The Case for HVAC Maintenance on Commercial Equipment
As a business owner, one of your top priorities is controlling costs in order to increase profit margins. Increased profit margins lead to growth. While having a HVAC maintenance plan might seem counter productive to your goal of reducing overhead, its actually the opposite. A lack of maintenance can lead to large expenses from equipment breakdowns and repair costs. Not to mention loss of business from not maintaining a comfortable environment for your customers.
To overlook implementing an HVAC maintenance plan for your commercial equipment will be costly for you and your clients in the long run, heres why.
Regular preventative maintenance will result in greater efficiency for your equipmentIt will extend the life of your HVAC equipment if maintained at frequent intervals. ultimately prolonging the large capital expenses resulting from HVAC equipment replacement costs. It will help you forecast future major equipment replacement, and help you plan accordingly. Help Maintain a consistent, comfortable indoor environment. allowing your employees to be more productive and focused on the job. Maintaining proper indoor air quality will also reduce the number of employees calling in sick.
Be Proactive not Reactive With HVAC Maintenance
All it takes is a loose belt, or loose electrical connection to put a unit down for repairs. Time lost researching HVAC companies, or scheduling repairs during peak season can become a consuming task. Often times these situations can lead to more extensive damaged to units and more costly repairs.
Although business owners are astounded when a lack of maintenance results in a repair costing in excess of $5-6K, it ultimately could have been prevented. For example, replacing filters quarterly could save you the cost of replacing a failed compressor as a result of poor airflow across the coils of the system. The same could be said of a loose, or broken belt that had the same results. Maintenance costs a fraction of what most repairs amount to on commercial HVAC equipment.
What Does a Good HVAC Maintenance Plan Look Like?
Attention to details is everything. An experienced HVAC company will not only be able to reduce your operating and repair costs, but will customize a maintenance plan for you. The list that follows are some basic items you should expect to see on your HVAC maintenance plan
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Quarterly Filter changes
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Wash or replace economizer, and make-up air filters quarterly
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Check exhaust fans for proper belt tension and bearing wear.
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Adjust or replace belts bi- annually or as needed
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Lubricate bearings
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Inspection of blower wheels and sheaves
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Check blower motor rpm
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Check suction and discharge line pressure and temperatures
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Test all safeties for proper operation
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Check Crankcase heater operation
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Thermostat operation (this seems like a no-brainer)
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Inspect condensate pan, for proper drainage and cleanliness
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Check operation of condensate pumps.
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Inspect and tighten loose electrical connections at all terminals
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Check voltage and amperage on all motors
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Measure temperature split between supply and return air
This is just a short list that only addresses the cooling function of most commercial units. There is a equally long list for heating. As you can probably surmise, there is a lot of moving parts and things that can go wrong if not looked after and properly maintained.
The Right HVAC Company Makes all the Difference
The devil is in the details. Although commercial units operate on the same basic principles of refrigeration as your HVAC system does at home, they are not the same. Commercial and Industrial equipment is on a much grander scale with more controls and electrical circuits than your average residential system. A company who is experienced in working with commercial equipment is a must.
Most larger companies will hire younger technicians who have the majority of experience in working on residential equipment. A seasoned tech will be able to diagnose problems faster and ultimately help prevent more issues from arising just by knowing what to look for first. A good company will communicate effectively with you and present pricing for maintenance or repair work upfront.
A good company will help tailor their maintenance package to fit your budget and equipments needs. Experienced techs often encounter similar issues on similar brands of equipment. In addition they usually know where the best places are to source OEM parts quickly to save you time and money.
If you’re looking to implement a new HVAC preventative maintenance plan for your commercial or industrial equipment, don’t hesitate to contact us today. Top Gun Heating & Air services specializes in commercial maintenance plans that match your equipment and budget.
