Spring Checkoffs At Your Facility

We waited quite awhile for spring and I hope you are enjoying the nicer weather. During the inclement weather, you and staff probably tried to avoid going out and about your facility to do routine maintenance or address minor matters. Thus, nicer weather means it is convenient and there are the right conditions to get outside and ensure that environments are safe and equipment is up to standard, important for a well-run and energy efficient building for all. And spring means that the hot weather of summer is around the corner, so it is important to begin to prepare your air conditioners or other cooling equipment for the sharp demands of summer.

You know how your spouse may have a “Honey-Do” list for you to do at home? Well, here is a suggested list for commercial buildings:

  • Clean air conditioning and heating units, replace air filters. This may well be a time of the year that you are neither heating nor cooling your building. Thus, this is the time to have all or most of your air conditioning and heating (split units, heat pumps, rooftop units) inspected. Open up the equipment. Carefully look and reach inside. Air filters can/should be replaced. Coils, tubes, and other portions should be inspected for dust, dirt, or grease, and cleaned. Despite filters, dirt can get in and stick to equipment, reducing its efficiency. Make sure electrical connections are in order.
  • Have controls checked.  Review all thermostats and similar controls. Is the temperature stated on the thermostat the actual temperature in that area? Use an IR or similar monitor to determine air temperature of the area and compare. Being off by a degree or two happens. But if it is off by 3 or more degrees, have your HVAC firm re-calibrate the thermostat. It is certainly wasteful to you to have delivered to an area heat or cooling that is already at your desired temperature. Also, does the thermostat respond as it is supposed to? Does it turn on the fans and the heating or cooling source when the temperature in the room is one or a certain number of degrees above or below the setpoint? If there is a delayed response, the HVAC firm should check and adjust. If the heating or cooling source is activated, but the fan is not delivering to the area, that’s a major waste.
  • Inspect and clean exhaust fans. This is not a fun job. Exhaust fans blow out air from bathrooms and kitchens. Odors, dirt, and oils can accumulate in the duct work. They need to be cleaned out periodically. If dirt accumulates in time, it can damage the fan or motor or reduce the space for air to flow, making it work harder and use more energy than it should.
  • Investigate leaks in piping, tubes, or fittings.  The heating season should be about over. Your complex heating system has many pipes, vents, and fittings that transport steam or hot water. There are many opportunities and areas for leaking. Some may be very subtle. Look for water stains. And go through your entire system, not just where people are (near radiators), but throughout the boiler room and surrounding rooms. Small leaks add up. And check your condensate. You may think it is unimportant; it is water just returning to the boiler. But it is important and its heat reduces the amount of fuel the system will need to combust. Check for leaks throughout the year when they are visible, but especially as the heating season is winding down or just beginning.
  • Check your insulation.  Insulation is a low-cost way to save energy. Your system has combusted a fuel to create steam or hot water. Why lose that heat through pipes you have paid for making by not insulating. It is natural that as pieces of insulation fray or fall off, it is not the highest priority to replace. But in time, as more pipe becomes bare, it adds up. Take the time as the heating system winds down to check the insulation and replace in kind and make sure you are not missing any spots.
  • Check the little things.  Yes, this is not fun and probably has been put off for awhile, but take the time to review your
    • Building plans. Are they up to date? Have changes been incorporated and are easy to access (especially as tenants change)?
    • Emergency procedures. Do you know where your emergency equipment is? Is it full, operable, and ready to go? Does appropriate staff know what to do in an emergency? Take the time to make sure.
    • Equipment information. Is there easy access to specifications or operations manuals of key equipment (boiler, AC units, motors, controls etc.)? It is tempting to install new equipment and toss the manual in a file – somewhere. Find out where “they” are and have them more accessible (for example, make an electronic copy). And throw out the old ones. And procedures. Make sure they are up to date and understandable by all.
    • Training. This is a good time to review whether you have the right number and people trained to operate your specialized equipment and for various emergencies, whether it’s health and safety or operational. There is always some worker turnover. Are there enough people around who know what to do and how to handle equipment in different emergencies?

This good preparation in this “quiet” time of the year will make your life and work a lot easier.

CCES has the experts to help you organize your systems, perform retro-commissioning on your key equipment, and ensure that equipment is operating properly. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.