Related Posts

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  Building Sustainability through an HVAC System: How we can Help Take the Guesswork Out

  Do you have sustainability and decarbonization goals for your organization that you're struggling to meet? What if you could know what changes you should make within your facility before putting any money down? Now, imagine being able to visualize the environmental impact and financial benefits of upgrading your HVAC system before making a commitment. By considering various products, both electric and natural gas, tailored to your space and geographic location, our tool provides insights, ensuring that every decision made is aligned with your decarbonization or ESG goals. In the pursuit of a greener future, energy efficiency stands tall as one of the cornerstones of decarbonization efforts. As we strive to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it becomes increasingly evident that optimizing energy usage within the industrial and manufacturing market is paramount. That’s where we come in, ready to help.  Energy efficiency isn't just a buzzword; it's a fundamental principle driving our mission towards a more sustainable future. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, energy efficiency is the first pillar of decarbonization, playing a pivotal role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions ...
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  Retrofitting Your Facility’s HVAC System: When a Capital Investment Can’t Wait

  Tired of frequent HVAC breakdowns causing disruptions? Struggling to navigate regulations? Are you losing money due to your outdated HVAC system? In the lifecycle of any building, there comes a time when the HVAC system demands attention. It's the heartbeat of your facility, regulating temperatures, humidity, and air quality to ensure a comfortable and productive environment for employees or tenants. But what happens when this crucial system starts to show signs of wear and tear? Retrofitting becomes more than just an option; it becomes a necessity. Signs Your HVAC System Needs Retrofitting: The first step in addressing HVAC issues is recognizing the signs that your system may be struggling. Increased energy bills, inconsistent temperature control, and frequent breakdowns are red flags that shouldn't be ignored. These issues not only compromise comfort and safety, but also impact operational efficiency and escalate maintenance costs over time. Impact on Energy Efficiency: Retrofitting your HVAC system presents an opportunity to significantly enhance energy efficiency. At Cambridge, we offer innovative solutions that can drastically reduce energy consumption while maintaining optimal performance. From high-efficiency units to advanced control systems, ...
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  Creating a Healthy Oasis: Let’s Tackle Sick Building Syndrome Head-On

  Are you a building owner or facility manager who's concerned about Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)? If you're noticing symptoms like headaches, fatigue, or dizziness among your employees or tenants, it's important to take action to improve the indoor air quality in your building. SBS is a term used to describe a range of symptoms that can occur in buildings where the indoor environment is perceived as unhealthy or uncomfortable. The causes of SBS can vary and often involve a combination of factors. Poor indoor air quality, inadequate ventilation, high humidity, and temperature fluctuations can all contribute to SBS. In addition, the presence of chemical and biological contaminants within the building can also cause SBS. As a building owner, you have a responsibility to provide a healthy and comfortable indoor environment for your tenants or employees. Fortunately, there are solutions available that can help you combat SBS and improve indoor air quality in your facility, such as our M-Series make-up air and S-Series high-efficiency heating technologies. By collaborating with us, you can effectively combat SBS and promote a healthier indoor environment for those that ...
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  Whoever heard of burping a building?

  This tech blog was written by our engineer Bill Meyer, of the Cambridge Air Solutions Applications Engineering team. “Spec” buildings… You gotta love ‘em. We, at Cambridge are frequently involved with heating “spec” buildings. You know how it goes: a developer puts up the shell, pours the concrete slab, heats the building to a minimum temperature the closes it up with no plans for ventilation. At some point in the future, the developer signs up a tenant and proceeds with the tenant fit-out. That is where our story begins. The 200,000 sq. ft., 32’ high, uninsulated tilt wall building in Kansas City was erected in 2017 but was not occupied until 2019. In February 2020 our Regional Sales Manager learned from the Property Manager that the tenant was experiencing problems: condensation on the walls and the heaters were not maintaining the desired 55°F space temperature (although the design temperature was 50°F). A Cambridge Applications Engineer was asked to follow up to see if there was anything we could do to help. Cambridge had participated in a “Building Burp Test” for a similar building ...
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  Cambridge Info Bulletin - Moisture in Buildings

  In new construction, the primary source of moisture entering the building is most likely from the newly poured concrete slab. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) describes the ‘What’ and ‘How’ of concrete slab moisture in their 2004 Concrete in Practice publication CIP 28-Concrete Slab Moisture. Potential sources of concrete slab moisture include: The floor slab is in contact with saturated ground. Moisture moves to the slab surface via capillary action or wicking. Water vapor from damp soil will diffuse and condense on a concrete slab surface that is cooler and at a lower relative humidity due to a vapor pressure gradient. Residual moisture in the slab from the original concrete mixing water will move towards the surface. It may take anywhere from six weeks to one year or longer for a concrete slab to dry out to an acceptable level under normal conditions. Reference: Bruce Suprenant,  Concrete Construction, November, 1997. The topic is also dealt with in depth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in their publication EPA 402-F-13053. Moisture Control Guidance for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance. December, 2013. Topics ...
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  Look for 4 green flags from your HVAC manufacturer

  You need to finish contracts on schedule and within budget. So it’s painful to put up with malfunctioning equipment causing post-install ​callbacks. Those eat at your bottom line. Same with awful lead times or a lack of installation guidance or, worst of all, shipments with critical errors on arrival. Avoiding these problems shouldn’t entail significant asks from your manufacturer. They should be expectations. Mechanical contractors are in communication with HVAC manufacturers all the time. But the ones who look for key pieces of information when ordering their equipment avoid the pitfalls that derail their competition.  So let’s dive in. Here are green flags mechanical contractors should identify in manufacturers — green flags that make for easier, hassle-free projects. #1 They test their equipment beyond standard benchmarks Every manufacturer will tell you they test their equipment. You’re looking for a manufacturer that can describe exactly how far they go on end-of-line testing. But technical support doesn’t mean much if the person on the other end of the call isn’t a real expert. It’s a green flag when the manufacturer you’re talking to has technicians ...