If you’re like many building owners and facility managers, you’ve probably been hearing about bipolar ionization technology and how effective it is at fighting COVID-19 and other pathogens in your indoor air. You also might be wondering how the system works and what is required to have bipolar ionization installed. At Yale Mechanical, we’ve performed more than 100 Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NBPI) installations in recent months, ranging in size from single furnaces to campus-wide coverage of every major air handling system. Before we describe how it’s installed, let’s first explain how t ..read more

Minnesotans were given a rude awakening as our beautiful fall colors turned into a blanket of white snow sooner than anyone anticipated, leaving most of us scrambling to get ready for winter. Your facility’s heating system is no different, with it being called into action much sooner than most had hoped. While the temperatures are likely to fluctuate for a few more weeks, now is the time to conduct an HVAC heating season tune-up to get your building ready for the freezing months ahead. Inspect and Perform Necessary HVAC Heating Equipment Maintenance Your building’s heating equipment should b ..read more

The average person doesn’t give much thought to doors when they enter or exit a building. But for firefighters, slow doors can mean losing precious seconds of response time. So when the Bloomington Fire Department built Station 3, a brand-new, fully updated facility, they knew that the doors would be a critical element of the design. Working in tandem with our partners at Door Engineering, we recently finished installing FF300 four-fold doors measuring 14Wx14H. Members of the Bloomington Fire Department recently moved into Fire Station 3, which is now fully operational and home to three capt ..read more

Many businesses are struggling to determine the best approach to prepare their building or office space for the return of employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been helping make buildings function better since our founding in 1939, so we thought we would share some of the precaution we have taken in our own building. 1. We have hands-free equipment in our restrooms and kitchen areas This includes automatic soap and towel dispensers, and touchless faucets. Not only does this help prevent the spread of germs, it also helps reduce waste and resources. We also have foot p ..read more

Indoor air quality has always been important, but while the current pandemic has significantly increased the emphasis companies place on the cleanliness of their facilities, the air within their facilities may be overlooked. A GPS bipolar ionization system can help. For businesses that are currently open, you often see employees hard at work cleaning common areas, and many have adjusted their hours to allow for more extensive cleaning. Likewise, businesses that are slated to open soon have been busy preparing the inside of their space and putting procedures into place to keep their facilities ..read more

Buildings left unattended or used less frequently during the coronavirus pandemic may require a little extra attention before workers return from quarantine. Depending on your circumstances, your building may have the potential for water quality degradation from stagnation, a separate issue from the COVID-19 crisis. Building owners and facility managers preparing for workers to return to their building should strongly consider flushing their water system. Stagnant or standing water can cause conditions that increase the risk for growth and spread of Legionella and other biofilm-associated ..read more

Even though flammable waste traps are out of sight, they shouldn’t be out of mind. If you manage a facility where vehicles drive or are stored, and they produce oily waste (like parking ramps, repair shops, car washes, etc.), you should have your flammable waste trap cleaned and inspected annually. We often speak with people who are uncertain about the purpose of these systems and how often they need inspecting, and we hope to address some of these questions and concerns here. What Does a Flammable Waste Trap Do? Flammable waste traps act as a catch basin for hazardous debris, sandy materials ..read more

Do you know how old your rooftop units are? If they haven’t been replaced since flip-phones were in style, they might be running on borrowed time. With the median expected useful life being 15 years, you might find yourself in a situation of needing to purchase a rooftop unit this spring, and a lot has probably changed since the last time you spec’d one. While regular preventive maintenance is incredibly important to extending the service life of a rooftop unit, there are many components that deteriorate and will eventually fail (like most major mechanical equipment). Fans, motors, compressors ..read more

January is the month many people decide to make changes in their personal or professional lives. If 2020 is the year you want to change who helps maintain your building or manufacturing facility, there are certain things you should consider when choosing a mechanical contractor in Minnesota. Whether you’re dissatisfied with the service you’re currently receiving, don’t have an agreement already in place, or are just doing your due diligence on what else is available, there are a lot of things you must take into account. Finding the right mechanical contractor in Minnesota can bring many benefi ..read more

If you haven’t been on the pulse of HVAC legislation recently, you may have missed a pretty big deal: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is officially phasing out use of R-22 refrigerant (also known as HCFC-22) on January 1. It’s a big deal because your equipment probably uses R-22. Here’s what you need to know about the changes and what you can do to get ready for the R-22 ban. What is R-22 Refrigerant and Why Is It Being Banned? Since 1987, the United States and 197 countries have taken steps to regulate the use of substances that may damage the ozone layer and contribute to global wa ..read more