Most commercial buildings in North Carolina are heated and cooled from the roof. A packaged rooftop unit, or RTU, carries the compressor, coils, fans and heat section in one cabinet, and the building depends on it every day. Heat Wave, Inc. installs and replaces commercial rooftop units for general contractors, building owners and tenants, from the first layout to a unit that is running and balanced.
New installs and change-outs
On new construction we work from the mechanical drawings: curb locations, unit sizes and duct connections are set before the roof deck goes down, so the units land where the structure was designed to carry them. On a replacement the old unit rarely matches the new one. We measure the existing curb, order the right curb adapter when the footprints differ, and plan the swap so the building is without heat or air for as short a time as possible.
The crane day
Setting a rooftop unit is a crane pick, and the crane day is where schedules are won or lost. We coordinate the lift with the general contractor and the crane company, prepare the curbs and connections ahead of time, and have the crew on the roof to set, level and secure each unit as it comes down. Several units on one building are set in one visit where the site allows it. Videos of these lifts are on our Projects page.
Connections and start-up
Once a unit is on the curb we tie in the supply and return ductwork, gas piping where the unit burns gas, and the condensate drain. We then start the unit, check airflow, refrigerant charge and heating operation, and set it up to talk to the thermostat or building controls. Electrical work is done by the project's electrician; we coordinate with them so the unit is ready when power arrives.
Equipment we work with
We install and service rooftop units from AAON, Daikin, Carrier, Trane and Lennox, among others. If the engineer has specified a brand, we install to that submittal. If a replacement is open to options, we will talk through the lead times and the fit on the existing curb before anything is ordered.