Severe Weather Risk We are all familiar with the damage caused to roofs and cars from large hail. Did you know that hail can cause serious damage to your central air conditioner? I am not talking about cosmetic damage to the condenser housing, rather I am referring to damage to components that can have a negative impact on the performance of your central air. If left without being repaired damaged components are likely to cause your equipment to work harder to cool your home or business. This will increase your energy use and shorten the life of the unit as a whole. Most Vulnerable to Hail are...

Summer has finally arrived bringing with it all the usual concerns for keeping your facilities cool. During the summer your air conditioner helps you provide a comfortable environment, but it comes at a cost pulling at your purse strings consuming a lot of energy. Quick Tips to Reduce Your Energy Bill This Summer Replace Old Systems Take a good hard look at your existing systems and answer a few critical questions. Has your facility or occupancy out-grown your existing cooling system? Is your cooling system old and straining to function properly? Has your energy consumption increased as your e...

The majority of commercial spaces in the United states are serviced by commercial rooftop air conditioners. There are other systems available that use less energy to cool, so what makes them so popular?  They have a small footprint and are a more lightweight design than other options. This impacts roof construction and structural support allowing for reduced construction costs. An added benefit is that the rooftop system provides basic heating, cooling and ventilation. Do I Repair, Upgrade or Replace My Existing Rooftop System? An older RTU operates at a lower efficiency level and is like...

Heating, cooling and indoor air quality are critical factors in the comfort and efficiency of your building. The HVAC system design created for your building is crucial in reaching and maintaining your facility's indoor air quality. AEM Mechanical Services will work directly with you, your architect or general contractor. We offer design build services for building from the ground up or renovations. Unique Solutions There are no standard out-of-the-box solutions for your building's HVAC needs. That is where our HVAC Design Build services come in. We create custom solutions that are specificall...

Season changes indicate it is time for HVAC maintenance. We are transitioning between the bitter dry cold  winter air and the hot and humid air we are subjected to each year in Minnesota. It is important to schedule your seasonal HVAC maintenance visit. Keeping a pleasant and healthy environment is important for your customers, employees, merchandise and / or manufacturing process. Humidity and temperature extremes can damage productivity, effect product quality and customer satisfaction. A well maintained HVAC system will save your money, even a small dip in efficiency can be costly when...

Recently one of our clients was experiencing water on the basement floor that was backing up through the floor drain.The issue was limited to the Kitchen and Laundry rooms backing up onto the floor only when the dishwasher or clothes washer was run. The water would drain slowly back through the floor drain indicating a partial blockage. It had been a problem over the years requiring professional services to drill out the drain pipes with a power drain auger every couple of years. Over time the issue became more serious, until this year clay came out with the auger indicating the drain line had...

Often Last On Your Mind Is First On Your Customer's Mind If you own a commercial property your plumbing is likely used to the extreme. If you think about the volume of people that go through your restaurant, gas station, department store, hotel or other high traffic businesses you can imagine the strain on your plumbing. People tend to treat public restrooms differently than they would their own, which helps to explain some common issues. How you maintain your restroom reflects a great deal upon your business. I have had many people tell me they refuse to eat at certain restaurants because of ...

Do you know what to look for in your furnace to make sure it is safe? Carbon monoxide  (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and initially non-irritating gas which makes it difficult to detect. The most common symptoms include feeling lightheaded, confusion, headache, and nausea.  It is believed that long term - low dose exposure to carbon monoxide can contribute to depression, memory loss and a central nervous system damage. It is especially harmful to unborn children.    Learn More Here. There are several potential issues that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning in r...

You wake up in the morning and realize the house is colder than it should be. You feel the air coming from your vents and it is cold. A quick check of the thermostat confirms your observation, the temperature in your home is dropping. Your stomach tightens and you exhale deeply as you realize your day is getting out to a horrible start. You put your mind to work and start looking for a fast, easy and cost effective fix to the problem.  Trouble Shoot the Issue Start by protecting your family's safety. Check to see if you smell gas. Go to the furnace room, if you detect a sulfuric or "rotte...

Cold Minnesota winters can damage your home in many ways. One particular issue that can cause a great deal of damage is frozen pipes. If this tragic incident occurs along with a power outage or furnace failure particularly when you are away on vacation or south for the winter, water and ice damage can ruin your home.  The good news is that there are steps you can take to prevent your pipes from freezing.  Identify Your Risk Factors Some of your home's pipes are more prone to freezing than others because of where they are located within your home. Problem areas to be aware of are: Pip...

