The Truth about the Economizer [VIDEO]

Offices get hot and stuffy, too. But most commercial building windows can’t be opened.

The State of California found a genius way to bring that fresh air into the building with a simple equipment change: require outside air intakes on commercial air conditioners. Close the intakes on hot days, but open them on cooler days to draw in outside air and cut run time.

This was made possible by ‘Economizers.’

However, customers didn’t understand it and wanted to pay as little as possible for the devices. Manufacturers obliged by cutting corners on the design and using lesser-quality components to lower the cost.

The result? Outside air economizers frequently fail within a year or two. If they fail while open, they can draw hot outside air in during those triple-digit days, forcing the cooling equipment to work even harder than usual to maintain temperature.

One study reveals that only one in four economizers function correctly.

But don’t despair. There are things you can do to minimize equipment failure and maximize their efficiency.

Learn more about  the HVAC Economizer and call your HVAC professionals at Air-Tro if you need help understanding how your unit works, and whether or not it can be fixed or enhanced, or should be replaced altogether.