Category: HVAC Test & Balance

The 3 Most Common HVAC Problems During Winter

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

To quote a critically acclaimed HBO television series, “winter is coming, and we know what’s coming with it.” While it may not be as bad as the army of the dead, we can expect winter to bring about a variety of HVAC issues that can cost more pennies than shivers. Here are the top three most preventable winter mishaps, and how they can be avoided with a little DIY maintenance.

  1. Frozen Pipes

Besides fire, a building’s biggest enemy is water. Only this time of year, unwelcomed water doesn’t come in the form of humidity or a leaky roof, rather, in the form of solid icy pipes. Many building owners will try to cut costs by not heating their buildings at all times while completely unaware that above ceiling and sub-floor spaces can fall below zero in extreme cold weather. These spaces are home to water pipes that can freeze and burst causing un-flushable toilets, compromised showers, inaccessible tap water, and not mention, outrageous repair costs. The residual heat from the livable spaces above or below these pipes help to keep temperatures above freezing, so setting the thermostat to at least 65 °F throughout the day and night should keep the water flowing. In addition, be particularly aware of areas that are unheated or are constantly exposed to the elements like garages, loading docks, and basement storage rooms. Insulated pipes and walls will help to seal the deal.

  1. Uneven Airflow and Temperatures

Depending on the season, air is circulated throughout a building in different ways. Cold air falls which is why in the summer months, closing floor vents to allow more air to diffuse from ceiling vents is most effective in cooling a space. The opposite is true in the winter months where rising warm air is best circulated from floor diffusers and baseboard radiators. Knowing these trivial properties about air temperature can best optimize how your building is heated or cooled, so let the cool air fall and the warm air rise!

  1. Dirty Furnace Filters

While problems that arise from dirty or clogged filters are not unique to the winter, it’s still one of the most common culprits for defective air conditioning. A unit’s air filter removes particulates from the pre-conditioned air and allows the clean air to be conditioned and distributed. If a filter is clogged, airflow is reduced, and the terminal units will have to run longer to achieve desirable space temperatures. In the colder months, the air becomes dry which can dehydrate a person’s skin as a result. With dead skin cells making up 70 to 80 percent of dust content, it’s no wonder that the winter sees some pretty dirty filters. Changing an air filter is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to ensure maximum heating outputs which is why new filters should be installed before every season.

These winter mishaps are snow laughing matter, but just like bad puns, they’re easy to spot. Keeping these three common maintenance issues in mind will allow you to brave the cold and keep cozy all winter long.

Customer Experience – The Key Differentiator

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Good is no longer good enough! It seems it was only yesterday that every business claimed the key to winning customers was the quality of product or service they deliver. Here at Melink, we’re changing the game to focus on the customer experience! According to a Walker study, by the year 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. So, what is customer experience you ask? Customer experience is your customers’ perception of how the company treats them. These perceptions affect their behaviors and build memories and feelings, and may drive their loyalty. In other words, if they like you and continue to like you, they are going to do business with you and recommend you to the others. With customer experience being the new battlefield, companies are changing their approach, offerings, and business practices. Sales teams are working harder to learn their customers and their customer’s business, so they can create the “wow”. Hotel managers, restaurant chains, and even doctors’ offices are focused on creating an experience that knocks their customers socks off, instead of just standard practices.

These days, social media gives the consumer a lot of power and impact. There’s an instant feedback loop and the cluster of data starts to create the company’s reputation. For example, if you get on Amazon to buy a new bike for your son, you’re likely going to check the performance stars and the customer reviews. Any of those reviews can be the difference between you purchasing that bike and moving on to a different bike. If you’re looking for a surgeon and every website has them at 3 out of 5 stars, you’re likely going to move on to the next guy. He may be the best surgeon in the land, but his rude receptionist and office staff have poor bedside manner and make people miserable when they go in to see him. If you go to a fast-food burger joint, how likely is it that you’re going to write a positive Yelp review if you pull up to the drive thru, order your food, pay the correct amount, get the correct change and correct order, and you leave in a timely manner? Probably never! They didn’t go above and beyond and create the “wow”! If you want to improve the customer experience, there must be a “wow”! Recently I went through a drive thru myself and was caught off guard with my experience. When I pulled up it was raining. Normally I would get soaked reaching out to hand over the money. This time the cashier stuck an umbrella out the window, so I wouldn’t get drenched. Super small, super easy, but I was impressed! I’ve never seen it before in my time on this earth and he was focused on my experience! I did write a review and I tipped a drive-thru cashier for the first time!

