Mold in your air ducts. That sounds both gross and disturbing, doesn't it? Unfortunately, improper care of your ductwork system can enable mold to grow rapid inside. While you may not see it, you'll certainly feel the effects of its growth. You'll soon notice a musty or moldy smell that comes around when you're using your air conditioner or heater (that share the same ducts). This rotten and stale smell is a first-sign indication that something is wrong with your ventilation and requires attention immediately. You may also notice signs of mold around the air conditioner, in the ducts or in the drip pans. When condenser coils get clogged, it becomes a perfect environment for mold to grow and thrive in.

Today, we're going to break down the causes of mold in your ductwork system and steps you can take to prevent its growth in the future.

There will come a point in time, sooner than later, where you'll have to replace your building's commercial HVAC-R unit. You'll know its time has come when you start hearing noises that should never be emitting from the unit or through the ventilation, or you're noticing significant increases in your energy bill despite having ran it the same way for years on end. As your unit ages year to year, eventually not even top-rated preventative HVAC maintenance will be able to save it.

Are you unsure if your system is past its expiration date? At Select ACR, we have a few hints to help identify when it's time to replace your commercial HVAC-R unit.

A broken Commercial HVAC-R system is an experience no building owner wants to take part of. Commercial HVAC-R repair is one of the grandest expenses you may ever have to pay for, but without proper maintenance, the system is going to need it much sooner than later. The truth is you can prevent costly repairs with regularly scheduled maintenance. The cost of maintenance is merely a small investment compared to the price for repairing or replacing a HVAC-R system.

If you haven't already set yourself up with scheduled preventative HVAC-R maintenance, you need to today! Today, we're breaking down the most common causes for HVAC-R breakdowns and how regular maintenance can easily prevent them.

It's December, and despite the fact we're in Southern California, the warm weather is officially behind us. Fortunately, it's not too tall of a task to survive the winter. When it gets cold, we compensate with an extra layer, and turning on the heater doesn't take much effort at all. This also means higher gas and heating costs…or does it?

The last thing you ever want to think about is a weird smell coming out of your air vents. After all, your HVAC-R system spans your entire building, so that means everyone else inside gets to enjoy the weird smell too. This can distract workers, scare off customers or clients and even causes some illnesses. It is your responsibility as the property manager/owner to create a comfortable and safe environment for everyone inside the building. If you ever notice a strange smell coming from your HVAC-R, this guide will help you identify what the source of the smell is and what the approach is to fix it.

Remember that weird noise that's been coming from your freezer for the past few days and you swore you'll take care of it when you had the time? That noise is gone now, so maybe it fixed itself. As you walk past it, you notice the sloshy sound of your shoes in water and immediately recognize where its coming from. Following the trail of water to the source, you begin to question everything you've done in life up to this moment. Just one quick peek inside your freezer and you're overwhelmed with the smell of thawing meat and spoiled goods. A fortune's worth of food melting away at your feet. As you begin to wallow in defeat, sounds of beeping in the background get louder and louder until the sounds of your alarm finally wake you up.

What a horrible nightmare! If there's one thing no restaurant owner wants to experience, it's refrigeration or freezer failure, especially during the summer. If even one piece of equipment begins to falter, it puts the integrity of the entire system at risk.