3 Maintenance Programs for Your HVAC System
Choosing an HVAC maintenance program
When choosing a maintenance program for your HVAC system, there are several things that you need to take into consideration, such as budget, in-house staff, the equipment necessary to your operations, and more. It’s important to keep in mind that each facility will have different needs even if they are within the same organization.
There are three major types of maintenance programs: test and inspect, standard maintenance, and comprehensive maintenance. Each program has its place in an organization and in most cases you can customize the program to fit your needs and budget:
1. Test and inspect program
The test and inspect program is the most basic program that consists of only one or two inspections per year. During these inspections, a technician will take a very basic look into a piece of equipment’s functionality. Typically, it will include filter changes but not a condenser or coil cleaning. This type of program usually does not meet manufacturers’ recommendations, which can be found in the owner’s manual for the unit. Each unit and manufacturer has different requirements, so make sure that you pay close attention to the manual’s recommendations. While implementing this program is better than doing nothing, you should only choose this inspection if all other options aren’t feasible.
2. The standard maintenance program
The standard maintenance program is more in depth than the test and inspect program, and consists of two to four inspections per year. It will have a pre-cool / pre-heat inspection, in which a technician will take a deep dive into the equipment to make sure it is running at optimal efficiency before the correlating season starts. This program typically has a condenser or coil cleaning and includes filter changes. There may also be two operational visits that take place when the equipment is working its hardest to ensure it is functioning properly. Implementing this type of program will most likely meet manufacturers’ recommendations.
3. The comprehensive program
The final program is what is called a comprehensive program, and is commonly compared to an insurance policy. Of all the programs, this one will vary the most from site to site and service provider to service provider. At its very core, the comprehensive program will include four or more inspection visits per year including a pre-heat / pre-cool inspection, two or more operational inspections per year, and a condenser or coil cleaning. It usually includes service calls and parts and labor for repairs, which will definitely be a nice benefit down the road. This program meets almost all manufacturers’ recommendations, but with all the ways that this program can vary, it’s important to have a clear scope of work for all projects and equipment.
Because establishing and executing a preventive maintenance schedule can save 12-18% in costs, it only makes sense that you implement a plan for your HVAC system. While you’re searching for the best option for your organization, be sure you know what you are currently doing and what you plan to accomplish with the changes that are going to be made. You should include someone from the facilities management department, finance department and an expert in the HVAC industry when creating a preventive maintenance schedule to make sure that the program checks off all of the right boxes.