Author: Lindsey Burbee

Hiring Our Heroes

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Melink has had a strong history of hiring veterans for many years. In the last few years we have really targeted that effort by leveraging military recruiting agencies. At Melink, we have veterans at nearly every level of our business.

Our original goal was to find the right type of candidate to fill the challenging role of Field Service Technician. The role takes people away from their families for extended amounts of time, requires people to work independently and to adhere to a specific code of conduct, with integrity being paramount. Veterans seemed to be a natural fit and were drawn to the role. We have found that our military veterans are loyal, hardworking and most of all value their integrity.

Currently, there are 17 military veterans in the Melink family, with one still being active in the Florida Air National Guard. Of those seventeen veterans six of them are in leadership roles and the other 11 are members of Melink’s national network of technicians. That makes 28% of our field workforce veterans, and almost 20% of all of Melink employees.

Hiring veterans is rewarding on several different levels. My team of leaders understand the capabilities of these individuals and we are able to translate their military experience into the civilian job market. Of the team that manages the national network 5 of us are veterans from varying services and disciplines. We all understand the military and veterans in different ways and it gives us a unique advantage when hiring veteran talent. We all relish the chance to provide opportunities to those have also sacrificed and taken up the call to serve our nation.

We are proud of our veterans and excited to introduce you to a few of our longest serving Melink veterans…

Completing boot camp was quite the accomplishment for me and I also made Sergeant (E5) in just over 3 years (almost unheard of in the Marines).  With all that said my time in Iraq back in 2003 was what I came away most proud of.  There’s a different level of pride when you consider serving your country for an extended time frame in a war zone and I had the honor of spending a full year in theatre. I would argue that the level of camaraderie here at Melink rivals what we Veteran’s experienced in the service.  This is very rare in a corporate environment as a civilian.  Here at Melink the mission is clear, and our goal is to change the world.  So, in a sense, Melink has indirectly supported my involvement in the military by providing an environment that rivals the togetherness and mission-oriented mindset I encountered during my time in uniform. I’ve been fortunate enough to find myself in leadership roles throughout my tenure with Melink. First as a Lead Technician in the field and now as a Field Service Manager. This has allowed me to continue to utilize the leadership traits drilled into me during my time in the Corp. Melink has presented me with new challenges over the years which has forced me to continually grow.

– Larry Moore

After working for a company of close to 100,000 employees and feeling like just a number, it was refreshing to work for a smaller company where you can feel you are valued every day. A company where the president/owner shows an interest in your family and encourages you to chase your goals. I appreciate working for a company that values my military background and supports my active involvement in the Air
Force which allows me to fulfill my commitment and achieve my goal of a military retirement.

– Ralph Conti

Prior to my tenure at Melink, I served in the United States Army.  After back-to-back deployments, and having a young family, my wife and I decided that it was time to move onto the next chapter in our lives. Since I have been at Melink it has become common place to see many veterans walk through our doors.  Getting an opportunity to work with so many people from across the country both in and out of uniform has given me and my family a unique outlook. It is truly humbling to see the support given to our Veterans.  Thank you for your Service.

– Mark Goodhind

The Cooperative Advantage

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The Solution…Cooperative Advantage

Articles and opinion pieces discussing Universities and Colleges alike seem to constantly be in the news and going viral on social media regarding the high costs to attend and the inevitable debt that most students incur. At the same time many employers have a high bar to even be considered for an entry level position. I can recall in the early days of my career applying for entry level roles with requirements like:

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering or technology required – MBA preferred
  • 2 years of technical experience required – 3+ years preferred
  • Leadership experience required

With a high barrier for entry with high associated costs, how can employers and students or employees both win?

Several Universities have implemented a strategy, going back several decades, allowing for a win-win both for students and employers. What strategy? Cooperative education programs, or also known as: Co-ops. We like to call this the Cooperative Advantage; helping students and employers alike.

In 1906, the University of Cincinnati (OH) was the first to implement such a strategy. This strategy or Co-op program has evolved, and today is a requirement for many students depending upon the curriculum of their program or college. Students within The College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) are required to have a minimum year of full-time paid experience as a part of the curriculum. Many students have even more full-time experience, with some having as much as two full years of paid full-time experience before graduation!

Other colleges such as Cornell University and Northeastern University have similar Co-op programs. These programs require students to partake in a professional experience.

