Retrofits

The Customer Service Division of Western Allied is dedicated to providing HVAC solutions directly to building owners as the prime contractor, as well as working in a subcontractor role to “specialty” general contractors.

HVAC system retrofits are both an art and a science. Defining how much cooling and heating are needed for various parts of the building is a science. But determining how to best deliver the cooling and heating is an art, particularly when the objective is to utilize as much as possible of the existing system.Anybody can completely tear out an old system and replace it with a new system. Occasionally, this sort of high cost approach is necessary and justifiable. Usually, though, it makes more sense to use good technical judgment and re-use much of what is existing. This kind of approach will often result in getting 70-80% of the benefit that a whole system would offer, at more like 50% of the installed cost.

Whether your goal is a whole new system, or a retrofit that emphasizes “bang for the buck”, planning is crucial. Smooth and effective retrofits don’t happen by accident. Let Western Allied’s fifty-plus years of experience help you in planning your building retrofit project.

The following are typical aspects of a retrofit project:

Provide experienced estimating and consulting services to assist in establishing accurate budgets and to address difficult constructability issues. Utilize our engineering and construction expertise to offer alternatives which bring value to the project during the pre-construction phase.

Utilize our staff of State of California licensed professional engineers to provide complete HVAC system design, assist in code compliance and building department issues, etc. Provide CAD quality design drawings required for plan check and construction as well as detailed shop drawings essential for coordination between multiple trades.

All major projects are supervised by graduate engineers with direct involvement from a principal of the company throughout the duration of the project.

We maintain a fabrication shop on our premises with fabrication and field installation performed by trained, experienced and skilled union workforce.

Western Allied Corporation has factory-certified personnel expert in the installation and programming of Lon, Bacnet and Modbus DDC controls. We were the first Mechanical Contractor in Southern California to achieve Lon System Integrator Certification.

The single biggest change in the HVAC industry over the last 15-20 years has been the overwhelming shift to direct digital controls (DDC). DDC controls can now cost effectively permit building managers to take advantage of things that would not have been possible until recently, including:

• Tenant billing. Since each thermostat knows when and how it is being used, the system can keep track of over-standard use of the HVAC system. Billing can even be automatic. Various levels of tenant authorization control are available.

• Verify hot and cold calls. Since each thermostat communicates, it is easy to see the actual temperature in the office that is calling, and also to see what temperature the thermostat is set to maintain.

• Web access. We set up most systems today to generate a web page, which can be accessed from anywhere that the internet is available. This web page takes the place of the old “front end computer” approach to control systems.

• Automatic response to IAQ issues, such as build-up of carbon dioxide in a crowded conference or training room.

• Early warning of problems. The DDC system can be programmed to alert building management or the engineering staff of anything that can be measured (temperatures, whether equipment is operating, etc.), in virtually any manner, from cell phone calls to pages to email messages.

• Long term costs. Like the drug industry, DDC is now available in “generic” and “name brand” versions. Each works equally well, but the generics permit lower costs and substitution of spare parts from manufacturers other than the “name brand.”