Commercial Air Conditioning & HVAC Knowledge Hub
Practical guides on commercial air conditioning and HVAC — for the businesses, landlords and facilities managers who have to specify, run and look after it.
Commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning is full of decisions that are easy to get wrong and expensive to live with — the right type of system, the right size, the legal duties that come with it, and what to do when something goes wrong. This is where we set those things out in plain English.
Everything here is written by a commercial HVAC and facilities management contractor with over 30 years’ experience — no jargon for its own sake, no sales pitch dressed up as advice. If you run or manage a commercial building, start with whichever question is closest to yours.
Understanding the basics
Start here if you want the groundwork — what the terms mean and how the systems actually work.
- What Is HVAC and How Does It Work? — What the term covers, and the basic principle behind heating, ventilation and cooling in a working building.
- What’s the Difference Between Commercial and Domestic Air Conditioning? — Why commercial systems are specified, powered, regulated and maintained very differently — and why the distinction matters before you buy.
- What Are the Different Types of Commercial Air Conditioning System? — Splits, multi-splits, VRF/VRV, ducted systems and air handling units, and close-control — what each is and where it fits.
Choosing and installing a system
For when you’re actually specifying, buying or fitting a system.
- What Size Air Conditioning System Do I Need? — Why commercial sizing is a proper heat-load calculation, not a floor-area guess, and why getting it wrong costs money either way.
- What’s Involved in a Commercial Air Conditioning Installation? — The process stage by stage, realistic timescales, and how a good install is planned around a working building.
Compliance and responsibilities
The legal side — and the duty most businesses don’t realise sits with them.
- What Does F-Gas Compliance Actually Require? — Leak checks, record-keeping, certified engineers, and who’s legally responsible for it all.
Troubleshooting common faults
Something wrong right now? Find the symptom.
- Why Does Commercial Air Conditioning Leak Water? — The common causes, what to do first, and why it needs an engineer.
- Why Does Air Conditioning Smell? — What different smells point to, and which ones (burning, gas) need attention straight away.
Need a straight answer about your own building?
Guides only go so far — every building is different, and the honest answer to most of these questions is “it depends on your premises.” If you’d rather just ask, React Cooling looks after commercial air conditioning and HVAC across the Midlands, and an F-Gas certified engineer can survey your site and set out exactly what it needs.