the reduced loss of heated air in areas with opening doors and windows.

Unlike warm air heaters which use excessive energy to heat the building’s atmosphere, once a door has been opened, objects heated by radiant heating will continue to stay warm. For industrial and commercial buildings such as distribution centres or warehouses that often have large doors open to cater for deliveries, radiant heating is the most cost-effective solution for maintaining suitable working temperatures.

Combat Energy Saving Accessories

Combat Heating Solutions understands the importance of energy efficiency in the workplace. Reliable heating systems that can be automatically controlled while reducing energy consumption, is essential for most business owners and landlords. Industrial heating systems work in some of the toughest conditions and are required to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
That’s why to provide energy saving Combat controls and destratification fans complement their new industrial heater range. Combat energy-saving destratification fans improve the efficiency of the heater by keeping valuable warm air down at working level, thus reducing heat loss through the roof structure. The Energy Efficient NRG Controller maximises fuel efficiency through self-learning optimisation, which could save you money on your energy bills.

Call Chillaire Limited today to assist you with your commercial or industrial heating environment or application requirement. From initial site survey, design, supply, installation, warranty and future planned maintenance with 24 hour service.

Local Chillaire Industrial / Commercial Heating Centres: Rugby: 01788 669164 / Leamington Spa & Warwick: 01926 825681 / Stratford upon Avon: 01789 273289 / Banbury: 01295 207682 / Redditch: 01527 531275 and Leicester: 0116 202 5094

Other Local Offices:

We have offices throughout central England:

Email Address: sales@chillaire.co.uk / service@chillaire.co.uk Website: www.chillaire.co.uk

Winter Warm Gas Fired Heating

Winterwarm have been provide heating solutions for industrial and commercial environments & applications. Warm air heating systems are both cost effective and comfortable, providing a pleasant working environment at reasonable cost. Whether you are heating a factory, warehouse, workshop, showroom or just about any other building, there is a heating solution from Chillaire Limited using Winterwarm gas fired heating appliances that will meet your needs.

Winterwarm heating unit
Winterwarm heating unit

Winterwarm Gas Fired Appliances for Applications such as:

  • Workshops
  • Showrooms
  • Warehouse
  • Production Area
  • Storage Area
  • Sports Halls
  • Gymnasiums
  • Factories
  • & Many more…….

Principles of Winterwarm Heating Systems:

Indirect heating systems differ significantly from other forms of heating (e.g. electric heating, underfloor heating, direct-fired, etc.)  in that heat is transferred the space via a heat exchanger within the unit or by radiant tubes. These heating systems tolerate a wide range of working environments (e.g. high levels of solvents or dust) as the combustion is completely self-contained and can be located remotely if required. The range of heating systems includes: 

Gas-fired heaters (natural gas or LPG): available as suspended unit heaters, radiant tubes or floor-mounted cabinets

Oil-fired heaters: available as floor-mounted cabinet heaters

Fan coil units: using hot water from conventional boilers, biomass boilers or heat recovery systems

Benefits of Winterwarm Heating Systems:

Winterwarm is a leading provider of heating solutions which have various characteristics that benefit customers:

  • Fully programmable controls: This is particularly beneficial in cases of intermittent use or when heat demand is erratic (e.g. community halls).  Unlike underfloor heating for example, the heating can be effective for relatively short periods of time.
  • Wide range of outputs: This allows heat output to be closely matched to overall requirements and allows comprehensive “zoning” options to help minimise fuel costs.
  • Sealed combustion systems: This avoids introducing products of combustion into the space and is very tolerant of pollutants within the atmosphere unlike direct-fired heating systems.
  • Natural gas, LPG or oil-fired. Generally considered more cost-effective than electric heating.

Recent Winterwarm model XR gas fired heater installation in Derby by Chillaire Limited complete with mains gas pipe and mains electrical power supply installation plus controller wiring and set up:

Man fixing air conditioning
Air conditioning unit on wall

Call Chillaire Limited today to assist you with your commercial or industrial heating environment or application requirement. From initial site survey, design, supply, installation, warranty and future planned maintenance with 24 hour service.

We have offices throughout central England:

Email Address: sales@chillaire.co.uk / service@chillaire.co.uk

child colouring in

Nuaire XBOXER Hybrid

After some interesting design challenges, the mechanical ventilation experts, Nuaire, have now launched their new XBOXER Hybrid range. They provide a natural system with fans for mixing warm air when it’s cold and for higher flow rates in hotter weather.

Mixed­-mode or hybrid ventilation is a popular solution for schools. It introduces air both naturally and mechanically for better airflow.

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Samsung Heat Pump Air Conditioning Installation

Chillaire Limited supplied and installed Samsung wall split air conditioning systems into a village hall in the village of Dunchurch set in between Rugby and Daventry.

Samsung heat pump air conditioning at Dunchurch Village Hall near Rugby

Chillaire Limited supplied and installed five Samsung wall heat pump air conditioning systems into a village hall in Dunchurch to provide cooling in summer and heating in winter. The indoor units were interlinked to operate off a single controller with each wall fan coil unit operating off its own internal temperature sensor to provide a more balanced control throughout the hall.

The mode setting for all five systems can only be set in the same mode, this will stop anyone setting the systems so that they are cooling and heating at the same time and working / fighting against each other.

Samsung have a very good range of equipment from air conditioning split type systems to air conditioning multi systems and air conditioning VRF systems all are heat pump reverse cycle systems.

Fan coil unit options are available as wall, floor, ceiling, ceiling concealed, cassette and ducted.

If you are interested in details regarding Samsung Heat Pump Air Conditioning systems range and would be interested in a free no obligation quotation, please call us at our Coventry office:
16 Lythalls Lane, Holbrooks, Coventry, CV6 6FG on 024 7624 9440 or email us at sales@chillaire.co.uk and for more details you can visit our website – www.chillaire.co.uk

Warwickshire Office: Unit 1 Veasey Close, Attleborough Fields Industrial Estate, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 6RT. Telelhone: 024 7632 0300 or email us at sales@chillaire.co.uk and for more details you can visit our website – www.chillaire.co.uk

You can also call us on our local Rugby phone number: 01788 669164

Leamington & Warwick: 01926 825681

Warwickshire Area: 01789 279289

Coventry & West Midlands Area: 024 7624 9440

Leicester & Leicestershire Area: 0116 202 9054

Northamptonshire: Northampton 01604 269540 or Kettering: 01536 386046

Chillaire
Air Conditioning - Heating - Ventilation