Contents
Air Conditioning Maintenance
Air Conditioning Performance
Air Temperature
Building Envelope Maintenance
Boilers
Boiler Combustion Air Tune Up
Boiler Maintenance
Boiler Water Treatment
Chiller Maintenance
Cooling Tower Maintenance
Comfort Factors
Ducts and Dampers
Occupant Issues
Predictive Maintenance
Preventative Maintenance
Lighting
Relative Humidity
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Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance
• Many commercial facilities have been frequently remodeled or renovated with little attention to
the HVAC system or controls. For this reason, the first step to any PM program is to get to know your
system. Once you fully understand how the system was designed to work, you can determine what sort
of PM makes sense.
• Unscheduled maintenance is random service performed by the maintenance worker, including
emergency work and breakdown maintenance.
Predictive Maintenance
• Breakdown maintenance is service on failed equipment that has not received any scheduled
maintenance. Breakdown maintenance is used only on equipment that is inexpensive and non-
critical to facility operations. It is also the most expensive type of maintenance work.
• Scheduled maintenance is work that is planned and scheduled. The goal is to minimize
emergency work, and assure reliable and efficient operations that maintain required quality
standards. Scheduled maintenance work includes periodic maintenance, corrective work and
project work.
• Predictive maintenance (PDM) is a growing area of preventive maintenance. PDM uses electronic
monitoring equipment to warn of problems before they affect equipment performance. PDM
requires a substantial investment in training and equipment and is most commonly used on
expensive or critical equipment.
•
The People Factor
Occupant Issues
• EPA estimates that 20 – 30% of buildings have some level of IAQ problems. People are
becoming more sensitive to indoor environments because they spend 75 to 90% of their
time indoors. Most workers and students spend half their waking hours at work or school.
• Because indoor environments are confined and pollutant levels are often higher indoors
than outdoors (l00x or even l, 000x higher), building owners and employers are noting an
increase in related illnesses that lower productivity, increase absenteeism, and increase
health and insurance costs.
• Another factor often overlooked in the pursuit of energy savings and efficiency is the
comparative cost of workers’ time and facility energy costs. Typical facility energy costs
range from $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot of the building. Worker costs can range up to
$300 per square foot, so it follows that worker productivity and conditions are paramount.
• This highlights the importance of two issues:
• Good quality indoor air is just as important as the temperature of the room.
• Energy savings that impact worker productivity can be wiped out if they cause even slight
disruptions.
Comfort Factors
• The human body loses heat primarily through convection, radiation and evaporation. Air
motion, relative humidity and the temperature of the air and of surfaces around a person play
large roles in human comfort.
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Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance
• Clothing and activity levels also significantly affect people’s perceptions of comfort. People
working at high activity levels will accept conditions that sedentary people will not. Because of
individual differences (such as different clothing, activity levels, and personal tolerance), people
will not always agree that 70 °F is a comfortable temperature.
• All of these factors need to be considered when analyzing complaints about comfort in a
building. Air temperature is only one piece of the puzzle.
Relative Humidity
• People prefer humidity levels less than 40%. Above 40% can harbor mold within structures and
air conditioning systems.
• People will be uncomfortable in high humidity environments. Humidity makes it harder for
humans to sweat and cool off.
• Destructive microorganisms flourish in high humidity. Rot, mold and condensation, which may
not be visible, can cause serious structural damage in buildings with high levels of humidity.
• At the other end of the spectrum, low humidity causes people to have dry throats and nasal
passages. Static electricity can also be a problem in low humidity environments.
Air Temperature
• In winter time the preferred indoor temperature is between 68 and 75 degrees. 90% of people
will feel comfortable.
• In summer time the preferred indoor temperature is between 73 and 84 degrees. 90% of people
will feel comfortable.
•
Lighting
Lighting is a very important and expensive feature in all facilities. It amounts to 30% to 60% of all
energy costs in a commercial building. The savings potential on lighting could be as much as 60 % of
it’s cost. Federal and State, Building and Energy Codes have gradually mandated efficiency standards
and lighting options that have saved 30% to 40% of the energy used compared to 30 years ago.
Electric ballasts are replacing magnetic ones. Dual switching in rooms allows half the lights to be
turned on at a time. Skylights lessen the need for artificial lights. Window to floor area ratios take
advantage of the sun to save electricity. New technologies will save even more.
Cleaning of the lighting fixtures and diffusers when relamping is highly recommended. Group
relamping when lights have reached 70% to 80% of there expected life will minimize labor costs.
System Components
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Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance
Boilers
Water Treatment is the addition of chemicals to the boiler feed water. It serves to reduce the amount
of oxygen to reduce corrosion capture contaminants and cause them to settle to the bottom without
adhering to the metal surfaces. This allows greater periods between bottom tank cleanings.
Treatment reduces scaling on boiler tubes and piping. It optimizes tank cleanouts and:
• Prevents boiler tube internal metal loss due to corrosion.
• Prevents condensate piping corrosion and iron fouling of boiler tubes.
Scaling is a waterside phenomenon where solids contaminants (sludge) precipitate and adhere to the
metal surfaces. The scale is an insulator, resulting in the reduction in heat transfer efficiency which:
• Causes hot spots in the metal where the scale is.
• Causes pitting and loss of metal under the scale.
The term “Make up air or “Excess air” is used to describe the extra air delivered to the burner as a
margin of safety, ensuring that there is always more than enough oxygen (oxygen makes up 21% of
air) to allow complete combustion of the fuel.
Controlling the amount of excess air is important to make certain that all of the fuel is burned.
Combustion efficiency depends on mixing the right amount of air with the right amount of fuel.
Boiler logs are used to spot trends that indicate reduced efficiencies or boiler failure. If vent stack
temperatures are steadily increasing, efficiency has decreased. The rule-of-thumb is that the vent stack
temperature should be +/-150 degrees higher than the steam or water temperature.
• Analyze oxygen and carbon dioxide at given stack temperatures to determine combustion
efficiency.
• Make burner adjustments to air and fuel mixture to maintain efficient burn.
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Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance
• Mud Blow - removes the sludge from the bottom of the boiler.
•
• Boiler MaintenanceImportant items to check and things to do.
• Exchangers - Fireside and Waterside.
• Water Treatment - Blow-down and Chemical Treatment.
• Draft Fans - Belt inspection and tightening. Lubrication.
• Steam Traps - Inspect temperature across trap to ensure steam separation from condensate line
• Air Vents - Inspect for proper function
• Pump Lubrication – Bearing and shafts
• Condensate lines - Drainage
• Pipe insulation - Replace or repair if it’s damaged or removed.
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Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance
Chiller Maintenance
Direct contact
• Condenser water is exposed to contaminants from outside air, things like leaves, pollution and
pigeons.
• Algae can slime the condenser tube bundles reducing flow.
• Sump and exposed water can freeze during cold weather operation.
Indirect contact
• Algaecides still needed for condenser tube bundles.
• The use of anti-freeze makes cold weather operation much safer.
• Drain spray system and sump for cold weather operation.
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Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance