Fall Preventive Maintenance Checklist for Air Handling Units/Fan Coil Units
Prevent unwelcome visitors – like this mouse – from negatively impacting your HVAC system’s performance
With the upcoming drop in temperatures as the crisp fall weather starts to roll in, is your air handling unit ready? Has your property manager or building owner scheduled a service appointment with your commercial HVAC technician to test and inspect the air handling units (AHU) / fan coil units in your buildings? If not, you could encounter problems or surprises – such as the little critter here that recently caused problems for one of our property management customers!
During a recent service call by Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI), our service technician found a mouse in the client’s fan coils – negatively impacting the performance of the HVAC unit! So save yourself from future headaches and have your air handling unit professionally serviced this month.
Scheduling AHU Maintenance Now Will Avoid Headaches Later On
You can prevent air distribution issues from occurring if you plan ahead and schedule an inspection of your air handling units (AHUs) now. AHUs or fan coil units channel warm or cool air to different parts of a building. This process involves drawing air over heating or cooling coils and forcing it from a central location through ducts or AHUs. AHUs use steam or hot water to heat, or chilled water to cool the air inside the ductwork.
If preventive maintenance is ignored, your business could encounter many issues, including the following:
Uneven air distribution throughout an office.
Air stratification “dead zones” resulting in hot and cold spots in a room.
Excessive noise generated from the air handing unit from restricted air flow.
Annoying vibration from fans.
Inefficient operation.
Obstructed air flow, perhaps from a little critter, like our mouse friend pictured above.
Preventive Maintenance Checklist for Air Handling Units
Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI) follows a ten-step checklist to ensure your air handling units will perform efficiently and continuously – not working harder or running longer than intended. Well-maintained HVAC systems save energy – and with HVAC systems representing 40-70% of a commercial building’s energy bill –it makes financial sense to service them on a regular basis. Here’s a list of what needs to be checked to ensure peak performance.
Check with operating or area personnel for deficiencies.
Check controls and unit for proper operation.
Check for unusual noise or vibration.
Check tension, condition and alignment of belts; adjust as necessary.
Clean coils, evaporator drain pan, blower, motor and drain piping, as required.
Lubricate shaft and motor bearings.
Replace air filters.
Inspect exterior piping and valves for leaks; tighten connections as required.
Clean area around equipment.
Fill out maintenance checklist and report deficiencies.
Before the cold weather arrives, now is the best time to schedule a preventive maintenance appointment for your air handling units/fan coil units. Call Crockett Facilities Services today to get a preventative maintenance quote for your HVAC system – call 202.600.2787, email sales@crockett-facilities.com or complete our online form for a service quote. CFSI provides 24/7 commercial HVAC and mechanical services throughout Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, targeting property managers, building owners, and facility/IT managers responsible for data centers and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units.