At Melink Corporation, we regularly employee Engineering Co-op students. For nearly 5 years, we’ve had great success in developing future leaders in our program, meanwhile providing a boost to our day-to-day operations. Co-ops have delivered unexpected benefits such as keeping us all up to date with the latest trends, whether it be Crypto-Currency or Pokémon Go!

 Don’t just take it from me…

Current Melink Employee: “These students become key members that directly contribute to the team. They assist in many roles such as project management, estimating, sales efforts, and customer service.”

Current Melink Co-op Employee/Student: “This Co-op experience has reinforced the importance of communication and deadlines. My course material may not be easier afterwards, but how I learn, study, and work as a team will be.”

The Co-op experience allows students to get paid and learn more tangible/transferrable skills on-the-job. At the same time, employers have the opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to their team, receive some productivity, and groom potential future employees or even leaders of the company!

Co-op programs are a great solution to the cost of education and barriers for entry level roles. Over the last 5 years, Melink has had about 2 co-ops per year. Our more long-term success rate of hiring these students full time after graduation has been nearly 50%! I ask you, as a student or potential hiring employee to consider the positive impact a co-op program.

National and Independent Test and Balance: We Go Where You Are!

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

National retailers, restaurant chains and commercial property groups all have similar HVAC needs all across the country.  When going to a Starbucks and asking for a “Grande Pike”, we have a set expectation of what we will experience when the barista delivers that 16 oz cup of perfection, right?  Why should commercial buildings be any different?  Don’t the brand managers and facilities teams want their building occupants to have the same, consistent comfortable, healthy experience when inside of their buildings?  Don’t they want their customers and employees to enjoy a safe, comfortable, energy efficient indoor environment at every location nation-wide?  We find the answer to be a resounding YES!

In 1987, founder Steve Melink saw the need for consistent, national, test, balance and commissioning services for national restaurant and retail chains.  While test and balance companies weren’t new, there was no one fulfilling the services in an unwavering manner across the entire nation. Companies either performed work in a small region, or they hired out whomever they could find across the country as jobs popped up. This not only left varying and unreliable reports, but also no standard across the nation for larger national accounts. What was done at one location, may have been measured differently at another, or not even checked at all! Steve understood the need for one company to be able to deliver reliable and consistent services and reports to all business, regardless of location.

13,000+ projects completed since 2014!!

Fast forward 32 years.  Today Melink Corporation is still known as the standard for national test, balance and commissioning services and serves many of the world’s largest and fastest growing restaurant and retail chains.  In the same vein as the Starbucks example, our customers expect consistency and quality no matter where they are building and remodeling.  We don’t leave our quality to chance or to the general contractor’s sub, we hire and train the best technicians and engineers.

With our 100% self-performing, independent, national team of Test, Balance and Commissioning professionals, Melink takes our quality on the road, each and every day.  Simply put “We Go Where You Are”!

Are you struggling to find someone that can service any of your locations? Contact our team by phone at 877-477-4190 (toll-free) or online at [email protected] or here…we look forward to helping find a solution for your business!

The Melink Umbrella

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Are you an existing customer or follower of Melink?  I’m guessing the answer is “yes” if you’re reading this, so what all falls under the “Melink Umbrella”? In the Cincinnati, OH region, we’re best known for our super-green energy efficient HQ building. Those things help to show who we are as a company; however it isn’t always clear in what we do as a business to support this mission of changing the world one building at time. 

To help illustrate the offerings at Melink, pretend you own a hotel, restaurant or operate an entity involving a commercial kitchen facility.  Prior to leaving for work, you utilize your smartphone to check your building’s health for your employees and customers by swiping open your PositiV app. You check the latest building health makers for indoor CO2, temperature, humidity and building pressure.  The building pressure has been trending negatively for a week and notify your Melink Test, Adjust, & Balance account manager.  Next, you request an investigative visit to determine the root cause and next steps for corrective measures.  Upon arrival, a field-technician identifies the outside air damper on your RTU has been locked shut.  An insufficient amount of fresh outside air is being supplied to your building. 

This negative air pressure situation would have been substantially worse; however you have Intelli-Hood. A demand control kitchen ventilation system that adjusts exhaust fan speeds to cooking demands.  Your Intelli-Hood control system automatically turns on in case the prep crew starts cooking without the fans. It also preemptively warns your team if there’s an issue with the exhaust fan to mitigate risk from fire.

