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Blog > Spring Checklist For Your Commercial HVAC System
Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system doesn’t just create a comfortable environment in your commercial building. It also helps to flush out stale and contaminated air, which improves the health of your staff and customers, and prevents damage from mold and condensation.
But as you use your commercial HVAC system, the components will start to wear and debris will build up inside. Unless you clean and service your system regularly, it could break down. That means a loss of income and hefty repair costs for your business.
To prevent sudden failures and unexpected downtime, it’s important to carry out regular preventative maintenance and cleaning of your HVAC system. So we’ve put together a handy spring cleaning checklist to keep your commercial HVAC system at optimal performance.
Your commercial HVAC system contains a huge number of mechanical moving parts, such as fans and motors. These need to be kept lubricated to function smoothly. When they aren’t, the constant movement creates a great deal of friction.
Over time, this friction will cause your moving parts to deteriorate and finally break, which can seriously damage your entire system. That means you’ll need to perform expensive and time consuming repairs and replacements.
It’s recommended that you lubricate your commercial HVAC system twice a year as part of your regular servicing and maintenance program. So get in touch with a reliable and experienced local HVAC expert like DMC Service to keep your costs and downtime to a minimum.
These components control the temperature and airflow in your commercial HVAC system. If they malfunction, your system won’t be able to regulate your business’ internal climate effectively.
Faulty sensors, for example, can cause your HVAC system to constantly cycle between heating and cooling, causing abrupt and uncomfortable changes in temperature. And if your shutoff switch fails to react to changes in pressure within your pipes, they could burst and damage your entire system.
Refrigerants like Freon and R-410A carry heat away from each room of your building through heat exchangers. When refrigerant levels get low, or when the refrigerant gets contaminated, your system’s motors have to work much harder to maintain a comfortable temperature.
This increased workload puts additional strain on your system, lowering its efficiency. It can also cause short cycling, which is when the air conditioning turns off without completing its cooling cycle. As a result, the temperature of your commercial building stays high and humidity levels increase, leading to condensation, mold, and moisture damage.
Lubricant pressure fluctuates depending on several factors, such as ambient temperature and motor speed. When pressure exceeds the normal range, your commercial HVAC system can experience gasket blowouts and leaks. These cause unexpected downtime and require expensive repairs that far exceed the cost of regular servicing and maintenance.
A properly calibrated thermostat allows your HVAC system to maintain a comfortable internal climate in response to fluctuations in outside temperature. But when it’s incorrectly calibrated or malfunctioning, this internal climate control won’t work properly. As well as making your building unpleasant for staff and customers, this can lead to inaccurate temperature readings, frozen pipes, and excessive energy bills.
The air filters in your commercial HVAC system catch dust and other particles before they enter your building, keeping the air clean and safe to breathe. When these filters get blocked, allergens such as pollen can enter your building and put those inside at risk. And if your building is located in an area with high levels of particulate pollen, dirt can accumulate in your filters much more quickly.
To keep the air safe, you need to regularly change your air filters before they get too dirty. Most commercial HVAC manufacturers recommend changing filters every three months.
Leaves, twigs, grass, vines, and other debris on your outdoor condenser units can block your vents. This reduces air flow and lowers the efficiency of heat exchange. So it’s crucial to regularly clean the area around your outdoor condenser units.
However, small debris can also make its way inside your condenser units. Removing these involves taking your units apart, which can actually cause more damage if you aren’t properly trained. Hire a professional HVAC service to ensure this job is done thoroughly, correctly, and safely.
While indoor components like blower fans, evaporator coils, and control panels aren’t as exposed as outdoor components, they’re still susceptible to dirt accumulation. An HVAC system blocked with dust and dirt is much less effective at circulating warm and cold air. This also increases energy consumption and dramatically reduces the system’s lifespan.
Thankfully, even a simple clean of these components helps prevent early deterioration. So you should include this as part of your regular cleaning program.
Faulty electrical wiring is a leading cause of fires in commercial buildings, especially in HVAC systems. That’s because loose electrical connections cause your system to overheat and can create short-circuit sparks.
Tampering with any electrical system risks additional damage and electrocution. To keep your employees and customers safe, always hire a commercial electrician or commercial HVAC company to inspect and repair damaged electrics.
Condensate drain lines remove the excess moisture that builds up in your commercial HVAC system. When these get clogged, mold and bacteria can grow inside your system, which are then spread throughout your building. Blocked drains can also trap water within your HVAC, which can freeze both your evaporator coil and the drain line itself, leading to system failure.
Regularly check your condensate drain lines for obstructions and make sure any excess moisture can flow freely. It’s also a good idea to apply an algaecide to prevent algae growth, which could block the drain and lead to your system becoming flooded.
While there are some steps you can take to keep your HVAC system in good condition, truly effective maintenance and repair requires expert knowledge and skills. That’s why businesses throughout the Kansas City metro area choose DMC Service for their commercial HVAC spring cleaning (and summer, fall, and winter cleaning, too). We’re available 24/7/365 and always ready to solve your HVAC and plumbing challenges quickly and thoroughly.
Contact us today for your customized quote and make sure your commercial HVAC system is ready for the year ahead.