3 Great Reasons To Upgrade Your Apartment Complex's HVAC Systems

When apartment complex managers think about upgrades, they often think of painting, changing the flooring or landscaping the exterior. However, your apartment complex's HVAC systems deserve attention as well. Upgrading your heating and cooling systems can significantly reduce energy waste and improve tenant satisfaction. Listed below are three reasons why upgrading your apartment complex's HVAC systems is a great idea.

1. Lowers Energy Bills

Upgrading the HVAC systems in your apartment complex reduces energy bills in two ways. The first way is that modern air conditioners and furnaces are simply more efficient than older models. They're better insulated and are subject to stringent energy-efficiency standards. The second way is that you likely have a lot of historical data on power usage in your apartment complex. 

This allows a commercial HVAC professional to easily determine the peak power usage of your complex, allowing for perfectly-sized HVAC systems to be installed. For maximum efficiency, you want an HVAC system that meets the needs of your tenants while not being overly-powerful.

Reducing your energy bills is important even if your tenants pay for their own electricity. Many tenants expect energy bills in an apartment to be lower compared to energy bills in a single-family home. This is due to the effect of having many tenants running their heating or cooling systems at once, sharing the load among every unit. When energy bills are high, tenants will begin to complain. In addition, you can recoup the cost by raising rents – this is much easier for tenants to accept after their energy bills have been significantly reduced.

2. Reduces Frequency of Emergency Repair Calls

Commercial HVAC systems don't last forever, and they will begin to break down more frequently as they reach the end of their effective lifespan. When your tenants lack heating or cooling, it's an emergency situation – you need to rectify the problem immediately, which leads to an emergency call to an HVAC technician. When HVAC system breakdowns are frequent, the repair bills for the emergency service calls can quickly add up, affecting your apartment complex's profitability. By upgrading the HVAC systems in your complex, you reduce the amount of annoyed tenants and repair bills you receive.

3. Improves Indoor Air Quality in Apartment Units

One of the lesser-known functions of an HVAC system is to maintain indoor air quality by cycling fresh air around an apartment unit. If your HVAC systems are aging and dusty or have accumulated mildew in their ducts, your tenants will inevitably complain about foul smells in their apartments. Some tenants who are sensitive to poor air quality may even leave as a result. Fully upgrading your HVAC systems followed by cleaning the air ducts in the units will lead to higher indoor air quality and happier tenants.

All in all, upgrading the heating and cooling systems in your apartment complex is an investment worth making. You'll reduce energy waste while making your tenants happier due to the less frequent breakdowns and improved indoor air quality. If you're interested in upgrading the heating and cooling systems at your property, call your local commercial HVAC services to see what upgrades are available to you.