Millennials are changing the game and companies need to embrace it. Sure, the entitlement is out of control, but the business practice changes are not all bad. If you’re focusing only on your product or service and not how your customer feels about the entire experience, you’re in trouble! Some of the large hotel companies are incentivizing their General Managers on customer experience and guest loyalty. The baby-boomers want to talk, interact, have face-to-face experiences with nice people. The millennials want to check-in swiftly to the hotel with no hiccups and have issues resolved quickly. Management needs to address all their consumer personas in a unique way to setup the individual customer experiences for success.

What happens if you fail to provide a positive customer experience? According to a recent study, 67% of customers mention bad experiences as a reason for churn and only 1 in 26 unhappy customers complain. That means companies not focused on the customer experience will lose customers well after it’s too late! Most of this is the result of what I refer to as “sales autopilot”. When you’re there trying to make it look like your product is perfect for them, without the data, you end up losing trust with them. Trust, brand and customer experience are all built on honesty. And honesty is knowing when your product won’t be a perfect fit for everyone. Therefore it’s so important to stop selling and start solving!

Since most companies will be expected to compete mainly on customer experience, organizations like Melink that focus on customer experience will stand out from the noise and win loyal customers over. One thing is for sure, if you want your customer to have an excellent customer experience and create a “wow” you must know your customers better than ever before! Here at Melink, my team and I are completing customer profiles and personas to improve individual experiences. Once you know your customers well enough, you can use that knowledge to personalize every interaction. Customers these days have more power and choice than ever before. Thus, we are responsible for understanding and acknowledging their needs. When people ask what we do, it shouldn’t be Test & Balance, Demand-Controlled Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV), Solar, or Geothermal, it should be creating the best customer experience in renewable and energy reduction markets for our customers!

Top 5 Negative Building Pressure Problems

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The difference between outside air supplied to a building and air removed from inside a building is the building pressure.  Typically, a slightly positive (or more air being supplied than taken out) building pressure is wanted for most buildings.  Negative building pressure can cause many issues for customers from high energy costs to hot and cold spots in a building.  Here are the top five problems a building with negative pressure can experience:

  1. Difficulty Opening and Closing Doors:

One of the first signs that a building is negatively pressurized, is when the front door is not easily opened.  After finally opening the door to a negatively pressurized building, a large draft will be felt on your back as the door is slammed closed.  Because buildings are typically designed to be positively pressurized, you should feel a soft gust of air blowing outward when this is set properly.

  1. High Humidity:

If your building is negatively pressurized, the building will pull in unconditioned outside air through all openings including doors, windows, and other leaks in the structure. This is very noticeable in the summertime when outside humidity is especially high.  This can cause mold or mildew in the building.

  1. High Energy Costs:

Studies have shown that correcting negative building pressure can save a facility owner as much as 20% on their HVAC energy costs.  By ensuring your facility has a positive building pressure, you are avoiding unnecessary costs and maximizing comfort in the facility.

  1. Outside Debris:

In a facility that is negatively pressurized, owners are more likely to see outside debris being pulled into the facility through various openings. These items include, leaves, flies, dirt, as well as smells brought in from outside.  In many facilities, this could create major issues with production as the outside debris could be contaminating the products.

  1. Hot and Cold Spots:

Another symptom commonly noticed in buildings with negative building pressure is noticeable hot and cold spots that are created by the disrupted airflow.  This could cause the customers to become angry because they can’t reach a comfortable temperature in the building.  In a restaurant, this could also cause food at the counter to become cold.

