DebonAir Mechanical

New addition to the Fleet!

bretta — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:32:31 +0000

We are excited to welcome our newest addition to the DebonAir fleet, van #1201 is the first vehicle of 2012! We are ready to get her out and solving HVAC/R needs!

DebonAir in the Miami Herald!

bretta — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:05:06 +0000

Make a Childs Christmas Special!

bretta — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:39:32 +0000

Make a child’s Christmas special through the Sheridan House Christmas Toy Drive.

It is our hope that every child will experience the joy of opening at least one gift on Christmas morning. From now until December 2, we will be collecting the following items:

~ New, unwrapped toys (for ages 1-12)
Dolls • Barbies • Barbie accessories • Stuffed animals/ plush toys • Wooden block sets • Lego sets • Jewelry-making kits • Art and easel products • Board games • Musical toys • Tea sets/ dish sets • Kid cameras • iPods, electronic games • Cars/ hot wheels/trucks • Train sets • Airplanes, boats • Building sets • Balls for any sport (basketball, volleyball, football, etc) • Sports equipment • Frisbees • Tool sets • Bicycles • Tricycles
~ Gift cards (any denomination)
~ Financial gift (we will do the shopping for you)

Kindly deliver your donations by December 2 to:
Sheridan House
1700 S. Flamingo Road
Davie, FL 33325

HVAC/R Hurricane Preperation

bretta — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:11:05 +0000

HVAC/R Hurricane Preperation:

Hurricane season is officially here and living in Florida makes us susceptible to more of these storms than any other state. Of the lower 48 states Florida has more coastline than any other, measuring in at 1350 miles of total coastline, with California coming in second at 840 miles of coastline. Our states unique peninsula shape also adds to the chance of getting hit by a hurricane and means that we can get hit at any time, from anywhere. Knowing what we know about the unpredictable nature of hurricanes, and our state wearing a bulls eye on its back for being hit; having a game plan for your HVACR system is vital. Just like anything else there are many crucial steps to preparing your HVACR system for the hurricane season.

One of the many steps to ensure that your outside units are ready for hurricane season is to have county approved straps to secure your unit to the roof or outside areas of your building. We recommend using stainless steel screws when securing the straps to the unit and the units’ base. Using stainless steel screws and parts whenever possible guarantee that you will be getting the strongest and most weather resistant product available. This is crucial with the salinity and demanding weather in South Florida. Strong bases are a valuable part of any units’ strength and should be installed whenever possible. You can secure the unit down with the best straps and fasteners on the market, but if it is not on a strong base or stand, the straps will do little to help in the case of a hurricane. Other than securing the unit with straps and fasteners, there are also many other things that need to be secured on the outdoor units for hurricane season.

Outdoor units are susceptible to the strongest winds of any hurricane and take the biggest beating of all. These units are usually placed on roofs or in alley ways, which create higher wind gusts than recorded. A step that should be taken to make sure there are less projectiles and less loss is to go through and tighten all of the screws; securing the panels onto the outside of the unit. This step should eliminate all but the highest winds from panel loss and less damage to property and the unit. While tightening the panels take a look around the unit and roof area for any metal, take the loose debris off the roof as it will become flying projectile if not removed. Another step that can be taken while on the roof is to secure the condensing pipe to the roof, giving it less chance to break and cause problems. Once again, stainless steel fasteners and parts are recommended for any possible application. If your building has roof top package units another step that should be taken is to secure all of your units drain lines. For those buildings with roof top package units, you should also ensure that your outside air intakes should be closed; if they are left open the hurricane winds can enter through the unit and blow the outside panels off. Going through all of the previous steps should be part of the routine, as well should preparing your units electrical system.

Preparing for hurricanes usually means we are outside strapping things down and making sure they do not fly away, but electrical seems to be overlooked for the most part. When it comes to preparing your units for a hurricane electrical should be looked at as heavily as any other preparation step taken. One of the recommended steps that should be taken is to protect three phase systems with phase monitor protection. The phase monitor will provide you protection from phase loss, phase unbalance, phase reversal and phase sequence on your buildings motors, compressors, pumps, or any other three phase electrical equipment. To protect single phase units from electrical problems and short cycling during power outages, time delays should be installed. Even with all the proper preparation we cannot prevent a hurricane from tearing through South Florida.

