Air handling units: how to cut costs by up to 50% through refurbishment and repair

We’re all feeling it: the cost-of-living crisis has gone beyond our personal wallets and is now impacting businesses of all sizes across the UK.

If you’re a business owner or manager, you’ll be looking to save money wherever possible – without impacting on your overall operations. But maintenance and running costs still mount up, especially with large investments like air handling units.

Money saving maintenance for air handling units

AVT’s refurbishment and repair services have been specifically designed to save you money and boost your environmental credentials.

Instead of replacing faulty air handling units with brand new machines, the expert engineers in our Site Engineering Services (SES) department can diagnose, repair, and refurbish units that are starting to show signs of deterioration.

At the end of the process, you’re left with a perfectly working unit – often at only half the expense of a brand-new system. And you’ve saved the environmental impact of scrapping an AHU that still had plenty of life in it.

Here’s how it works in five simple steps:

  1. First, we come to inspect the unit and complete a comprehensive site survey.
  2. Next comes the planning. Our engineers will itemise all the necessary parts and draw up a schedule of works, giving everyone a clear understanding of what’s needed and what timetable we’re working to.
  3. Our assembly options are designed to make everything as efficient as possible. Parts will either be flat-packed or sub-assembled.
  4. With everything in place, our team can recommission your air handling unit and issue an updated technical specification.
  5. Finally, we’ll safely recycle or dispose of any old parts that were removed from your unit.

AHU refurbishments and repairs

Our team was recently called out to an air handling unit that had been operational for 25 years. It’s fair to say it had seen better days.

But no challenge is too big for our SES team. They quickly identified the upgrades, modifications and new parts that were needed. The full programme of works included:

  • Updating the appearance by installing smart new external panels
  • Replacing old belt-drive AC fans with new energy-efficient EC motors
  • Fitting a new gas burner and DX coils
  • Installing replacement filters and a new control package

We could easily do the same for you!

Find out more about booking our AHU refurbishment and repair services.

How to reduce your energy bills in 2023 with good ventilation

Could good ventilation be the way to lower your energy bills as the UK’s battles with the cost-of-living crisis?

For many people, ventilation might not seem an obvious starting point when energy prices are sky high. But improving a building’s ventilation can significantly contribute to reducing energy bills.

If you’re a residential developer, homeowner, or commercial building owner, investing in good ventilation could be a strategic and prudent choice as energy costs continue to soar. Here are three of the most effective ways to use ventilation to put more money in your pocket.

Install modern heat recovery units

Investing in a modern heat recovery unit has two main impacts. First, it improves the air quality and thermal comfort inside a property. But it also helps to reduce your overall energy costs, because fitting a system with a heat exchanger can mean up to 85% of your property’s energy is retained.

The heat exchanger acts as a highly efficient way to maintain internal temperatures. As stale air leaves your building, the heat exchanger captures the warmth from that outgoing air. It then transfers that warm energy to the cool air coming into your building from the outside. Heat recovery units can dramatically reduce a building’s reliance on central heating or other high energy options.

Choose heat recovery units with pre-heaters
If the air from the outside is particularly cold, this can place a greater strain on the heat exchanger. But there is an answer. A pre-heater on a heat recovery unit cools the outdoor air before it reaches the heat exchanger, thereby making it easier and quicker to heat it to the required internal temperature.

Use EC motors in your heat recovery unit
While a typical heat recovery unit is very efficient at retaining heat, it still needs energy to power it. Choosing a heat recovery unit fitted with EC motors helps to improve the operational efficiency of the unit because the motors can run at lower temperatures than traditional brush motors. As a result, the overall energy spend for running the heat recovery unit is lower than if you opt for a model without EC motors.

Air Vent Technology’s range of heat recovery units features some of the best and most energy efficient models on the UK market. View the full range today.

Commercial ventilation: why air handling units are the only sensible choice

When it comes to temperature and humidity control in commercial buildings, air handling units are now widely regarded as the most effective solution for creating a consistently healthy environment. In this article, you’ll learn about the benefits of air handling units, the key considerations for choosing one, and start to understand the different options available on the commercial ventilation market.


The benefits of installing air handling units in commercial settings

Companies who invest in an appropriate air handling unit enjoy two immediate benefits, both of which are critical to short-, medium- and long-term success.

  • Excellent working environment. Lots of people don’t realise that circulating air can be cleaned by an air handling unit. The humidity of the air can also be adjusted, creating the perfect working atmosphere. Both of those two advantages come on top of the traditional heating or cooling of air, giving you complete control over your indoor environment.
  • Better health outcomes. With stale air eradicated, problematic developments such as mould and condensation are also significantly reduced or resolved entirely. This prevents both your staff and any visitors from experiencing troublesome allergic reactions and avoids future spends on professional mould removal.

Air handling unit installation: the key considerations

Identifying the best air handling units for your property can seem daunting at first, especially when our full range includes 29 models and the option for fully bespoke designs where necessary. But two simple principles will quickly help to guide you to a sensible choice.

  • Where will it be installed? Your setting will go a long way to determining the type of air handling unit you need. For example, buying an air handling unit for a large, open manufacturing unit would be very different to buying an air handling unit for a small, enclosed office.
  • Do you have appropriate installation space? As well as checking the size of your potential installation space, do you also have appropriate access to get the unit in place? With small units, doors and corridors may be large enough for the unit to be delivered already assembled. For larger units, flat-pack installation may be the only suitable option.