Melink: A Service Company

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

A few weeks ago my team and I had the pleasure of working directly with a customer who is expanding a very large and strategic program within their organization. I could tell the individual responsible for the program was carrying an incredible amount of responsibility to ensure this program’s success.  While we gathered information and learned more, it was apparent that for as much as this program was a challenge to our customer, it was an opportunity for Melink to provide insanely great service. So, instead of assuming our standard approach to business, we tried something different: we leaned-in, volunteered out of the box suggestions, and assumed a collaborative approach. The response from our customer was through the roof!

 

Though we are well known for leadership in sustainability, our best-place-to-work culture, and are now employee owned, Melink Corporation is, at its core, a service company.  In fact, “Service Excellence” is one of our core values along with “Integrity”, and “Innovation”.   It is our job to exude these values; to continue doing so, we need to be incredibly adaptable to meet your needs.  Have you ever heard the following expression about good Customer Service? You’ll know it when you see it. Well, when you work with Melink, I don’t want you to “see” our service; I want you to feel it. I want you to be so impressed by your experience, that you are over the moon, telling everyone you see about us. I expect nothing less than Insanely Great Customer Service… so should you.

 

So, I invite you to provide me with any feedback you might have to offer regarding your experience with us. Feel free to contact me at [email protected].

An Outsiders Take on T&B (Co-op Edition)

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Well, my tenure at Melink is coming to an end as I prepare to return back to the University of Cincinnati to complete my degree in Mechanical Engineering.  As I look back on the experience, I can say that I have learned an incredible amount about the HVAC industry, and more specifically our roll in the niche market of air test & balancing.

Before my time with Melink, the thought of air balancing never really crossed my mind.  Although I was unaware of this process, the symptoms of unbalanced buildings were always right in front of my eyes.  Such examples include the blast of air coming from opening the door of a building, droplets of water falling from ductwork, uncomfortable humid buildings, or trying the pull open a door that feels like it’s being sucked back in; these all too common symptoms seem to plague buildings and stores across the world.  My time with Melink cleared up my misconceptions relating to such occurrences, as I learned that these are typical symptoms of an unbalanced building.

As I stepped into the role of a sales engineer, I had the chance to learn about these issues and how we solve them.  The simple solution is to provide a test and balance.  While many construction projects typically require a test and balance, conditions still change over time, and in other cases, a proper balance may have never been completed in the first place.  This is where Melink comes into the picture.

My day-to-day work revolved around providing testing & balancing services to customers, whether they were current national account customers, developing customers, general contractors, facility managers, etc.  When looking into balancing projects, my role was to address the scope of work needed and discuss any issues on-site, so we can provide the greatest value during our visit.  This process involves examining mechanical documents, determining the equipment on-site, and estimating how long it will take a technician to perform the job.

Despite that fact that testing & balancing had never crossed my mind until I joined Melink, I can now say that I am a firm believer in the importance of this process for both HVAC equipment and building health.  Even in my absence from the company, I will never be able to walk into a building again without taking a look around at the mechanical systems and thinking to myself, “Hmm, this place could really benefit from a proper test & balance”.

The Test and Balance Professional

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The HVAC industry is vast; there are many products and services that make up the build of any one system. Test and Balance is a very important niche of the large HVAC industry. Many HVAC companies have offered test and balance services throughout the years, but very few of them have employed technicians dedicated specifically to Testing and Balancing. Enter Steve Melink, circa 1987. Steve knew there was a service gap in the HVAC industry and addressed it. Does it really make sense for an owner to allow an installing contractor to verify the HVAC system they installed is correct? Would it not make more sense if an INDEPENDENT, CERTIFIED and SELF PERFORMING entity verified that the mechanical engineer’s design was met? Of course, it would!

Fast forward 31 years and Melink Test & Balance is still going strong thanks to our dedicated team of technicians. These Balancing Professionals are dedicated to Melink Corporation’s core values of Integrity, Innovation, and Service Excellence.

What is a Test & Balance Technician and What Do They Do??

