John Grenville, managing director of ECEX, said: “Conventional wisdom dictates that air handling units should be replaced every 10 to 15 years, depending on use and maintenance over that time. There is, however, a potentially far more cost-effective way to proceed than replacement - refurbishment and/or upgrade.”

ECEX's AHU guide defines refurbishment, explains its business benefits, identifies suitable candidates for refurbishment, and describes the critical importance of maintenance.

Mr Grenville added: “One of the best routes to sustainable development in the HVAC sector is through retrofitting and refurbishment of heavy-use equipment like air handling units and condensers.”

The AHU Refurbishment Guide  is designed to help the avoidance of expensive replacements and improving the efficiency of AHUs and looks specifically at the refurbishment of fans, filters, coils and dampers, and explains the implications on AHU overhaul of the latest Ecodesign Directive. This establishes a framework for the setting of eco-design requirements for energy-related products and their implementation.

Ryan Hawken, ECEX contracts manager and AHU specialist, commented: “The savings associated with air handling unit refurbishment can be dramatic. For example, on a recent AHU upgrade project, we calculated that we could provide an estimated 22% – 33% energy saving simply by upgrading the fans.

“There were also additional savings as belts and pulleys would no longer need replacement, as well as much reduced maintenance time.”