Commercial HVAC Maintenance by All Time Air Conditioning
As the owner of a commercial business, it’s likely that your facility costs usually account for a considerable part of your annual spending. Aside from rent and mortgage expenses, the energy costs are quite high, with industrial and commercial facilities in the U.S. spending $400 billion on energy alone annually.
Reducing the amount you spend on energy can generate significant savings, which can be allocated to other departments or causes, such as creating a new income of expanding your business. So, if you’re looking for an area to start saving on, start with your commercial HVAC system.
Importance of Commercial HVAC Maintenance
Along with the lighting system, HVAC systems are the largest energy consumers in the average commercial building. Where building automation systems along with other technologies that work to lower energy consumption is certainly worth a mention; keeping your HVAC system in tip-top shape can significantly impact the amount of energy your commercial equipment uses.
Our commercial HVAC Maintenance Checklist ideally gives you a step-by-step guide on how to maintain your building’s HVAC equipment, and thereby consume less energy and ensure the system serve you for longer.
A Checklist for Commercial HVAC Maintenance
Maintenance departments and facility managers can help keep your commercial HVAC systems running more efficiently through regular commercial HVAC maintenance. The following is a commercial HVAC maintenance checklist that you should follow as a guide:
Preventative Maintenance for Commercial HVAC Systems
Not every business will require the same kind of needs for their HVAC systems. As such, many contractors offer customized commercial HVAC maintenance plants, which are specially designed to provide the care your system needs for optimal performance.
It is conducted in the fall for heating systems and in the spring for cooling systems.
A professional commercial HVAC technician should ideally conduct the service. Preventative maintenance tunes up the HVAC systems of your building, ideally helping them run more efficiently throughout the season. A number of steps will be taken to correct the existing issues and safeguard it from future performance issues or breakdowns. These steps typically include the following:
Outdoor Components:
- Inspecting and cleaning the coils and cabinet
- Clearing obstructions from the condensate lines and drain pans
- Inspecting and lubricating the fan blades and motor
- Inspecting the switches, control box, safety controls, and wiring
- Measuring the refrigerant level and recharging it if necessary
Indoor Components:
- Checking and cleaning the blower assembly
- Lubricating or replacing the belts
- Cleaning the combustion blower housing
- Cleaning and clearing the drip pan, evaporator coil, and condensate lines
- Testing safety control
- Cleaning the ignition system
- Inspecting the heat exchanger
- Checking the fuel system for wear and dislocations
- Checking and tightening the wiring, control box, and connections
- Cleaning or replacing the air filters
- Checking the duct system
Checking and Changing the Air Filters
Air filters need to be inspected every three to four weeks. This will ensure that the filters don’t become clogged with dirt or debris. Changing the filters should be done every 3 to 6 months, as needed, or based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Maintenance staff should also monitor the air filters regularly and stay on top of the maintenance and changes since restricted airflow through the HVAC system will hinder its performance and raise the energy consumed by the equipment. If the HVAC system is used heavily, you might find it necessary to change the filters a bit more frequently. Running your commercial HVAC system with clean air filters helps to lower the energy it consumes by up to 15%.
Programming Thermostats
This should be done at the beginning of the cold season and the hot seasons, ideally when the temperatures are at a point where the systems aren’t being used regularly. When replacing your HVAC system or when it’s not being used frequently, you can make the most out of this time to check the programming on the building’s thermostats to make sure that they are optimized for energy savings.
You can do this by manually programing the thermostats or via the building automation system. Even if you programmed the cooling and heating schedules previously, it’s wise to check again and ensure that the settings fit your needs, and the same areas are being used regularly.
Periodic System Checks
These should ideally be performed monthly or as necessary. Check the operation of the thermostat. If the thermostats aren’t operating as they should throughout the season, the HVAC system might have to run more frequently than necessary, which will only raise your energy consumption. So, if your thermostats aren’t working correctly, have them replaced or repaired.
Check the drain lines and drip pan. Any clogs in the HVAC drainage lines could lead to moisture backing up into the building, which will encourage mildew and mold growth and the consequent potential for severe damage. Ensure that the drip pan and the drain lines empty correctly, and get rid of any obstructions that form.
With the proper maintenance for your commercial HVAC system, it will operate efficiently year-round, giving you notable energy savings. Moreover, working with a trusted commercial HVAC professional will enable you to create a personalized HVAC maintenance checklist for your commercial space, tailored to meet the needs of your business.
All Time Air Conditioning connects facility managers and business owners to the best local commercial HVAC contractors. With our Online Contractor Directory, you can find an All Time Air Conditioning certified contractor who can provide you with commercial HVAC maintenance services.