Knowing your building is back to optimal conditions you head to the back office. You start to review your utility bill statements and prepare payments.  You’re shocked at the 40% electrical bill decline. Then you remember the newly installed and commissioned HVAC rooftop unit.

Welcome to the Melink Umbrella.  Not all customers can benefit from the full suite of offerings, but these services make us a stronger partner for our customers. They invest in business growth in a responsible, sustainable manner, help us change the world, one building at a time. 

“We’ve Done Benchmarking. We’ve Done Lighting. What’s Next?!” Kitchen Ventilation.

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The Benefits of DCKV

Kitchen ventilation, both exhaust and make up air, represent a significant opportunity for kWh and kBTU reductions in your facility. Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation, (DCKV) uses temperature and optic sensors to vary exhaust speed and make up air fans.  This is in response to precise cooking intensity underneath all kitchen hoods. With fans only running as needed, savings are gained on fan energy (controls produce 40-60% average fan speed versus 100% without controls). In addition, there are heating and cooling savings gained as a result of kitchens not evacuating all air that was just conditioned.

These controls can be installed in new construction projects. They’re usually specified by engineering firms in the design phase of your project, and should qualify for one LEED point. In addition, DCKV is a path to compliance for commercial buildings’ energy codes for states that have adopted ASHRAE 90.1 2010 and greater. You can see what your state’s requirements are here.

Retrofitting

Retrofitting the temperature and optic controls within existing kitchen exhaust hoods is equally effective at generating energy savings. It’s important to confirm that the controls are UL 710 and 2017 listed. This permits them to be installed in any manufacturer’s hood in any cooking application. There are many utility rebate incentive programs available for the installation of DCKV as well.

Kitchen Ventilation in Action

The financial impact for hospitals’ operating costs is significant when kitchen exhaust and makeup air fans no longer run at full speed 24/7.  A study by the EPA demonstrated that each dollar saved by a non-profit hospital, is the same as generating $20 in new revenues. Incidentally that same dollar saved in a for-profit facility is like increasing EPS by one penny.

Melink recently completed a Mid-West hospital project that produced $20,000 (per year) in combined savings. The savings included electrical, heating and cooling costs. Using EPA study metrics, this equivalates to $400,000 in new revenue for this facility.  Taking rebate incentives for our technology, the hospital’s ROI was less than one year.

The Purpose of DCKV

The goal of any DCKV project is to install controls that maximize the energy savings within the kitchen. In addition, DCKV will assist compliance with building energy codes, attain LEED points and make kitchens quieter and more comfortable. This article goes into greater detail and dives deeper into how these controls pay back initial investment. The articles recently appeared in the American Society for Healthcare Engineering publication, Inside ASHE.

Find the Inside ASHE article on kitchen ventilation here.

How to be an Employee Owner – with Swagger

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

swag·ger

/ˈswaɡər/

verb


walk or behave in a very confident way.
“he swaggered along the corridor”

synonyms: strut, parade, stride, roll, prance;

Goals and objectives are important.  They move us forward, help us believe in ourselves and each other, and the right goals hold us accountable to meeting exceeding results.  But, what good is accomplishing a goal without passion, without purpose, without style or swagger?  These attributes are, in my opinion, critical toward making work fun and meaningful.  If not, we’re just checking the box.   In fact, these attributes are not only reflected in our people, but in the products and services we offer.  We’re not looking to check the box by pencil-whipping another T&B report, or installing a basic controls system.  No, we want to provide insanely great service and do things the right way.  We want our customer’s to have a healthy and properly commissioned building.  Intelli-Hood isn’t a demand control ventilation product – it’s an energy savings solution.  And any contractor can install a Solar PV system; we’re providing renewable energy solutions that meet the needs of our customers.  So, as a 100% Employee Owned company, I asked my team, “How do you do your job with swagger?”.  Here’s what they had to say.