Our National Network consists of more than 30 professionals across 19 states. Our technician tenure’s range from 15 years to less than a month! 100% of Melink balancers are NEBB trained with more than half of the network being NEBB Certified Technicians. Our technician’s experience prior to Melink varies from HVAC service technicians to general contractors to aircraft systems mechanics. Our team currently services more than 50 major accounts and we are adding more every year. As you can imagine, Melink Technicians have seen nearly every type of commercial HVAC unit utilized by the commercial retail market. There is no typical ‘day in the life’ for our T&B technicians. Between the location, business type, and scope of work, every week is a new adventure!

The lifestyle of our techs is unique, but very rewarding and profitable. All techs are road warriors, traveling across the United States each week to different jobs. Melink covers all travel expenses and supplies each tech with a company vehicle. Not only does this allow the team to see the U.S. on the company dollar, but their personal expenses decrease since most of the week they are being covered by the company. Food, gas, and vehicle expenses add up!!

This position is also very independent and needs a disciplined self-starter. With most projects only needing one tech, most of the travel and work is done alone. Even so, the Melink National Network is a family. Each tech knows that a fellow balancer or office support is only a phone call or an email away if they are ever in a tight spot. Even after hours, our technicians constantly interact with one another to help each other grow and support our customers. This is not just a career or a steady job, this is a lifestyle.

On top of it all, our technicians are also partial owners of the company. Melink Corporation is now an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), which gives all Melink employees even more incentive to push the envelope with innovation and succeed as a business. Thanks to our National Network Technician team, Melink Corporation has been listed as a Best Place to Work for 3 consecutive years. Melink Corporation encourages input and recommendations for improving the business and improving the lives of the technicians. Melink works hard to address everything to better the position and the experience, for our employees. Striving for the best possible work/life balance is something very important to Melink Corporation.

One can find challenges in any profession they choose. But Melink’s National Network chooses to be challenged on a daily basis and to thrive in it! Their dedication and their commitment to service excellence is the backbone of Melink T&B!

Click here to learn more about Melink T&B.

Committed to You: A Customer-Centered Focus

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Customer Service Excellence is not only our responsibility, it is the cornerstone of our values at Melink. Since 1987, we have made a conscious effort to make the customer our sole focus each and every day, working to create the absolute best customer experience possible.

This year, in an effort to provide a greater experience for our Test & Balance customers, we restructured our internal account teams. Our decision to revamp our customer service team’s layout was in response to our ever-growing business, and the continually changing nature of what it means to provide a first-class experience. We choose not to be complacent, but rather question daily whether we are utilizing the most efficient customer service tactics in executing our goals and serving customer’s needs.

The new teams are made up of a dynamic group of skillsets to ensure a well-rounded support system, with the customer as the center focus. There is an Account Manager that acts as the point-person in daily communications; an Account Coordinator or Specialist who works directly with customer site contacts to effectively and efficiently schedule our National Network; and an Account Engineer offering specialized technical support for their team’s customers.

We even restructured our office space and customized our email system to provide a more cohesive and resourceful team environment. By rearranging our internal office space, our team members can better communicate proactively and at the speed of business. By providing account-specific email addresses, our customers have the comfort of knowing they are communicating directly with a dedicated team focused on their needs. By scheduling our National Network more effectively, we increase productivity and meet our customer’s needs in a timely and efficient manner.

To most, our Test & Balance division is known for providing first-class HVAC services. We go beyond what others in the industry do. We offer more than just a balance – a hands-on support system providing a full customer service experience from order to invoice!

What causes poor Indoor Air Quality?

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), or the condition of the air inside a building, is a very important building health attribute that can affect the comfort, productivity, and wellness of a facility’s occupants, workers, students, and visitors.

Poor IAQ has been linked to several symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and dizziness, as well as irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.  The more prolonged the exposure, the greater the effect.  Here are five common factors that contribute to poor IAQ:

Negative Building Pressure – A negative building, one in which the pressure inside is less than the pressure outside, will draw air through doors, windows, and any other openings in the exterior.  This air is unfiltered and unconditioned, so whatever is outside comes inside, including high humidity, pollutants, insects, and so on.

