To keep your facility’s air conditioning in tip-top shape during the dog days of summer, the Facility Dude website offers the following tips:
When you encounter a problem during regular inspections of your buildings, address the issue right away regardless of how insignificant it seems. Deferred maintenance issues can be more costly to fix down the road and can cause your HVAC system to operate inefficiently.
Increasing the energy efficiency of your infrastructure will not only help you reduce energy-related utility costs, it may also allow you to extend the life of your equipment and reduce future expenditures. Variable refrigerant units, for example, have proven to be much more efficient than standard models used in facilities in the United States.
When considering retrofits, however, it’s important to balance operational efficiency with budgetary requirements and the needs of your occupants. If a retrofit project eats into your capital budget more than is feasible, it is probably wise to hold off.
Make sure your scheduled maintenance reflects the complexity of your HVAC system. In addition to registers, ducts, vents and other indoor elements, inspect the outdoor elements as well. Exposure to weather and some animals can impact performance.
Don’t forget the thermostat. If your computerized maintenance and management system is reporting faulty performance but you see no signs of damage to the HVAC system itself, the thermostat may be to blame.
Photo via Shutterstock
