Air conditioning mistakes that hurt your costs and comfort: traps your business must avoid
In the commercial world, air conditioning is far more than just a luxury—it's a strategic investment. Whether you're maintaining a pleasant temperature in a retail store, ensuring a productive environment in an office space, or preserving optimal conditions in a warehouse or server room, a reliable commercial air conditioning system is essential. Yet, despite its importance, many businesses in Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, as well as on the North Shore and South Shore, continue to make the same costly mistakes during installation, maintenance, or system replacement.
At AirGreen, we’ve seen these errors firsthand on many service calls. Here are the five biggest mistakes we commonly encounter, along with clear advice on how to avoid them.
1. Skipping thermal analysis and upfront planning
Many businesses jump too quickly into the purchasing or installation phase without conducting a thorough thermal analysis of the premises. Yet every building is unique: insulation, sun exposure, window surface, ceiling height, foot traffic—all of these influence the required thermal load to achieve optimal comfort.
Real example: A medical office in Laval had chosen an undersized system recommended by a general contractor, with no prior thermal analysis. The result? Patients were uncomfortably warm in summer, and the unit ran at full capacity without ever reaching the target temperature. A simple preliminary study would have prevented this poor investment.
What you should do:
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Bring in a qualified HVAC expert to perform a professional thermal load calculation.
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Make sure the system is properly sized (in BTUs) for your actual space usage.
2. Choosing an air conditioning system not suited to commercial use
A residential wall-mounted AC unit in a high-traffic commercial space? It’s more common than you'd think… and often disastrous. Too many business owners opt for units that are ill-suited to their operational needs.
At AirGreen, we recently replaced a 24,000 BTU wall unit with a central Bosch BOVA forced-air system in a hair salon in Longueuil. The client originally chose the wall unit because of its lower price, but it couldn’t adequately cool the space. Switching to a high-performance central system improved comfort and reduced monthly electricity usage by 27%.
What you should do:
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Evaluate your real needs (square footage, business activity, air circulation, hours of operation).
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Choose a commercial-grade air conditioning system: central AC, rooftop unit, VRF, or industrial mini-splits depending on your space.
3. Underestimating the importance of regular maintenance
Neglected maintenance is one of the top causes of early equipment failure, decreased energy efficiency, and poor indoor air quality.
Real case: At a veterinary clinic on the South Shore, a multi-zone Fujitsu system was running at reduced capacity due to clogged filters and a dirty heat exchanger. After a maintenance visit by AirGreen, the system's performance was restored, with an immediate reduction of 1.4 kWh per day in electricity consumption.
What you should do:
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Schedule at least two professional maintenance visits per year.
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Work with a provider like AirGreen that offers commercial HVAC maintenance contracts tailored to your schedule and reality.
4. Overlooking available grants and subsidies
Many business owners are unaware that they may qualify for government subsidies or programs like Hydro-Québec’s LogisVert, even for commercial setups. Some energy-efficient systems qualify for significant rebates, reducing upfront costs substantially.
Practical example: A grocery store in Montréal received a $2,400 grant for installing a Goodman R-32 central heat pump system, allowing them to integrate a higher-performance solution into their original budget.
What you should do:
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Check your eligibility for available grants before selecting a system.
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Work with a company like AirGreen that handles grant applications on your behalf.
5. Choosing the wrong HVAC contractor
Not all installation companies are equal. Some focus solely on residential work, while others lack the expertise for complex or commercial installations. Hiring a contractor without solid commercial experience can lead to technical mistakes, significant delays, or unexpected cost overruns.
What you should do:
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Ask for commercial references.
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Request proof of experience with projects similar to yours.
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Choose certified specialists like AirGreen, who serve Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore, and the South Shore with a proven track record.
AirGreen’s expertise: your partner for worry-free commercial air conditioning
At AirGreen, we understand the unique challenges of the commercial sector: critical schedules, strict comfort requirements, energy performance goals, and the need for uninterrupted operations. That’s why we offer:
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Tailored technical assessments for every project
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High-performance equipment from Goodman, Bosch, Fujitsu, Gree, Tosot, and more
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Full support for grant and rebate applications
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Rigorous post-installation service and commercial HVAC maintenance
We’re proud to have helped dozens of businesses throughout Greater Montréal enhance their indoor comfort, reduce their energy bills, and protect their long-term investment.
Extra tips for business owners
Avoid at all costs:
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Installing an HVAC system without permits or engineering plans (non-compliance risk).
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Ignoring ventilation and indoor air quality, especially in closed, high-traffic spaces.
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Waiting for a system failure before taking action.
Start doing now:
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Set up a preventive maintenance plan.
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Book a free technical consultation with AirGreen to assess your current systems.
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Review your HVAC energy performance annually.
Final thoughts: Prevention is always cheaper than repair
Commercial air conditioning mistakes can be incredibly costly—not just in terms of repairs or rushed replacements, but also through discomfort for your customers, your employees, and your business operations. By partnering with a trusted company like AirGreen, you avoid the most common pitfalls and benefit from the expertise of a contractor renowned for its commercial HVAC work in Montréal and the surrounding regions.