I try to take the time to get to know trainees on a personal level and adjust my approach to their style of learning.  This helps ensure they can retain information.  As the company’s most-tenured technician, I believe it’s my responsibility to impart knowledge and experience onto new generations of employee-owners.  I have no doubt that if they can add their own style of swagger, they’ll be fully capable of continuing to provide our customers with insanely great service.  -Darryl Stones, Master Field Service Technician & Employee Owner

Our mission is to change the world, one building at a time, by helping decision-makers implement energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions into their commercial facilities.  Confidence in this mission – as well as our values of integrity, innovation, and service excellence – are my keys to success.  I’m so passionate about the work we’re doing as well as my team, and our customers, I can’t help but do it all with style and swagger!  -Krysta Kincaid, Account Coordinator & Employee Owner

I try to lead with integrity. When asked by someone to cut corners to get the job done quicker/easier/less expensive, I take pride in telling them no – we do the job the way it’s supposed to be done. Do anything (a task, chore, errand, favor) as you’d like to do everything, in the best way possible.  -Joel Geiman, Business Development Manager & Employee Owner

I do a lot of international work.  No matter where or when a customer calls me from somewhere in the world, I know it’s my job to help address their need.  I aim to serve as their go-to subject matter expert on demand control ventilation (DCKV).  Often times I try to advise above & beyond the scope of our controls.  My goal is to ensure our system integrates seamlessly with the application, whether it be new construction or a retrofit.  Not only is the energy savings critical, but so is a cohesive and effective mechanical system that’s been well integrated with the foodservice design.  My team and I are fully committed to changing the world, one building at a time.  -Jason Brown, Senior Sales and Applications Engineer & Employee Owner

Looking polished and professional each time I go onto a job-site.  You’d think it takes a lot of effort to look like a GQ model every day.  But for me, it comes easy.  -George Cook, Lead Technician & Employee Owner

I find it especially gratifying to know that my work serves the greater purpose of making the world a better place.  So, every morning when I wake up, I pause and remind myself to aim for excellence – not because it’s easy or convenient but it’s hard and worth doing!  Also, as an employee-owner, I feel like I have the power of Thor’s hammer to make an impact.  This electrifies my drive to look for ways to improve.  In so doing, I am not just helping myself, I’m adding value for my customers and colleagues.  -Josh Gerlock, Sales Engineer & Employee Owner

Working in Solar gives me a sunny disposition and working in Geothermal keeps me grounded.  -Seth Parker, Vice President of Melink Solar & Geo

With a National Network consisting of  technicians, engineers, leaders and office staff we bring the swagger of 16 military veterans to the industry. Our veterans bring a different perspective on life, leadership, and hard work. Hiring and employing Military veterans offers Melink a chance to give back to those that have volunteered to give so much for our country. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in that the values learned in the military and the esprit de corps that those veterans are used to easily translate to the family environment and core values at Melink Corporation.   -Matt Meyer, Director of Field Service & Employee Owner

In retrospect, I was a little iffy on going through this exercise.   I wasn’t sure what I’d get back!  But, I’m glad I asked this question.  This feedback demonstrates the passion and purpose we’ve learned to develop in our work.  I hope you can see this as well.  So, if you’re looking to hire an energy solutions provider whose people walk the talk, have skin in the game, and have meaning in their work – then look no further.  But if you’re looking to check the box you may want to keep looking. 

HVAC Systems – How to help ensure a good investment

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Life of an HVAC System

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is similar to your car; it can last 7-20 years! The life expectancy largely depends on the quality of the equipment, and how the equipment is maintained. Without a maintenance log of all your systems, how do you estimate the remaining ‘miles’ your equipment has left? The answer – have an independent HVAC site survey.

Benefits of Site Surveys

Performing an independent HVAC site survey before purchasing new HVAC equipment, helps to ensure you are making the right decisions. During an HVAC site survey, or HVAC audit, independent partners help you determine the current state of your equipment. To do so, your independent partner should tailor a unique scope of work to help you with your specific needs.  HVAC site surveys can be complex with much focus on the fine details, or it can be a more general inspection of all equipment. Explain to your independent HVAC partner your situation and goals, then let them help you create a plan or program that suites your needs.

Self-Performing

“Why are you underlining independent?”, you might ask; because it is vital to ensure the gathered information is unbiased. Your partner should be a true owners advocate, working while looking through the eyes of the end owner. This task may be complicated for your equipment providers, preventative maintenance providers, and internal employees, there may be a conflict of interest in reporting one outcome verses another. One other important question to ask your independent provider is – “Are you self-performing?”.