The best time to tackle HVAC issues is before they become a problem. Changes in seasons are rough on your commercial building HVAC equipment. Are you ready for the brutally cold temperatures heading our way? More importantly, is your commercial building ready? HVAC Preventive Maintenance Tips Replace Worn Out Equipment: It is difficult to assign a set number of years your HVAC equipment will last. So much depends on factors such as operating conditions and whether or not you have kept up with annual maintenance. Generally speaking, if your equipment is more than 10 years old you should have a ...

Why Do I Need a Whole Home Humidifier? You may be thinking to yourself that you like dry air because it is more comfortable than the hot humid air of summer. It can be a relief after a long hot summer, but the excessively dry air of Fall and Winter is just as uncomfortable. it just isn't humid.  When dry air invades your home you may start to notice that . . . Your skin dries out. Your Lips chap. You and your clothing become victim to static electricity. You get chilled more easily. You may even experience an increase in the frequency and severity of nose bleeds. Humidifiers Keep You Comf...

September 22nd Marked the First Day of Fall The steady hum of the Cicadas high in the trees are fading quickly.  We may still have a few warm days ahead, but the cooler weather is creeping in as Fall takes hold. Our teams of technicians are ready for the transition, how about you and your home? Heating System Checklist With a little preparation you can have your furnace ready for the coldest weather Mother Nature can throw our way. Furnace tune-up   As with any mechanical system, regular maintenance for your furnace will help it last longer. A well maintained system will also operate...

Forward Thinking While Planning Will Save Money And Resources If you are looking to begin an expansion on an existing facility or building new, consider all aspects of your new building simultaneously. Planing in advance offers you the opportunity to better utilize space, resources and ultimately save you money. Let's take a  look at preplainning in relationship to your HVAC needs. Some things you will want to take into consideration are . . . Various weather conditions experienced at your location. Facility load variations as a result of production or occupancy. Plan for future expansion...

Keeping your large manufacturing facility, warehouse, store or other large structure well ventilated is a challenge to say the least. Any large open space will prove to be difficult to maintain proper air temperature, purity and moisture levels. You may be asking yourself, "What are the benefits of dealing with the struggles of maintaining proper ventilation?" Improved Safety Increased Employee Productivity Greater Workforce Retention Increased Energy Efficiency Increased Product Quality Increased Sales Reduced Facility Maintenance Preservation of Structure Integrity So what issues can I expec...

Central Air Is More Common Than Ever Before Growing up I remember sitting in front of our noisy box fan trying to cool down. We would have several in the house that included a few wedged into our windows to try and get the cooler outdoor air to circulate into the house. Today air conditioning is quite common in our homes, whether it is a window unit or central air. How Much Do You Know About Air Conditioning? Here are some quick frequently asked questions we hear relating to air conditioning and cooling your home. Should I use ceiling fans along with my air conditioner to cool my home? Using c...

Equipment Failures Are The Things Nightmares Are Made Of. You have an industrial process that requires the use of either an air-cooled or a water-cooled chiller to cool equipment. Failure of this equipment or chillers has the potential to cost your business plenty as you lose valuable production time. Employees are left waiting with nothing to do, or performing non-income producing tasks to keep them occupied while waiting for failed equipment to be repaired. Proper Maintenance Can Reduce Your Night Terrors Many industries and processes use chillers as a part of their production process. Indus...

There is no such thing as naturally pure drinking water. Nature recycles water through condensation and evaporation. The Earth's water is stored in the ground, above ground in lakes, oceans and man made structures. Eventually it all goes full cycle in a never ending loop. That all sounds pristine and quite healthy. However, as water works through the cycle it is exposed to both natural and man made substances contaminating it. Nature provides contaminants such as minerals, decaying matter and living organisms while mankind provides chemicals and manufactured hazardous waste. The good news is t...

Guest Post by Tim Haas | President of Mid Minnesota Marketing. I just have to share this! Over the years I have done do-it-yourself plumbing repairs and I have had professional plumbers take care of plumbing issues that were beyond my skill set. At first I thought plumbers were always trying to sell me comparable plumbing fixtures to those found in stores, at a premium price. Time has proven to me that I could not have been more wrong. That is right, I was wrong. Go ahead and tell my wife if you know her, but be prepared to catch her as she falls over. Not that she couldn't believe I could be ...

Condensation Your furnace does not use water in order to operate, but water is a byproduct of the cooling process involved with your central air conditioning. The likely causes are: Plugged drain pan. Plugged drain hose. Rusty drain pan with a hole in it. My furnace has a drain pan? Yes and no. What you typically think of as your furnace is actually two components in one. The lower portion of your furnace is the actual furnace that heats the air for your home during cold months. Mounted above that is the inside section of your central air conditioning unit. Central air conditioners have two pi...