Smarter HVAC engineering for healthier buildings

By Emma Peterson. 

How fan array retrofits support comfort, safety and HVAC system longevity. 

The quality of the air we breathe is vital to our health, comfort and overall quality of life. Frank Shadpour, the principal instructor for the HVAC Systems Design and Control Program at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, explains:  

For residential and commercial office buildings, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is primarily employed to ensure occupant comfort. However, in the case of a surgical suite in a hospital, the HVAC system's role is crucial in maintaining the optimal temperature, humidity, air pressure and air purity to ensure proper infection control measures required for safe patient surgeries. The more advanced the building, the more intricate the HVAC design and control systems. 

So, how do you make sure the HVAC in your building is keeping the interior environment healthy and safe? Proactive maintenance and care. This approach also has the added benefit of saving the building owner money in the long run. In fact, WTI PureAir, a subsidiary of Tremco Roofing, estimates that restoring and maintaining an HVAC system can lead to “as much as 70% cost avoidance compared to new equipment costs.” 

One of the most impactful forms of proactive maintenance for keeping HVAC systems healthy and building owner wallets happy are fan array retrofits. A fan array retrofit is a mechanical upgrade that transfers an existing HVAC system’s workload from one large fan to several smaller fans. This is beneficial for a variety of reasons:  

• Increased reliability: Because you have multiple fans instead of relying on just one, a fan array retrofit minimizes the risk of downtime. Tremco explains, “Even if a fan within the wall malfunctions, the remaining fans persist, preventing interruptions to essential HVAC functions.” 
• Simplified maintenance: After installing a fan array retrofit, maintenance will be easier and more cost effective, because technicians will be able to repair individual fans as needed without shutting down the whole system. This enables deferred maintenance scheduling and eliminates downtime and associated costs. 
• Versatile design: By moving away from the one large fan design, engineers can tailor HVAC fan configurations to each project's needs, allowing for optimization of space and performance.  
• Improved efficiency: With multiple fans, you can run them at different speeds based on demand. This leads to significant energy savings as it ensures conditioned air is reaching its destination efficiently. Further, this helps avoid “maximum-capacity operations that also accelerate mechanical wear.” 

Overall, when it comes to HVAC, operational reliability is key. Without proper HVAC systems, you run the risk of harming not only a building, but also the health of its occupants. That’s why retrofits like fan arrays are such important investments. 

Learn more about fan array retrofits and building HVAC systems that will perform for years to come.