Getting things up and running after the storm is more of a battle than the preparation. With technology on our side there are many portable HVACR units that can be put into place to have your building up and running as fast as possible.

Post hurricane seems to be when everything settles in and the clean up begins. For office buildings and any building this means getting back to running capability as soon as possible. This may not be the easiest or most enjoyable thing to go through, but getting up and running is extremely important. Of the many stresses that go into getting back on our feet, your buildings HVACR system should not be one. Thankfully there are portable units of any size and shape to fit your needs and application. These units can be installed quickly and can satisfy your buildings air load, while problems on your main units are being fixed. The list of what is available is quite lengthy, but to provide a few main products there are air and water cooled chillers, cooling towers, dx units, pumps, and portable cooling units.

Hurricane preparation should be taken seriously for any buildings HVAC/R system and the steps covered should be taken to minimize the chance of product failure. While these steps will greatly increase your units chances of making it safely through a storm, there is no guarantee when it comes to hurricanes. In the event that you do lose your air, there are many portable products that can get you up and cool quickly. So go through the steps covered and hopefully we will have a smooth hurricane season!

DebonAir is Proud Member of The Unified Group!

bretta — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:12:15 +0000

DebonAir Mechanical is proud to be the South Florida representative for The Unified Group. The Unified Group is a very elite group of the top mechanical contractors across the country and DebonAir Mechanical is proud to carry that honor for the South Florida market.

Here is some History on The Unified Group and what makes them so special:

Our Story
The Unified Group was founded in August 1998 by a core group of quality driven, independent mechanical contractors. When the consolidation movement kicked in and posed a threat to the HVAC industry, these contractors joined together to form The Unified Group.

They believed they could survive alone. However, in order to thrive they needed an organization in which they could work together with other like-minded commercial contractors, while at the same time retaining their independence.

In The Unified Group, they created an alliance that would offer them training opportunities and the chance to collaborate and share best practices with other independent contractors.

Today The Unified Group is still driven by the same quality values the association was founded on. Because the group is made up of the best contractors from all over the United States, members are able to provide the finest service available to national, regional, and local accounts.

Our members have moved beyond cooperation and into true collaboration. This is why we can say that together we make the difference.

Mission
Our mission is to provide training and resources to promote the success of the quality independent HVAC contractor, to raise the standards of excellence in the industry, and to ultimately increase the value provided to our customers

Objective
To build a national network of independent mechanical contractors dedicated to providing our customers with the best quality service in the HVAC/R industry

Goals
To assist our membership in growing their businesses and improving their bottom line profits

To raise the level of excellence in the HVAC/R industry

To provide our members with the opportunity for continued improvement in all aspects of their businesses

To share best practices among our members

Vibration Analysis

bretta — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:15:13 +0000

Are You Using Vibration Analysis?

The value of chillers and mechanical equipment to a building is significant and maintaining those machines is important to ensuring their proper life expectancy. Vibration analysis coupled with your already existing preventative maintenance plan is the way to doing that.

Vibration analysis allows internal looks into a buildings pumps, compressors, cooling towers, chillers and gearboxes. Through computer readings, baselines are established and changes can be determined to prevent unforeseen failures. DebonAir mechanical has the properly trained personnel and tools to complete a thorough vibration analysis program for applicable locations.

A qualified DebonAir representative will visit the site and go through everything necessary to properly read the machines current internal state. Using a specialized computer the representative will take readings of the machines. Readings on machines will be done under load to reflect accurate internal movements and stress loads. Taking the readings at any other time does not thoroughly reflect accurate measures and can give inaccurate information.

These initial readings will be a benchmark for trending future readings and determining if any changes have occurred internally. If changes have occurred and continue to worsen, action plans can be put into place to repair the problem.

Putting a vibration analysis in place has many benefits and is a great addition to any maintenance plan.

Benefits of adding Vibration Analysis:
• Predicting current and future mechanical failures
• No tenant dissatisfaction due to unforeseen mechanical failures
• Ability to schedule machine overhauls
• Reduced maintenance and repair costs
• Helps prevent unforeseen downtime due to mechanical failures
• Savings on unnecessary overhauls

If you have any questions about vibration analysis and how it can benefit your building contact DebonAir today. (800) 447-1562

Can VFD’s help you?

bretta — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:03:45 +0000

Variable Frequency Drives:

Saving money through energy management programs is something that has been on the table for many years now. Energy usage is a massive expense for any building and with today’s market it looks to only increase with time. In the United States, 50% of our total energy consumed is created by rotating equipment and 65% of that total is consumed by centrifugal or flow related applications such as pumps, motors, fans, blowers and compressors… Variable Frequency Drives are a technology which will allow for significant energy savings on equipment such as this.