How to choose air handling units

Once you’ve got a firm understanding of what you’re looking for, choosing the best air handling unit for your needs is relatively straightforward.

Get the complete package with Air Vent Technology

Whichever air handling unit you require, our experienced team is ready to provide all the assistance you need.

Our Site Engineering Services (SES) team is trusted across the UK to install and maintain commercial air handling units of all shapes and sizes. Whether it’s refurbishment and repair, ongoing servicing, or flat-pack installation, we’ve got you covered!

Contact us today and take the first step towards an exciting new air handling unit for your commercial property.

Improving Indoor air quality in commercial buildings during Winter

Good air quality in any work environment is a crucial consideration when it comes to the winter months. Casual forms of ventilation, such as opening windows and doors, let in cold air and often aren’t sufficient. To make the winter months as comfortable and safe as possible, consider investing in your heat recovery unit.


In this blog we’re going to run through a few important reasons ventilation in the winter should be high on your list and a few tips to make sure your ventilation is up to standards.


Most contemporary buildings have been built to ensure they have excellent insulation to reduce energy bills. Whilst this is a huge positive in the current climate, it can come with a drawback. If you put together the lack of opening windows and great insulation, this leaves very little room for air to flow in and out, which means air recirculation is more likely to occur.


If an internal environment has recirculated air there will be more chance of contaminants such as airborne illnesses, dust, mould spores, and odours to be present. This increases the risk of illnesses.


Here’s a few things your business could do to keep the issues at bay:

Ensure your ventilation system is up to the latest standards

You’re one step ahead if you already have a good ventilation system in place, however its equally as important to make sure it continues to run at high efficiency. That’s why we recommend implementing a maintenance plan.
Our engineers conduct routine checks for your ventilation system to make sure it’s running well throughout the year. Having a routine check to make sure all parts are doing their job will mean there is less chance of breakdown or underperformance – therefore reducing risk.

Look at getting a heat-recovery ventilation unit

Heat recovery units are designed to extract stale air and replace it with fresher air from the outside whilst also ensuring there is minimal heat loss. So really, this will solve all problems relating to air recirculation whilst also keeping the people inside nice and warm.


As we spend more time indoors and the chances of flu and colds increases looking at your building ventilation will be beneficial to all. Even though it seems like you should accumulate as much warm air as possible indoors, ventilation is still key. If you don’t exchange your stuffy air with new, fresh air, then a variety of problems will emerge.


These are just some of the things you can do to improve indoor air quality in winter. If you have more concerns or questions regarding indoor air quality and your ventilation system, then feel free to contact us and we’ll address them for you.

Why maintenance and servicing of your ventilation system is so important

Ventilation systems are found in almost every building. While they’re not something most people think about, it’s essential they operate to the latest industry standards.

Whatever your building’s use, ensuring your ventilation system is functioning at its peak is important for several reasons. In this blog post, you’ll discover how our ventilation site services can help you maintain your system and enjoy a range of measurable benefits.

Introducing AVT’s Site Engineering Services

Like most businesses, ventilation probably isn’t your number one priority – even if you recognise its importance for a healthy, productive environment. That’s why our site engineering services is designed specifically to take away the hassle of having to think about maintaining your ventilation system.
Across refurbishment, repair, installation, and servicing options, we’ve got everything you need to keep your units in excellent condition.

Save up to 50% on fitting new replacements

Most building owners understand the necessity of a good ventilation system but may not understand fully what the system needs to keep it in a good state.
Not every problem requires a brand-new unit. Our refurbishment and repair services can save you up to 50% of the cost of fitting new replacements. We replace parts with higher performance rated components, which in turn ensures you have a faster solution to any broken system, experience minimal disruption, and enjoy better long-term efficiency from your existing unit.

Benefit from easy installations

If you do need a new ventilation unit or system, we have the option of flat pack installation. Our experienced team can select and design custom systems to fit the space you have available, giving you a bespoke solution that best fits your environment. Choose a flat pack installation has several benefits, including:

  • No wall knockdowns and no costly building repairs as a result
  • No expensive road closures that impact others and require significant administrative resources
  • Minimal site disruption, so your business can continue as normal while our fitters complete the project
  • Convenient service that’s scheduled to work best for you, with flexibility over the time and date of any agreed installation

Enjoy longer service lives

Finally, if you’re not in need of a repair or new system entirely at the moment, our servicing options help to keep a close eye on your air handling units and avoid preventable repairs. Choose from scheduled, annual inspections or simply book our engineers to ensure your existing system is running to its full potential.
Regularly using our servicing team gives you higher AHU performance, longer service lives, fewer repairs, and less downtime. You’ll also reduce your energy bills and save avoidable expenditure by preventing problems developing in the first place.

Keep your building and people safe

It’s essential to keep environments comfortable for all workers and customers. Poorly ventilated spaces can generate health concerns through spread of viruses and bacteria, something that’s increasingly known after the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we’re more conscious then ever of good air quality. Ensuring you have good working ventilation systems in place means you can reassure your people and provide them with:

  • Better indoor air quality
  • Lower chances of illnesses spreading
  • More comfortable environments
  • Mould-free environments by stopping condensation

Get started today

If you would like to discuss your options further, or if you already know that one of our site services is the right fit for you, don’t hesitate: contact us today.
Our friendly team will be more than happy to help.
Book your site engineering services visit now.