Inadequate Fresh Air Ventilation – Fresh outside air is introduced into a building through a series of fans and dampers. Relief air is also evacuated from a building in a similar manner. These air systems must be properly set up and adjusted for the correct amount of fresh air needed for the building based on its use and occupancy.

Insufficient Contaminant Capture – Contaminants that are produced from various operations within a building, such as heat and smoke from cooking, steam from dishwashing, or pollutants from work processes, are captured and contained with systems of fans and canopies.  These systems must be properly configured and adjusted for each unique process in order to capture and contain the effluent produced.

Improper Air Distribution – The various spaces within a building have their own ventilation and pressurization needs, so the air movement inside a building is vital.  The air distribution systems must be properly configured and adjusted throughout the entire building.

Deficient HVAC Maintenance – The various fans, dampers, filters, coils, and other devices comprising a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system must be cared for, and maintained correctly and frequently in order to support proper indoor air quality.

Meet Matt Meyer, Director of Field Service for Melink T&B!

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Business Unit and Job Title

Director of Field Service, Melink T&B

What does your job entail?

Leading and developing the T&B National Network and continually refining field operations to improve customer service and profitability.

What is your personal philosophy?

Enjoy what I do, enjoy who I spend time with, and be passionate in all that I do.

What did you do before coming to Melink?

Project Manager and Service Department manager in the commercial roofing industry for several years and before that I was a Captain in the US Army.

What is your favorite aspect of working at Melink?

The people, hands down the best group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. The passion that is displayed each and every day is infectious. You cannot help but try to be your very best when you work here.

What do you like to do in your time off?

I like spending time and traveling with my family. We love to go to museums, parks, zoos, sporting events and just hanging out at the house too! I also like working with my hands and working in the yard.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

I’m a history nerd. I named my son, Jackson, after my favorite US President/War of 1812 General and also my favorite Civil War General.

What are you most proud of?

My wife and kids!

What are your hopes for our industry?

I hope that our industry continues to grow and evolve. And that Melink is at the forefront of innovation as buildings become more intelligent and consumers seek to become more energy and environmentally conscious.

Motto or personal mantra?

It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. – Theodore Roosevelt

Do you collect anything?

OH YES! I collect Beer Steins, Pint Glasses, Coasters, Bobbleheads – pretty much anything for my basement bar.

Is Your Business Haunted Or Is It Something Worse??

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Has your business experienced…

Zombie Levels of Productivity

Poor levels of fresh outside air leading to insufficient IAQ can decrease air quality. According to a study done by Harvard University, productivity levels can be increased by up to 61% when the proper amount of air quality is introduced into the space, and can be increased by 100% when doubling the ventilation.

Chills Running Down Your Spine or Sweaty Palms?

Improper heating and cooling due to an unbalanced building means air is distributed unevenly which creates temperature variation. Hot and cold spots around your building are probably signs of an unbalanced building, or are they??

Something Strange in the Air?

Air drafts can be caused by too much air being delivered to certain areas and then the air moves between rooms in order to reach an equilibrium of pressure.

Musty Odor Means Something Is Lurking

When air isn’t cycled properly through the building on a regular basis and you let the humidity get too high, you provide a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Considering the average adult spends 92% of their time indoors, that means a lot of time breathing in these gross pollutants!

Mysterious Noises No One Can Explain

Have you been startled by an abrupt sound somewhere in your building that you can’t pinpoint? Poorly sized belts or pulleys can cause RTUs to squeak as they are operating, and duct leakage has been known to create some creepy noises as well.

Doors Opening and Closing With No One There

Pressure differentials caused by an imbalance of air being delivered to certain rooms can make doors open and close on their own.

Don’t call Ghostbusters just yet! There is a good chance you building is not actually haunted but instead just needs a good balance. Many of the above culprits can be easily fixed, and will not only improve your building’s health, but the health and productivity of everyone inside (one study shows estimated productivity benefits from increased ventilation could be as high as $6,500 per person per year!).  Learn more on what a building balance is here or contact us for more information on how to get rid of the pesky (and creepy) issues you are having!