What is a VFD?

A variable frequency drive is an electric controller that allows you to control the speed, torque, direction and resulting horsepower on multiple applications, which would otherwise not be possible.

Who are VFD’s for?

Variable frequency drives are a well rounded option and can be a very attractive energy management investment for almost any buildings. Anyone who is looking for an effective way to reduce the cost of running their variable torque motors should look into VFD’s. Some examples of possible applications are cooling tower fans; air handling units, cooling tower pumps, chillers, and circulation pumps.

Benefits of a VFD:

While variable frequency drives have multiple benefits, the most obvious benefit of VFD’s is the ability to have speed control on equipment. Having a VFD in place allows for continuous control which would otherwise not be achievable. Having this continuous control in place allows the VFD to ramp up or decrease the equipment depending on load requirements. Being able to lower the usage depending on the load turns into instant energy savings and allows for a much more efficient system in place.

Another major benefit of a VFD is the ability to change starting characteristics on motors and other equipment. Start up on motors without a VFD in place usually leads to 500 to 600% the equipments full load amps rating. This can affect the buildings peak demand which will have a negative effect on the buildings energy consumption and cost. A VFD allows the motor to be brought up to full speed quickly, with minimal load usage by drawing a smaller percentage of the full load amps. This in turn has a positive effect on motor longevity and peak load demand.

Above is an example of achievable paybacks.

Installation:

Installation of a VFD is something that should be done by only a professional contractor. Installing a VFD requires attention to such details as location, environment, electrical connections, supply voltage and protective devices. Missing any of these details can lead to drive failure or worse. Over 50% of drive failures come from improper installation and can be avoided if a proper contractor were to do the installation.

Summary:

VFD’s are a superior option whenever a load has either a variable torque or variable speed and this makes it applicable for many situations. The ability to ramp up or down based on load requirements turns directly into energy savings and those savings positively affect profit. If VFD’s are not in place already, they should be given serious thought by any building owner, manager or engineer.

Magnetic Chillers

bretta — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:11:49 +0000

Magnetic Chillers:

Technology is ever changing and many of those changes bring great opportunity. For building owners, managers and engineers, technology may change the way jobs are done; budgets are developed and projects are handled. One of the most exciting changes in the HVAC/R industry is the arrival of the magnetic, frictionless chiller in the market place. Magnetic chillers have already proven to be a positive investment and will be beneficial for any building.

Energy Savings:

Energy savings are a great benefit of the magnetic chiller technology. The lack of friction allows for easier moving parts and more efficient running. These chillers have become the most efficient chillers available and part load performance numbers have been recorded as low as .31 kw/ton. With kilowatt efficiency that high, these chillers have extremely high ROI. Paybacks from actual energy savings have been as short as 2 years.

Increased Sustainability:

When making any major decision or capital improvement project, environmental impact has a heavy influence in the final decision. Decisions are made not only for financial reasons, but are also made with the environment in mind. With the increased efficiency of magnetic chillers, total greenhouse-gas emissions are significantly reduced. Along with lower greenhouse-gas totals these chillers allow for additional LEED points in the enhanced refrigerant management section.

Quiet:

The days of shouting to have a conversation in a mechanical room are over. Magnetic technology allows for far superior noise control. It is something that has to be heard to be believed. Magnetic chillers have been measured at an astounding 73dba; this sound level is about the same as a standard cell phone ringtone. Noise levels that low will allow for normal toned conversations to occur while standing right next to the chiller.

Reliability:

Having a more reliable machine is a great way to save money. Having to do costly repairs can be a headache and cause unnecessary expenses. Magnetic chillers allow for a more dependable system to be in place. The technology allows for less moving parts as well as less wear and tear on the internal workings of the machine. These machines float the driveshaft and this in turn creates less friction and less wear on moving parts. This technology may be new to many people, but it has been being used in military applications for many years and has proven time and time again its durability as well as reliability.

