What it means
In a VAV system, a central air handler supplies air at a steady temperature, and each zone has a box with a damper and sometimes a heating coil. A thermostat tells the box how much air to let through. When the space is warm, the damper opens. When it is cool, it closes down or the reheat coil engages.
The result is a building that can serve many different rooms from one central system.
Why it matters
When you rearrange offices, add meeting rooms or build a server closet, the zoning no longer matches the layout. If one VAV box serves both a sunny corner office and an interior room, one of them will always be uncomfortable.
Adding or moving boxes needs capacity from the central system, which should be checked before design is finalized.
How HSM handles it
HSM's mechanical team and engineers review the existing VAV zones against your new plan. We determine whether boxes need to be added, moved or reset, and whether the central system has the capacity to support them. Our crew installs the boxes, ductwork and reheat piping, and our electricians supply the power and controls wiring.
After installation, the boxes are tested and balanced so that each zone receives the air it was designed for. We also label them so your building operator can find and service them later.
What to plan for
Ask the landlord for the original mechanical drawings if they exist. Knowing how zones were originally laid out saves design time and avoids guesswork.