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Thirty years ago, pneumatic HVAC controls were the industry standard for commercial buildings. Since they were cheaper than running wiring and more practical given the available materials, nearly every heating and air conditioning system was run on a pneumatically powered thermostat. Unfortunately, as technology has advanced, these types of systems have become largely obsolete. Every modern heating and air system runs on electricity. When your unit finally wears out, the amount of labor involved in wiring up a piece of modern equipment is extensive, the materials needed are expensive, and the amount of waste generated is enormous. These factors offer a great incentive to maintain and repair your existing unit, rather than retrofitting your building for a new system. Luckily, there are companies out there that can keep your pneumatic HVAC controls running for years to come. What's The Real Benefit? Strictly speaking, an electronic control scheme will be substantially more energy efficient, and reduce long-term operating costs. This is the primary argument any contractor will make when recommending that you switch out your current setup. However, this line of thinking does not take into account the amount of waste that will be produced, or the substantial upfront cost associated with upgrading an old system, in addition to the cost of the new equipment. There is a point where the cost of becoming more "green" may not outweigh the advantages of keeping things the same. Any commercial building looking to make a change must weigh all sides of the process equally, and determine the true cost associated with upgrading. Finding the Right Manufacturer Other than efficiency, the other argument made against keeping pneumatic HVAC controls is that the parts and materials are difficult to find. However, this is not the case; some companies recognize that this is a problem for large commercial buildings, and still continue to manufacture all the major parts for a pneumatic system. These companies have all the major brands out there, as well as replacement parts that are designed to match any system. In fact, most pneumatic devices were designed to be "open systems," meaning that one manufacturer's components could be almost entirely replaced by components made by any other manufacturer. This means that a skilled, knowledgeable contractor can go into your existing setup and replace any broken components with brand new ones that will make it work like new. By upgrading your system piece by piece, you can dramatically extend the lifespan of your current unit. Hybridize If, after weighing both sides, you are still attracted to the energy efficiency and long-term benefits of an electronic setup, you can still offset some of the cost by creating a hybrid system. What makes electronic controls so much more efficient is their ability to better monitor and adjust the temperature. By installing electronic sensors that work with pneumatic HVAC controls throughout the system, your current equipment can approximate this accuracy without a full, expensive retrofit. Talk to several local contractors and find out what can be done to bring your system into the modern age without breaking the bank. When looking for pneumatic HVAC controls in PA, technicians should examine the selection at http://www.energyequipment.com/.
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