You might be thinking – “Here we go again with these underlines.”, but self-performing is just as important as independent. Performing an HVAC site survey is a quality control related process. To fully achieve a high-quality result in your HVAC site survey, you should consider using a self-performing company. A self-performing company will use 100% of their own employees to survey your equipment. Therefore, the end product, or HVAC site survey report, is created from the findings of trusted partners or direct employees.

Once the time is right to replace or repair HVAC equipment, be sure to consider having an independent partner help you along the way. We’d appreciate if you’d consider Melink Corporation. We have a national network of self-performing technicians, and have been working with national and regional partners for over 30 years! Let us know how we can help!

Life Lessons: First Year As A Professional

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Work anniversaries (Work-aversaries) hold a special place in many people’s hearts. Most people I’ve talked to know the exact date when they started working for a company. Especially for those who have been at the same company for many years- decades even- that date becomes more and more special each year it comes around. It’s something to be celebrated not only by the individual, but by the company who has seen this person grow over the years. For me, “years” is not yet plural, as May marks my first work-aversary of my young career. And although this anniversary may not even merit a pizza party, it does invoke a sense of reflection in consideration for all of the lessons that have been learned in a year that will one day be long in the past.

Let’s start with the common hurdles that many young people graduating college must first overcome. I would title this first lesson, perspective. For the first 20-ish years, we learn, succeed, and fail among our peers who are similar in age and background. From the youth baseball games, to the high school AP tests, to the college capstone projects, we were always surrounded by people in the same shoes. It was comfortable, safe, and most all, relatable. However, when the real-world hits (after college, let’s be honest…) we plunge into the diverse environment that is “the workplace.” Many of our fellow co-workers are not the same age, they went to different schools, have held other jobs, and might even have children our age! You are now just another guy or gal that is held to the same standard as everyone else in the office. A missed deadline is no longer 10% off your grade, it’s overhead, it may affect the bottom line, and it probably isn’t going to tolerated like it was in school. For the first-year employee, you have to grow up fast and get up to speed with how people do business. The sooner that happens, the sooner the real world will feel more comfortable, safe, and relatable.

The second lesson that I learned is how to have confidence in the workplace. Growing up and looking at corporate life, I remember thinking how complicated business must be. With words like “capital expenses” and “contract administrator” and “taxes” (kidding about the last one), I thought I’d never be able to grasp what it takes to be successful beyond the classroom. What I’ve learned, however, is that no matter the complexity of a subject, the least you can do is identify its purpose and function. Drawing any sort of connection to something that sounds foreign will begin to make sense overtime. There might be a big learning curve, but once the confidence comes, you become dangerous.

The third lesson, and certainly not the last lesson, is one of research. I don’t mean research like you would do in a library, it’s research you carry out by asking people questions. The importance of asking the right questions in the right way and at the right time is a skill that is not taught in school. Just like asking the “right” questions, you must also seek the “right” answer. To do this, problems have to be broken down in its simplest form in order to ask the simplest questions. As always, time is of the essence. People may not have time for you to explain the problem at hand, so it’s important to get the information you need as efficiently as possible. It therefore becomes imperative to identify people who know the answers to certain questions, and if they give good answers, keep going back to ask more questions. At the end of the day, if you’re not asking questions, you’re not learning.

In reviewing my first year of working, it was packed full of new experiences; I can confidently say that learned something new every single day. Making sense of the real world by doing good research, having confidence, and keeping a fresh perspective on things is my best advice to anyone struggling with first year transitions. By the time I retire, I may not remember everything I did in that first year of working, but I will remember the lessons I learned based on how they have shaped who I have become.    

Energy Conservation in Commercial Buildings

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

There’s no doubt that energy conservation in commercial buildings (or any building for that matter) is important.  Reducing operating costs are important for valuations, freeing capital up for other projects or simply reducing the carbon footprint of your building, or portfolio of buildings.  There are many different ECMs (energy conservation measures) available to companies to help achieve these goals, and almost always the decision to use certain measures comes down to “I have to be at 3 years or less for the simple payback”.   While financial metrics are important, I believe that this focus often obscures the soft benefits to the building’s occupants and workers.

