High-rise buildings or skyscrapers are considered to be “a boast of glass and steel,” which makes them quite a beauty, especially at night when all their hundred lights shine their splendor on a pitch-black sky. While they are built primarily to allow people to live in the city and reduce housing costs, have you ever wondered how many ventilation systems they need to make the occupants living in them feel comfortable? Or have their units ever experienced troubles that require AC services in Middleburg, FL?
The HVAC systems of high-rise buildings are built differently from those of standard ones. The higher the building is, the more their systems have to work efficiently to cater to the needs of each individual living in the building. Moreover, these systems should also cope with the dynamic temperature changes brought by different seasons. If you have installed the wrong kind of system in a high-rise building, chances are there will be a huge risk of airflow throughout the building.
Here are the types of HVAC systems purposely built for skyscrapers:
Individual split systems are also called single-split systems. They are primarily built for each unit or apartment. They are smaller in size, which makes them inexpensive to install. Moreover, this kind of system only has two unit parts to work efficiently. The indoor fan coil unit is mounted in the room to allow the circulation of air, and the condensing unit is placed on a balcony or window.
Central water-cooled systems are the most recommended and demandable kind of system for modern high-rise buildings or skyscrapers. However, they are not built for smaller living spaces. They have a cooling tower, a boiler, and a water-source heat pump unit for each apartment to provide proper ventilation.
However, as they say, nothing is perfect, and this type of system has its disadvantages too. In Middleburg, AC repair of this kind of system can be expensive if the water pipes of these units are damaged due to any water leak.
Packaged units were once the most popular system for skyscrapers because there weren’t many options to choose from. However, it does not mean that they are not in use nowadays. They are still used in landmark buildings and other structures where drilling new holes is not allowed. Packaged units can be installed in existing wall openings. However, this type of system makes a lot of noise, which can be an inconvenience.
Four-Pipe Water System
If you are looking for an HVAC type that works the most efficiently, then you should know about the four-pipe water system and how this benefits you. This type of system is suitable for high-rise buildings because of their composition. They have pipes for both boilers and air-cooled chillers to simultaneously provide hot and cool air through the fan coils in each apartment.
However, as quality comes with price, expect that there will be difficulty in measuring its energy consumption. Also, its installation is expensive.
Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) System
The variable refrigerant flow, or VRF, system is the latest HVAC ever invented for tall buildings. Its rising popularity is not because of its discovery but because of its undeniable efficiency and superiority in providing comfort. It is capable of providing customized cooling or heating to each apartment in the building. It can also deal with the dynamic temperature between different floors, unlike the systems mentioned above.
This is how skyscraper owners manage and provide much-needed comfort to their occupants. To avail yourself of AC services in Middleburg, FL, contact Zephyr Heating and Cooling at 904-420-6525.