HVAC
Maintenance
Most successful businesses recognize the need to maintain their
heating and cooling equipment. They often represent one of the most expensive
pieces of equipment they own and they can have a serious impact on the day to
day operations if they break down.
A modern heating and cooling system will function for long periods
of time with virtually no maintenance at all. It can in fact, take several
years for a system to deteriorate to the point that something breaks. Since
this equipment is almost always out of site it is easy to take it for granted.
If the room temperature is acceptable, we tend to forget about it. This can be
a dangerous situation. Even though the equipment may be functioning it is
likely working harder than it should, wasting energy and shortening its life
expectancy.
The two items which most often affect the
performance of the unit are filters and belts. A filter is intended to keep
dirt off of the evaporator coils and out of the duct work. A filter’s
efficiency is determined in part by how much dirt it will hold. When it reaches
its holding capacity the dirt will begin to unload, or pass through the filter
and be caught by the coil. All of this restriction in the system will cause it
to run longer to satisfy the thermostat.
When
the coil plugs, the air can no longer pass through it fast enough and it will
freeze up. Typically this would result in a service
call to replace the filters and clean the unit. This is what most service
agreements are based upon. If you change the filters before they start to
unload the equipment will function. The question is,
how much energy are you wasting through excessive run-time?
A conscientious mechanic will, while on site,
compile a list of items or situations which require further work in order to
keep your system operating at peak efficiency. As long as both the mechanic and
the owner of the equipment have time to communicate with one another regarding
the equipment condition this system will be effective. If however, either party
is too busy or does not fully understand the situation, the work will not get
done and the equipment will be left in an unsatisfactory
condition.
Preventive maintenance can be defined as any task which is
intended to increase efficiency, extend equipment life and/or reduce the
likelihood of breakdown. A good preventive maintenance program will ensure that
a mechanics time at your place of business is spent on ensuring that he does
not have to return until the filters need to be changed again
Maintenance programs consist primarily of two things, materials
and the mechanic’s time. Assuming every contractor would at least be required
to supply the same materials, the difference between one price and the next has
to be labour. If a contractor with a high labour rate has a contract price
lower than, or the same as a contractor with a lower rate you should ask
yourself if you believe they are both going to spend the same amount of time on
your equipment. No contractor can afford to give away their mechanics time. It
is all they have to sell.
If you want to know how much time is being spent making sure that
your equipment is not going to break down find out how many dollars are needed
for materials and divide the balance of the contract price by the labour rate
of the contractor you deal with. Then go look at your equipment. You don’t have
to have years of training to recognize good workmanship. Is it clean? Does the
wiring look safe and secure? Look at your ceiling tiles and air vents. Are they
clean? Look at your invoice history. How often do you need a service call
because something needed to be cleaned, because a belt broke, or because a wire
shorted out?
Our
Maintenance Solution
A
quality mechanical contractor employs people who enjoy working with heating and
cooling systems. Like anyone else, these individuals want to take pride in
their work. If they are not allowed to use the talents that they have they will
become disillusioned. If they are too rushed in their work they will assume
that the owner does not care. If the owner does not care, they will not be as
thorough as they should be. When the equipment breaks they will go fix it and
shake their head at the waste of money.
The most important part of the maintenance equation is trust.
Sooner or later, you have to find a contractor who you believe has your best
interests at heart. Only you can make that determination, no sales pitch or
literature will show you that you can trust anyone. But look at the price and
then look at the task list which they have laid out. If it seems too good to be
true, it most likely is.
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Our
staff has demonstrated commitment to training, to their careers and to our
customers. The average years of service of our HVAC mechanics is 16 years.
They have the experience to keep your equipment running efficiently and the
resources at their disposal to resolve even the most difficult and pressing
of technical issues. Call A Budget Heating & Air Conditioning for
additional information or an on-site assessment of your equipment 416-703-0571 416-703-1990 |