If the HVAC system in your production facility or warehouse is overheating, determining the cause is important to prevent long-term damage. A faulty HVAC system in Melbourne industrial facilities can bring operations to a halt and damage sensitive equipment.
To help you stay prepared, here’s a rundown of electric faults that HVAC systems in Melbourne can face, how they can cause overheating, and how you can detect that something’s wrong.
Common Electrical Faults That Cause Overheating
Motor Issues
When the motor’s wiring has a short circuit, it contributes to excessive heat generation and even fire hazards. Your motor can also experience other electrical faults like an unbalanced voltage supply, which is common in three-phase motors, causing uneven heating. Loose or worn out connections in the motor terminals can lead to resistance and subsequent heat buildup.
Overloads
Another common cause is compressor overload, which happens when you set the thermostat to a very low temperature for extended periods, especially during extreme heat. This strains and wears out the compressor without enough rest cycles. It’s also important that the circuit in your industrial facility is designed to support your operations and your HVAC system’s power requirements. If it’s drawing excessive current, this leads to overheating and damage to key components.
Faulty Wiring
Industrial HVAC systems are susceptible to faulty wiring because of several issues, ranging from poor installation to wear and tear. When wires are loosely connected, it compromises performance by increasing electrical resistance. Consequently, your HVAC system works harder to maintain your desired temperature and overheats.
Capacitor Failure
Capacitors are responsible for starting and running the compressor and fan’s motors. When it fails or malfunctions, it reduces the performance of your heating and cooling system. Because of their function, capacitors can fail over time, which reduces cooling and causes delays in compressor start times. Failed capacitors can’t provide the necessary boost for the motor to start and as the motor struggles to reach an appropriate operating speed, the system faces additional strain.
Compressor Malfunction
A common electrical fault in HVAC systems is a compressor malfunction. The compressor is responsible for circulating the refrigerant for the cooling process. If the compressor is malfunctioning from electrical faults, refrigerant imbalance, or mechanical failure, this immediately puts a strain on the system and causes it to overheat. When the compressor malfunctions, it has a reduced cooling capacity and is exposed to greater wear and tear, all of which lead to overheating and potential damage.
What Business Owners Should Prepare For
Signs That Something’s Wrong
Odours
Strange odours, like a burning smell, points to overheating wires, short circuit, or burnt insulation. Meanwhile, a plastic-like smell means that components such as circuit boards or wire insulation are melting. These smells indicate loose connections, component failure, and electrical overload in the HVAC system, and subsequent overheating.
Noise
If you can hear a buzzing sound accompanied by a strange smell, it could be electrical arcing due to loose wiring. A repeated clicking sound reflects a faulty capacitor that’s trying to start the motor but keeps failing. Sudden popping and crackling sounds can reflect short circuits and subsequent overheating.
Reduced Cooling
If you notice that the HVAC system is not cooling as it should, it can signal to various electrical faults. These include the compressor not starting because of a faulty capacitor or blower motor not running because of faulty wiring.
Circuit Trips
Repeated circuit trips are a clear sign of electrical faults like short circuits, overloaded circuits, or a worn-out capacitor that’s drawing too high a current.
How HVAC Faults Can Damage Equipment or Disrupt Operations
Electrical faults in your HVAC system can wear out components faster or even permanently damage them because of overheating. These can require expensive repairs and replacements to address.
Poor cooling performance can reduce occupant comfort and subsequent productivity, slowing down business operations. And high heat and humidity levels can also strain other machines and damage sensitive equipment and materials, such as inventory and data centres. Similarly, system shutdowns because of circuit trips result in downtime and need urgent repairs.
ONJ Services Diagnoses and Fixes HVAC-Electrical Crossover Problems
At ONJ Services, we diagnose and fix HVAC-electrical problems using a comprehensive process that checks off repair and prevention. We have a 2-hour response time to handle any electrical and HVAC emergencies in Melbourne. Get in touch with us to book HVAC repairs and maintenance in Melbourne.