Situation
A local gym reached out to Tectio due to ongoing issues with their HVAC equipment. They had two HVAC units, each with two separate cooling stages (circuits). When our technicians arrived, they quickly realized the equipment was in a state of disrepair:
- Only 1 of the 4 circuits was operating correctly.
- One circuit was completely depressurized (no refrigerant).
- Another was significantly low on refrigerant.
- The fourth circuit was unhealthy but operational, yet never ran due to a wiring mistake.
- Additionally, one unit’s blower motor was severely worn and close to failure.
Probably the most frustrating thing about this was that another company had lastly done a great job on cleaning the indoor unit evaporator coil – on a piece of equipment that wasn’t operable.
Initial Repairs and Improvements
Our team quickly addressed the most urgent mechanical issues:
- Dealt with and pressure tested the circuits with refrigerant issues, refilled to proper levels.
- Corrected wiring issues to get all circuits operational.
- Replaced the failing blower motor.
At this point, the units were running and decent shape – on par with what any HVAC service contractor end up with. Comfort level was good.
Hidden Issues Revealed Through Data
Although the gym’s primary concerns were resolved, continued monitoring from the Sentinels indicated that energy consumption was way above what we’d expect for such a location. We had already set appropriate schedules on the thermostats so didn’t think this would be an issue. When we asked about this, the owner seemed content with the comfort level of the gym, but mentioned utility bills ran him $1,000 per month.
We noticed two things that weren’t immediately obvious without close attention:
- Controls Wiring Mistake:
Two cooling stages were improperly wired at the condenser unit, causing continuous parallel operation instead of only running both stages when necessary to maintain temperature – increasing energy usage and causing unhealthy short equipment cycles. - Thermostat Miswiring:
A prior service company had incorrectly wired the two systems by reversing their thermostats. The unit cooling a space was not controlled by the thermostat in that space… Because both areas still felt comfortable, this critical wiring error had been overlooked during prior visits.
So we ran new thermostat cable and restored proper two stage control of the compressors.
The key here is that these weren’t tremendously complicated issues (rewiring units was merely time consuming) but because they were so basic and the customer was happy with the comfort level inside the gym, no regular service technician would have gone further to dig and find problems.
Meaning, these hidden inefficiencies would have continued unnoticed, silently inflating the gym’s energy bills.
The Results: Unexpected 40% Energy Savings
After correcting these additional problems, the gym immediately saw significant, measurable benefits:
- A clear 50+% reduction in daily energy usage for HVAC
- 40% reduction in their monthly electricity usage.
- Over $400 saved per month on their electric bill – savings that exceeded the cost of their Tectio membership.
These improvements were unexpected – bonus outcomes revealed by detailed monitoring, transforming a routine service call into lasting energy and financial savings.
Why Data-Driven HVAC Monitoring Matters
Routine comfort checks alone rarely detect underlying HVAC inefficiencies. By monitoring performance continuously, Tectio identifies and resolves hidden issues before they translate into higher bills or equipment failure.
