Your Preventative HVAC Maintenance Checklist

The key to high-functioning, efficient and long-lasting HVAC service is preventative HVAC maintenance. Much like you have to get your car engine serviced and the oil changed, you must inspect and replace components of your commercial HVAC equipment in order to avoid costly HVAC repair and downtime.

However, commercial HVAC systems are much more complicated than cars, and come with a much greater number of components to check and maintain. To help you get the most out of your HVAC system, just follow this checklist for preventative HVAC maintenance.

Maintaining Air Filters and the Air Handling System

Your air filters need to be checked, and if necessary replaced, at least once a month. Not only do they become a breeding ground for mold when left unchecked, but they affect the efficiency of your air handling system and can thus increase energy costs.

A good rule of thumb is to replace them twice a year, but again, regular preventative HVAC maintenance is key.

Evaporator and Condenser Coil Cleaning

Possibly the highest priority for beleaguered office workers in the summer, keeping the air conditioning in a commercial building running smoothly requires frequent voltage monitoring, lubrication of machine components and draining condensation to prevent water damage.

Evaporator and condensor coil cleaning should generally be conducted twice a year, but could be lowered to once a year depending on your building's age. However, careful care should be given to the condenser coil in particular because the dirty, outdoor air it processes can have a significant degradative effect.

While this shouldn't affect air quality, it could negatively impact energy efficiency. That's why you need both bi-annual condenser coil cleaning and protective chemical treatments that will prevent the growth of bacteria.

Keeping Clean Air Ducts

Frequency of air duct cleaning depends largely on the state of your building and what functions it fulfills. For instance, you should clean air ducts in a medical facility more often than in a factory, but ultimately regular inspection and analysis is key.

More than just ensuring good air quality for inhabitants with clean air ducts, inspections should also check for leaks and cracks that are reducing the efficiency of your commercial HVAC equipment and plug them up.

Of course, the best way to ensure your HVAC system is running efficiently is by monitoring the thermostat to make sure it's set at an acceptable level for both efficiency and comfort.

Commercial High-Rise Preventative Maintenance

Commercial high-rise office towers are very different from other types of high-rise buildings. They have specific uses for a variety of occupants which range from office space, to retail, to health clubs, and date centres to name a few.

All these different types of usages put various different loads on the building HVAC systems. Some require more cooling and heating while some require more or less air flow. These types of buildings are dynamic and the loads are constantly changing, so the HVAC system has to constantly change with it. This requires constant maintenance to ensure all the HVAC systems meet the building's demands.

Ambient Mechanical is one of the few full 24-hour Mechanical service companies that has all the services needed under one roof, such as:

• Cooling Plants: including chiller, cooling towers and pump service.
• Heating Plants: including boilers, heat exchangers, heat recovery pumps.
• Air handlers including: filtration, motors, variable frequency drives, fan assemblies.
• Building Control Systems: we service everything from pneumatics, to the most advanced digital control systems, including remove access and alarming.

For top-notch preventative HVAC maintenance, expert repair and excellent commercial HVAC equipment for your system, contact Ambient Mechanical today. We offer a wide range of HVAC services to keep your building at maximum efficiency.