HVAC Professionals versus Your Maintenance Guy
What is HVAC system maintenance?
If the mechanical ventilation in your building is operating correctly, it’s likely a building system you never think about. But once it malfunctions, you will not be able to get it off your mind! System maintenance is a regular and consistent HVAC tune up on your mechanical equipment. Qualified technicians go through your equipment with a fine-toothed comb, checking, testing, and cleaning all the pieces and parts that keep your systems running.
What should be included in HVAC maintenance?
First and foremost, HVAC preventative maintenance is more than just a filter change. Our licensed professionals are trained and qualified to inspect and repair all major HVAC equipment. No matter what equipment is serving your building, our technicians can work on it, and are familiar enough to recognize any problems. During a preventative maintenance inspection, along with an air filter replacement, our technician will inspect and clear drainage lines and blower components; they will tighten and tune all electrical connections and monitor the voltage and amperage draws on all motors; they will lubricate all moving parts; they will weigh the system’s refrigerant and ensure proper system pressures and refrigerant charge.
While all of the various inspection tasks are being completed, the technician will be looking for any possible molehills that could turn into mountains later on. Loose wiring, slightly low refrigerant, dirty coils, cobwebs, disconnected or failed accessories, all of these may not be noticeable in your current state, but will become a huge issue with a season change.
How often should you have HVAC maintenance?
Bi-annual maintenance is recommended on most pieces of HVAC equipment by their manufacturers, sometimes more depending on use of that equipment. For optimum performance, these units need to be cleaned and tuned-up before each highest-use season. For most building HVAC systems, ones that heat and cool the space, HVAC preventative maintenance should be done in early spring and early fall. Refrigeration systems such as ice machines and walk-in coolers and freezers should be maintained four times a year; these systems are more specialized and dependent on correct refrigerant levels and cleanliness.
How do I maintain my HVAC yearly?
Many businesses have a maintenance department on staff; it’s often necessary when you have a large campus with different building needs like changing lightbulbs and malfunctioning plumbing or appliances. Many businesses also think that HVAC maintenance falls under the same umbrella as building maintenance. We at Allied Mechanical may be biased, but we beg to disagree.
Have you ever heard the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none”? While overall building maintenance is important and necessary, HVAC maintenance is specialized. HVAC equipment is expensive, large, powerful, and specially designed. These units are built to serve entire floors, some even entire buildings. Rooftop units, cooling towers, chillers – there is more to running at optimal performance that tightening a few wires or cleaning a coil. Why risk your expensive equipment to save a few bucks on maintenance?
