Your HVAC equipment is failing faster than it should

Whether it's our cars, cell phones, or home appliances, we know that everything wears out and needs to be repaired or replaced eventually. This outcome can't be avoided altogether, but the way we use and care for these everyday items has a big impact on how much life we get out of it. A car driven modestly with regular service and oil changes will last much longer and with lower repair costs than one that's driven aggressively on harsh roads and only taken into the shop when it breaks down.

The same is true of HVAC systems in our commercial buildings. The typical life expectancy for different types of equipment is published by industry organizations like ASHRAE. Those values provide a helpful point of reference, but the actual lifespan of equipment is determined by the quality of the equipment, how it is maintained, and how it is operated over its services life. Equipment quality is often outside of our control with selections being made to achieve lowest initial cost rather than lowest operating or lifetime cost. The good news is that whether you have cheap equipment or premium equipment, you can take steps today to extend its life and reduce your operating costs in the process.

Low operating costs and long service life for your commercial HVAC equipment depends on three things: preventative maintenance, HVAC optimization, and real-time health monitoring.

Preventative Maintenance

HVAC equipment requires routine maintenance just like your car needs regular oil changes. Maintenance activities for a common packaged rooftop unit include changing air filters, changing fan motor belts, greasing bearings, cleaning condenser and evaporator air coils, cleaning and inspecting the condensate drain pan, and checking electrical connections and components. Completing preventative maintenance (PM) activities at regular intervals is the bare minimum that you should be doing to avoid premature equipment failure. If you don't have a service agreement with a commercial HVAC contractor or perform PM in-house, that is your first step to more efficient, reliable, and long lasting HVAC equipment.

“If you don’t have a service agreement with an HVAC contractor or perform PM in-house, that’s your first step to more efficient, reliable, and long lasting HVAC equipment.”

Preventative maintenance programs have historically been interval-based. Equipment is generally serviced every six months whether it needs it or not and a service technician only comes out between intervals if there is a failure or other major issue. This is the same concept as getting your oil changed every 3,000 miles. It's a smart step toward keeping your car running well, but you can still have a surprise breakdown from an undetected issue. Later, we will see how real-time equipment health monitoring fixes some shortcomings of conventional preventative maintenance programs.

HVAC Optimization

Whether your HVAC equipment is controlled by simple thermostats or an advanced building automation system (BAS), the details of how the equipment is controlled and operates can be a mystery. As long as the space maintains the temperature it is set to, it may be assumed the building controls are doing their job. But what about how the controls achieve that comfortable temperature?

“Many HVAC control systems are not programmed to take the optimal “route” to building comfort..”

When you use a GPS to get to a new destination, you don't only care about whether you reach your destination or not. You want the GPS to calculate the fastest or shortest route while avoiding treacherous roads or stop-and-go traffic. Those details of the route can have a major impact on how much gas you use and the wear and tear on your vehicle. Unfortunately, many HVAC control systems are not programmed to take the optimal "route" to building comfort and it has a detrimental effect on energy consumption, reliability, and service life.

Optimizing your HVAC systems and controls can provide an immediate improvement in the operation of your systems and a quick return on investment (ROI). The process starts with a knowledgeable team of engineers and building professionals assessing the current operation of your systems by physically inspecting equipment and collecting data trends on the operation of the building. That information is analyzed to identify inefficient control programming, failed or failing components, and other optimization opportunities. Many of the identified issues can be fixed with low cost control system changes or minor repairs to system components. These low cost, high impact items are prioritized for implementation so you begin to see benefits quickly. Additional opportunities can be incorporated into your capital planning cycles to capture further cost savings and equipment health improvements. This process of optimizing commercial HVAC systems and controls is commonly known as retro-commissioning (RCx) and it can add years onto the life of your equipment.

Real-Time HVAC Health Monitoring

Preventative maintenance and HVAC optimization projects are vital to achieve low operating costs and long service life, but they have a a major shortcoming. They leave your HVAC systems unattended for long periods of time. A lot can happen to HVAC components in six months and by the time you find out about an issue, it may be too late to avoid a costly repair. Your car has a check-engine indicator. Shouldn’t your HVAC systems be able to tell you when there’s a problem?

Real-time HVAC health monitoring systems collect and analyze data from your HVAC systems in real-time so you can resolve issues before they become emergencies and continuosly track the health of your equipment. This kind of building analytics system also keeps your HVAC systems running optimally like they were right after a retro-commissioning project. In fact, this service is often called Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) because it is a continuous process of commissioning your HVAC systems. Real-time HVAC health monitoring also allows for smart service agreements instead of interval-based preventative maintenance agreements. Smart service agreements rely on actual performance data from your equipment to determine when service visits are needed. This avoids the cost of unnecessary service visits and gives you the ability to get ahead of developing equipment issues before they get worse. It is absolutely true with HVAC systems that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Conclusion

Where are you on the path to efficient, reliable, long lasting commercial HVAC systems?

• Do you have a preventative maintenance plan in place?

• Have you had your HVAC systems optimized recently?

• Is the health of your HVAC equipment being monitored in real-time?

Trove Facility Services exists to help building owners and facility managers transform the way they manage their building systems. However you answered those questions, we are eager to learn how we can help you reduce your operating expenses and maximize the service life of your commercial HVAC equipment. Contact us today to start the conversation!