Fall is just about rolling around, and it’s time to start re-evaluate your HVAC unit’s condition. Winter is one of the hardest times of the year for heating and cooling systems—don’t sacrifice your workers’ comfort to save pennies before the cold hits. It’s best to be ready so you can keep productivity high throughout the colder months. Improper temperatures and poor indoor air quality have been statistically shown to have an adverse effect on worker productivity.
Part 1: The checklist
Just like a car or machine, preventative maintenance is the best way to prolong the quality and life of your HVAC system. If you wait until an HVAC system breaks down, you’ll find yourself in hot water. Through regular preventative maintenance, you not only reduce risk and avoid system breakdown but decrease the likelihood of future repair costs.
Here’s our short but sweet checklist to ensure that your commercial HVAC equipment operates at its peak for the coming season:
- Replace Air Filters: The dirty air filters will restrict the air flow through the HVAC system and hamper efficiency. The air filters should be changed at least once a month.
- Adjust Supply Registers: when the weather is starting to cool, it is important to open a couple of the supply registers on the first floor and then close a few on upper floors or your commercial building. This will help your HVAC system heat your commercial building more efficiently.
- Calibrate Thermostats: Have a professional commercial HVAC technician calibrate all the thermostats in your commercial property. If the thermostats are too far off from each other, your system will not be as efficient as it could be.
- Programmable Thermostat: A programmable thermostat can cut heating costs by nearly 75%. This will allow you to adjust the heating and cooling of your commercial property much easier.
- Humidifier: Make sure you have a humidifier to help add humidity to the air since heat will dry out the air. Have the technician check to make sure the humidifier works properly and is being monitored for the correct humidity levels.
- HVAC Replacement: If the HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old, it may be better to have it replaced. For systems that are over 10 years old, any maintenance done on the system is more like a temporary fix more than anything else. Some gas furnaces that were installed more than 10 years ago are now only 50% to 60% efficient. Today’s gas furnaces will boast efficiency ratings of up to almost 97%.
Part 2: Professional inspection
Doing what you can on your own is great, but a complete inspection is best to a pro. An inspector will check the wiring and components of your HVAC system to ensure everything is working properly. Depending on the service, your inspector may go beyond inspection and perform regular HVAC maintenance tasks. Have your commercial system inspected at least 2 times a year by a professional HVAC technician. Have them check for reliability, efficiency, and safe operation of all HVAC equipment. The technician should be able to identify any potential problems to make sure your system is working properly.
For questions about the state of your HVAC unit, or to get an expert’s advice, give the MJC team a call today. We can check out your system, provide tips for getting more from it, or even custom design an HVAC system that meets your needs. Don’t wait to see if something will happen. Be proactive, and prevent HVAC problems before they can occur. Give us a call at (248) 486-6500 if you’d like to know more. If you don’t have time to call, you can fill in our online contact form and someone from our staff will be in touch with you shortly.
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