 A noise study was recently completed where a corporate kitchen’s noise levels were measured before and after the installation of variable speed controls on both the hood exhaust and supply fans. Traditionally kitchen exhaust fans run at 100% speed for constant periods of time.  With the addition of a variable speed system, like Melink Intelli-Hood, fan speeds are reduced to slower speeds when cooking isn’t at its maximum.  From an energy savings perspective there are two buckets of operational cost reductions, fan energy and conditioned air.  The chart below shows that when the kitchen fans are operating at 100% speeds the decibel level is just short of what a fire alarm sounds like when activated.  With the addition of the variable speed controls, the site realized much lower average fan speeds, as well as a reduction in kitchen noise levels to just below conversational speech, or a reduction of 11 decibels. 

The financial metrics for this project met all approval hurdles and the site is very happy.  For a moment, think about the Chef and his staff.  Their work environment has now become much more quiet.  They can hear each other better when they’re coordinating and preparing meals for several hundred employees each day.  Shouting and miscommunication is greatly reduced, and their environment is more pleasant.  This particular improvement would be hard to show on an income statement…or would it? 

As one example, within Seniors Housing, Dining Services is consistently near, or at, the top in employee turnover percentages.  The current industry turnover rate is 36.91%, (McKnight’s Senior Living, Salaries and Benefits Report 2017-2018) with Certified Nurses Aids coming in a close second at 34%.  It will cost a facility approximately $2,500 in recruiting and training to backfill a single new employee.  Compound that amount with multiple hires each year and it gets expensive very quickly.  If along with reducing energy costs a site can also create a better work environment for its full time employees (FTE), then perhaps that large expense can begin to be reduced and more employees will remain on the payroll instead of seeking other places to work. 

See the full case study here or contact us today to learn more about Intelli-Hood and the benefit of kitchen hood controls.

When Should My Building Be Balanced?

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

A proper air balance within a building is an important factor for providing a healthy and comfortable indoor environment for occupants.  Like many other critical building systems, the air balance must be maintained over time, and isn’t something that you can simply “set and forget”.  So then, when should a building be balanced?  Here are some common events that would trigger the need to perform an air balance.

New Construction:

Every building that has some form of HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) should be balanced when it is first constructed. By this, I mean that the HVAC systems should be inspected, tested, and adjusted to ensure that they are operating correctly, efficiently, and as intended by the design engineer and as expected by the building owner. A balanced building will provide a comfortable and healthy indoor environment for the occupants, delivered in an energy efficient manner, and will have a proper positive pressure. Select a TAB professional to perform the air balance who is objective, meaning that they are hired directly by the building owner and are independent of the installing contractors and equipment manufacturers, who is experienced in your particular type of building and HVAC systems, and who is certified by an industry-recognized accrediting agency, like NEBB or AABC.

Remodel:

The building should be rebalanced during any major remodel event, such as expanding the building or changing the functional use of a space within the building. This is important because the HVAC system was originally designed and balanced for specific use conditions, and when those conditions change, the system will need to be readjusted. Be sure to consult with your mechanical design engineer prior to the remodel to verify that the existing HVAC system can handle the new demands. The building should also be rebalanced anytime elements of the HVAC system are modified or replaced, such as when ductwork is rerouted or when aged equipment is upgraded. This is important for verifying that the new equipment is installed correctly, operates properly, and is adjusted for the design conditions. For a building that has cooking operations, it is important to also rebalance whenever the cooking appliances are relocated or replaced with equipment of different use or heat load, such as replacing an oven with a fryer. This is significant because a kitchen ventilation system is designed for a specific bank of appliances. When the appliances and cooking operations change, the ventilation system will need to be adjusted to ensure it correctly captures and contains the heat and effluent produced.

Periodic Tune-up:

Even if a building has been balanced during the original construction, and it is not undergoing any remodels or equipment replacements, it should still be rebalanced periodically. This is because the performance of the HVAC system can change over time due to normal use and wear and also due to adjustments made by operations and maintenance personnel. Examples of this are when an operator switches the fan mode of the thermostats from ON to AUTO or when a service technician closes the outside air dampers in a rooftop unit in an attempt to fix a comfort complaint. For the complete building HVAC system, I would recommend a proactive rebalance frequency of every two to three years. This will ensure that the systems operate effectively and efficiently throughout their lifecycle and will help prevent the very costly issues created by having a building out of balance for a prolonged period of time.

Want to understand more about air balances? Read about air balance basics for existing facilities, watch our video on how an air balance works, or contact us to learn more!