Magnetic Chillers bring a technology to the market that will change the way chillers are viewed. Energy usage will be lower and return on investments will be greater. These chillers will be very beneficial in many ways. As with any major project, only qualified and professional contractors should do the work. DebonAir Mechanical has already installed multiple magnetic chillers. We would be more than happy to take interested parties on a walkthrough of an operational mechanical room with magnetic chillers in place.

Using UVC Lights

bretta — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:34:09 +0000

Having clean air in any conditioned space is an important matter. Ensuring that the air is clean used to be dependent on the air filter and maintenance of the air conditioning unit. Ultraviolet-C lights have changed that and are growing in popularity; they are a great addition to ensure cleanliness of conditioned air as well as having other great benefits.
Ultraviolet C lights specifically designed for HVAC/R use were not designed until the mid 1990’s. The lights were designed and used for their ability to kill microbial contaminants, including viruses, bacteria, surface and airborne molds. These lights were originally marketed solely for their ability to kill contaminants and increase indoor air quality (IAQ). Not long after installation users began to realize that there were also other benefits of UVC lights, of those benefits were lower maintenance costs and energy use due to having a cleaner and more efficient coil. Killing bio films through UVC usage alleviates fouling films from occurring on the coil, thus increasing the rate of heat transfer and improving the systems efficiency at the same time. Another great benefit of UVC is that it was accepted into the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
Placement and Output of these lights has a huge effect on their usefulness and ability to kill microorganisms. Output on these lights varies greatly and can be somewhat confusing. Output of the light(s) is critical for optimum performance. Output decreases over a lights life span and decrease in output is not detectable through the naked eye. Change out of the lights is recommended on an annual or bi-annual basis. In addition to output, “dose per watt” is another important performance measure, this measurement tells the energy required for microbial control. These lights are being put in a variety of different locations but the proper placement should be on the downstream side of the coil. Distance from the coil as well as angle play a part in the effectiveness of the light as well.
Commercial air handlers offer some of the largest surface area for biofilm and microorganism growth. The large coils and drain pans offer a significant amount of surface area for these organisms to grow. Killing these films is important in the efficiency of the unit and cleanliness of the air.
There have been multiple reports done on the effectiveness of UVC lights in a single-pass test, on viruses, spores and airborne bacteria. Reports describe test procedures, device specifications, dosage of UVC delivered, and energy consumption. These tests were commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and can be found on their website at www.epa.gov.
UVC lights are going to be used on a more frequent basis and their benefits are undeniable. Proper placements on the installation as well as output of the light(s) are important measures and should be handled by a reputable contractor who is seasoned in the area. Maintenance and change out of the lights is another important matter and should be kept up with. Installing UVC lights will allow for cleaner air and further unit efficiency for years to come.

Another Great Story

bretta — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:06:55 +0000

Jesse’s father died several years back. He never got past it. He dealt with this huge loss using anger and withdrawing from life. In an effort to avoid hurting again, Jesse chose to keep people away with his explosive anger. The things he needed most – healthy relationships, someone to trust and talk to, an opportunity to have fun or participate in sports, etc. – were the last things he wanted. In short, all Jesse just wanted was to be left alone to drown in his own anger.

Jesse, Most Improved Player, '10 Summer Program - Softball.

Then his mom placed him in Sheridan House. Initially, Jesse refused to talk or even smile. He would simply sit in study hall and stare at the wall. Needless to say, he had a very rough start. He finally realized that he couldn’t exist at Sheridan House alone and succumbed to the structure of the program and to the thought of risking a new relationship. Due to the consistent love he received from his house parents, Steve and Terry Griffith, coupled with the determination of his behavioral specialist, Ian Bodnarchuk, who refused to be rejected by Jesse, Jesse’s life slowly began to change.

After 12 months at Sheridan House, Jesse is a changed person both inwardly and outwardly. He is now developing healthy relationships, communicating his fears, and is no longer afraid to risk participating in sports. In fact, this summer Jesse won the Most Improved Player award for softball. He has changed so much that even his teachers have noticed. One even commented to us, “It’s amazing to see the difference. Jesse smiles now.”

Losing his dad made Jesse go into a hole and refuse to risk trusting another relationship. Another rejection would be too much. Today, Jesse has come to realize that relationships are not only worth the risk, but also part of the healing. Please join us in praying for Jesse and that he will experience the ultimate relationship in life, a firm faith in Jesus Christ

http://www.sheridanhouse.org/web/changed-lives/residential/another-great-story-7/