The indoor air quality (IAQ) in your building can be directly affected by the quality of maintenance of your HVAC system. Building staff or occupants who are familiar with the features of your building are an important resource in preventing and resolving indoor air quality problems. Personnel should be trained to respond to indoor air quality concerns by understanding how their regular activities affect indoor air quality.
An HVAC system requires proper preventative maintenance and prompt attention to repairs in order to operate correctly and provide suitable environmental conditions as well as good indoor air quality. You or your HVAC system operators must have a fundamental understanding of your system’s overall design, its intended function, and its limitations. It may be necessary to change existing best practices or introduce new procedures in regards to operating and maintaining your HVAC system.
Why You Need a Preventative Maintenance Plan
A well-implemented, preventative maintenance plan improves the functionality and lifespan of your HVAC system. When evaluated on a life-cycle basis, a preventative maintenance plan will save you time and a significant amount of money. An established operational and maintenance plan will also keep the indoor air quality of your building at peak levels, creating an environment that is safe and healthy for its occupants.
Some building owners, often due to budgetary constraints, will put off performing maintenance on their HVAC system until some kind of breakdown occurs (or until occupant complaints begin to pile up). This philosophy of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” can be very costly and detrimental to the health of the building’s occupants.
The most common example of this is poor filter maintenance. Filters that are not changed regularly can become a bed for fungal growth, sometimes allowing particles or microorganisms to be distributed into the building’s airstream. When filters become clogged, the fans use more energy to operate (increased electrical costs) and move less air through the building.
If the filters are an inexpensive, low-efficiency type, they can become clogged. The coils then accumulate dirt, causing another increase in energy consumption. Poor air filter efficiency and poor maintenance can also cause dirt to build up in ducts and become contaminated with molds, possibly requiring an expensive duct cleaning service.
Creating a Preventative Maintenance Plan
Creating a plan is the first step towards continually high indoor air quality. Your plan should include routine inspections of the HVAC system and building’s environment, plans for regular cleaning, and a budget for repairs or service as necessary. It is highly encouraged that you budget accordingly for high quality replacement parts or maintenance equipment, not just the cheapest solution available. This is imperative for your air filter and other parts that need regular replacement.
The plan should include a schedule for calibration and adjustments, usually performed on a monthly basis at minimum. A proper preventative maintenance plan must be budgeted and implemented, not merely planned out on paper. An HVAC preventative maintenance plan should also have a strategy for upkeep, execution, and management of the plan.
There are several components of your HVAC system that work to keep up the indoor air quality of your building. While creating your preventative maintenance plan, account for all the replaceable parts in your system.
These parts include the air filters, drip pans, damper controls, fan belts, exhaust fans, humidification equipment and controls, distribution systems, and outdoor air intake openings. Staying on top of these is the easiest and one of the most effective ways to deliver adequate ventilation and good indoor air quality.
On top of repairs and replacements, there are other preventative maintenance factors that should be incorporated into your plan. These include:
Housekeeping:
Poor Indoor air quality can arise from inadequate housekeeping that fails to remove dust and other dirt. Cleaning materials themselves also produce odors and emit a variety of chemicals. Work with your maintenance staff to create a schedule that considers the chemicals used and time when they are used.
For example, if your building requires cleaning that uses extremely odorous chemicals, plan to have them used before your occupants arrive or after they leave. Learn and then educate your staff on which chemicals are the safest for human exposure and how to properly store them. It is also imperative to follow proper trash disposal procedures, including the cleaning of your trash collection area on a daily basis. If you look under the hood, you will definitely find areas of improvement in your current housekeeping procedures.
Shipping and Receiving:
Shipping and receiving areas can create indoor air quality problems regardless of the types of materials being handled. Vehicle exhaust fumes can be minimized by prohibiting idling at the loading dock.
This is particularly important if the loading dock is located upwind of outdoor air intake vents. You can also reduce drafts and pollutant entry by pressurizing interior spaces and by keeping doors closed when they are not in use.
Pest Control:
Pest control activities that depend upon the use of pesticides involve the storage, handling, and application of materials that can have serious health effects on humans. If an outside contractor is used for pest control, it is advisable to review the terms of the contract and include IPM principles where possible. Schedule pesticide applications for periods of time where the building is unoccupied. Select pesticides that are species specific and safe for human exposure. Plan for proper ventilation of areas where pesticides are used.
Preventative Maintenance Management
Maintenance “indicators” are available to help facility staff determine when routine maintenance is required. Commercial air filters are often neglected and fail to receive maintenance at proper intervals. Installation of an inexpensive manometer (an instrument used to monitor the pressure loss across a filter bank) can give an immediate indication of filter condition without having to open the unit to visually observe the actual filter.
Computerized systems are also available and can prompt your staff to carry out maintenance when required. Some of these programs can be connected to building equipment so that a signal is transmitted to your staff if a piece of equipment malfunctions. Individual areas can be monitored for temperature, air movement, humidity, and carbon dioxide, and new sensors are constantly entering the market. These sensors can be programmed to record data and to control multiple elements of the HVAC system.
Advanced Filtration Concepts is a
Certified Veteran-Owned Small Business.
