Rooftop Package Units: Georgetown's Most Common Light Commercial System
Packaged rooftop units combine the compressor, evaporator coil, condenser, and gas or electric heat section into a single cabinet mounted directly on the roof. That design keeps the equipment out of leasable floor space, but it also means every component sits exposed to Georgetown's summer heat, UV exposure, and the occasional hail or wind-driven rain event. Because the whole unit is one box connected to the building only through the roof curb and a duct collar, the failure points are predictable: the economizer damper assembly, the roof curb seal, the fan motors, and, on multi-tenant or shared-space buildings, the exposed thermostat.
A lot of "the RTU is dead" calls turn out to be an economizer damper stuck in the wrong position, or a single failed fan motor, not a compressor or full system failure. Before quoting a replacement, we isolate which subsystem actually failed, the damper actuator, the fan, the curb seal, or the refrigerant circuit, because those repairs are often a fraction of the cost of a new unit.
Commercial Rooftop Unit Diagnostics
A proper RTU diagnostic starts before the technician opens a panel. We check the building's actual comfort complaint (not cooling, short cycling, high bills, noise), pull the unit's nameplate data, and inspect the economizer, refrigerant circuit, electrical components, and controls in that order. Most "not cooling" RTU calls trace back to one of a handful of causes: a failed run or start capacitor, a stuck or miswired economizer damper, a dirty or iced evaporator coil, or a low refrigerant charge from a slow leak. We test each system in sequence and give you a written diagnosis, not a guess, before any repair work begins. For buildings on a Building Automation System (BAS) or Building Management System (BMS), we coordinate with the controls contractor so a mechanical fix doesn't get overridden by a control sequence issue.
RTU Economizer Damper Repair
The economizer is the RTU's outside-air damper assembly, it brings in fresh outdoor air for "free cooling" when outdoor temperatures allow it, and closes to recirculate conditioned air the rest of the time. When the damper linkage seizes, the actuator motor fails, or the control signal is lost, the damper can get stuck fully open (flooding the space with unconditioned outside air and spiking energy bills) or fully closed (starving the building of fresh air and tripping indoor air quality complaints). We repair or replace economizer actuators, linkage arms, damper blades, and the associated control wiring, and we verify the full range of motion and control response before closing out the job.
RTU Roof Curb Weather Sealing
The roof curb is the structural frame that raises the RTU above the roof deck and ties the ductwork into the unit. It is sealed with a gasket where the unit cabinet sits on the curb, and with flashing where the curb penetrates the roof membrane. Georgetown's seasonal heat and UV exposure dry out and crack that sealant faster than in milder climates, and once the seal fails, water tracks down into the roof deck and the building interior below rather than shedding off the roof. Left alone, this causes ceiling stains, insulation damage, and eventually structural roof repair that costs far more than resealing the curb. We inspect curb gaskets, flashing, and duct penetrations, and reseal or replace failed gasket material as part of routine RTU service.
Packaged HVAC Unit Fan Replacement
Every packaged RTU runs at least two fan motors, a supply/blower fan that moves conditioned air into the building's ductwork, and a condenser fan that pulls outside air across the condenser coil to reject heat. Either one failing takes the unit out of proper operation: a failed supply fan means no airflow to the space even if the compressor is fine, and a failed condenser fan causes the system to overheat and trip out on high head pressure. We replace supply blower motors, condenser fan motors, fan blades, belts (on belt-drive units), and mounting hardware to OEM specification, matching horsepower, rotation direction, and electrical characteristics for the specific unit.
Commercial Thermostat Lockbox Installation
In retail, multi-tenant, and shared-space buildings, an exposed wall thermostat is an open invitation for anyone in the space to change the setpoint. That drives up energy costs, creates comfort disputes between occupants, and can mask a real equipment problem behind a manually overridden setting. A thermostat lockbox is a locking, ventilated enclosure that mounts over the existing thermostat, letting staff read the display and, where allowed, service technicians access the controls, while preventing unauthorized adjustment. We install lockboxes sized and mounted to fit your existing thermostat or zone controller without disrupting its sensor accuracy.
Roof access and safety come first, then a full diagnostic pass before any repair recommendation. We give you a written estimate that separates the immediate fix from any preventive items we found (a curb seal starting to crack, a fan showing early bearing wear) so you can decide what to address now versus schedule for later.
Repair vs. Replace: Rooftop Package Units in Georgetown
RTUs live a hard life on the roof, and the right call between repair and replacement depends on the unit's age, the specific failure, and how many prior repairs it has needed.
| Component / Issue | Georgetown Guideline |
|---|---|
| Economizer actuator or linkage | Any age: Repair, isolated component failure |
| Roof curb gasket or flashing | Any age: Reseal proactively before leaks start |
| Supply or condenser fan motor | Under 12 yrs: Repair | 12+ yrs: Evaluate against full unit condition |
| Compressor or refrigerant circuit failure | Under 10 yrs: Repair | 10-15 yrs: Compare repair cost to replacement |
| Full unit, multiple systems failing | 15+ yrs or repeated major repairs: Replace |
Full decision framework: Repair vs Replace Guide | Cost estimates: HVAC Cost Calculator