Business Remodels: New A/C Installation

Clark Heating & Cooling recently completed a huge remodeling job for what will someday be a local restaurant.   Local businesses really are the backbone of a community, and getting an empty building ready for a new, locally owned shop is a privilege.

Installation

In our last blog, we talked about tenant improvements, and doing an installation job for a restaurant is similar to this, only on a grand scale!   Working on the future restaurant required several steps.  First, the remodel of the empty building included adding installation of an additional air conditioning unit. This provides more cooling for the customers.  With all the heat coming from the ovens, restaurants become very warm very quickly and need more air conditioning power than usual.  The second air conditioner was ordered according to the architectural plans, and placed on the roof with a crane.  The A/C was then “cut in.”  This means the duct work was added and ran according to the plans.

This job also required new, exposed spiral duct work. The owners want a commercial feel for the building, in keeping with current architectural trends for cafes and other small restaurants.  This means the existing ductwork had to be ripped out first.  The new ductwork was ordered specially from a sheet metal supply house and then carefully installed with the use of a scissor lift so our installers could reach the high ceilings.  In the back kitchen, the existing ductwork was simply moved in order to make room for new kitchen appliances.

A swamp cooler was also added to the kitchen to bring in fresh air.  The kitchen hood above the stove is so enormous, a secondary cooling method is needed to pull the exhaust from over the range out of the kitchen.  Otherwise, the kitchen would quickly become smoky, smelly, and very hot!

What's Next

So far, this job has taken about two weeks. Like tenant improvements, installations for remodels must be completed in stages, depending on what the other trades are working on.  What comes next?  As soon as the other trades finish, the building must be inspected by the city.  After the remodel work has been approved by the city, the trim and start-up stages begin!  Thermostats will be wired in, air supply and return vents will be set in the empty duct spaces, and the new air conditioner will be started up to make sure everything is working properly.  A final air balance will be completed by a third party contractor to make sure the proper amount of cool air is flowing from each vent, in accordance with city codes.

At this point, Clark Heating & Cooling’s job will be done!  We are happy to help bring more business to the Valley, and will enjoy seeing the finished product!

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