By Don Long
Sales Manager
In the world of HVAC, there are two types of customers: those who only call when something stops working, and those who count on preventive maintenance to maximize efficiency and minimize downtime.
While we do have some customers who are reactive and only call us when there’s a problem, the vast majority of Hughes’ customers have experienced the value of maintenance firsthand. But you don’t have to take our word for it.
According to “Energy Reduction Through Practical Scheduled Maintenance,” a report prepared in 2006 for the U.S. Department of Energy, scheduled maintenance (SM), or preventative maintenance, programs, “increase building performance in occupant comfort, productivity and reduce equipment failure downtime and costs. In addition, SM programs help improve energy efficiency. In spite of this, reactive maintenance is in use by over half of all facilities. It was determined that the reasons for not implementing SM programs are primarily centered on a lack of knowledge of the benefits of proper SM programs.”
The report goes on to state that a preventive maintenance program can generate a savings of up to 20 percent in energy alone. Tack on reduced downtime, improved reliability, and an increase in equipment longevity, and you’ll see why the majority of our customers have a maintenance plan in place.
In addition to performing scheduled maintenance tasks, such as lubricating motors and changing belts and filters, Hughes’ service technicians inspect each piece of equipment to make sure that it is operating according to manufacturer specifications. This results in increased equipment reliability and longevity and decreased service costs. In many cases, by examining system pressures and amperages during heating and cooling cycles, or by conducting oil analysis on large screw compressors, for example, we’re able to catch a problem before a piece of equipment stops functioning. This results in smaller repairs that are planned in advance, reducing the costs of parts and labor while allowing the facility to remain fully operational.
While most manufacturers typically estimate the useful life of their heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigerated systems to be 15 years, we know from experience that a well-maintained piece of equipment can last for 20 years or more, which should provide plenty of financial incentive to enter into a preventive maintenance agreement.
In addition to monitoring wear and tear on equipment, when we perform our initial inspection on a new account, our technicians frequently find equipment that was never commissioned properly. In a study conducted by the New Building Institute, on behalf of the California Energy Commission, 215 rooftop units were studied at 75 locations. “More than 60 percent of the economizers had operational problems. In addition … there was improper refrigerant charge found in about 45 percent of the units, fans were running during unoccupied periods more than a third of the time, and fans were cycling on and off with a call for heating and cooling rather than providing continuous ventilation air for a third of the units as well.”
Facility operators who don’t have routine maintenance performed at their facilities may not know that their equipment has NEVER run properly.
While equipment reliability is important in office buildings, it is even more imperative in cold storage facilities. Dirty coils or an improperly charged system can cause evaporator coils to freeze. Non-operational evaporator fan motors can disrupt the heat transfer across the coils, causing some of the refrigerant to return to the compressor in liquid form, which can damage it and eventually cause it to seize. In this market, the failure of a system can result in the loss of food or chemicals worth thousands above and beyond the cost of the refrigeration equipment.
At Hughes, we understand the complexities of operating a business, and we make it our goal to contribute to our customers’ success. Our technicians pride themselves on making sure that each piece of equipment they touch is functioning to the best of its ability. That is why our customers have come to rely on us for their climate control needs.
They let us worry about their heating, air conditioning and refrigerated systems so they can focus on what they do best – operate a successful business.
Sales Manager
In the world of HVAC, there are two types of customers: those who only call when something stops working, and those who count on preventive maintenance to maximize efficiency and minimize downtime.
While we do have some customers who are reactive and only call us when there’s a problem, the vast majority of Hughes’ customers have experienced the value of maintenance firsthand. But you don’t have to take our word for it.
According to “Energy Reduction Through Practical Scheduled Maintenance,” a report prepared in 2006 for the U.S. Department of Energy, scheduled maintenance (SM), or preventative maintenance, programs, “increase building performance in occupant comfort, productivity and reduce equipment failure downtime and costs. In addition, SM programs help improve energy efficiency. In spite of this, reactive maintenance is in use by over half of all facilities. It was determined that the reasons for not implementing SM programs are primarily centered on a lack of knowledge of the benefits of proper SM programs.”
The report goes on to state that a preventive maintenance program can generate a savings of up to 20 percent in energy alone. Tack on reduced downtime, improved reliability, and an increase in equipment longevity, and you’ll see why the majority of our customers have a maintenance plan in place.
In addition to performing scheduled maintenance tasks, such as lubricating motors and changing belts and filters, Hughes’ service technicians inspect each piece of equipment to make sure that it is operating according to manufacturer specifications. This results in increased equipment reliability and longevity and decreased service costs. In many cases, by examining system pressures and amperages during heating and cooling cycles, or by conducting oil analysis on large screw compressors, for example, we’re able to catch a problem before a piece of equipment stops functioning. This results in smaller repairs that are planned in advance, reducing the costs of parts and labor while allowing the facility to remain fully operational.
While most manufacturers typically estimate the useful life of their heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigerated systems to be 15 years, we know from experience that a well-maintained piece of equipment can last for 20 years or more, which should provide plenty of financial incentive to enter into a preventive maintenance agreement.
In addition to monitoring wear and tear on equipment, when we perform our initial inspection on a new account, our technicians frequently find equipment that was never commissioned properly. In a study conducted by the New Building Institute, on behalf of the California Energy Commission, 215 rooftop units were studied at 75 locations. “More than 60 percent of the economizers had operational problems. In addition … there was improper refrigerant charge found in about 45 percent of the units, fans were running during unoccupied periods more than a third of the time, and fans were cycling on and off with a call for heating and cooling rather than providing continuous ventilation air for a third of the units as well.”
Facility operators who don’t have routine maintenance performed at their facilities may not know that their equipment has NEVER run properly.
While equipment reliability is important in office buildings, it is even more imperative in cold storage facilities. Dirty coils or an improperly charged system can cause evaporator coils to freeze. Non-operational evaporator fan motors can disrupt the heat transfer across the coils, causing some of the refrigerant to return to the compressor in liquid form, which can damage it and eventually cause it to seize. In this market, the failure of a system can result in the loss of food or chemicals worth thousands above and beyond the cost of the refrigeration equipment.
At Hughes, we understand the complexities of operating a business, and we make it our goal to contribute to our customers’ success. Our technicians pride themselves on making sure that each piece of equipment they touch is functioning to the best of its ability. That is why our customers have come to rely on us for their climate control needs.
They let us worry about their heating, air conditioning and refrigerated systems so they can focus on what they do best – operate a successful business.
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