On a Monday morning as you enter your commercial building you may find you have a broken AC, blocked toilet and broken lights in a busy corridor. While these issues can be easily resolved they can cause disruption to staff members, cause inconvenience to customers and leave your tenants frustrated. This can cause issues with your maintenance budget.
Therefore it is important to understand the importance of maintenance to identify potential issues.
What is Commercial Building Maintenance?
Commercial building maintenance is the inspection, servicing, repair and record keeping of all systems within your commercial building. This includes HVAC, plumbing, electrical and drainage.
By implementing a planned maintenance schedule you can be more proactive with your maintenance, reduce downtime and make smarter decisions about your building costs.
Why is Commercial Building Maintenance Important?
Issues often develop over time, for example your AC isn’t cooling as quick, taps are constantly leaking and breakers are tripping.
This can cause issues with your equipment, water damage, uncomfortable environments and unexpected repair costs.
By having planned maintenance you can avoid these issues. By having regular checks and servicing depending on your building.
It is important to have regular maintenance in offices, warehousing, restaurants retail, schools, healthcare and multi-tenanted buildings as it will affect many different departments/tenants.
Systems that Need Regular Maintenance
The first thing to understand is how your building operates. Often systems like heating, ventilation, air con, plumbing, electrical and drainage are all connected.
HVAC
Your heating and cooling systems can be quite complex to keep your building at the correct temperature. If not serviced regularly you could experience build up of dirt on the filters, blockages in the condensation lines, worn belts and issues with your controls. This will cause issues with your heating/cooling and cause an increase in your energy consumption.
Regular servicing will include replacing your filters, cleaning your coils, checking your airflow, thermostats, motors and other parts. Any unusual noises, temperature issues or constant switching off will be checked.
This will ensure your systems are operating reliably by resolving any issues.
For professional inspections and servicing, explore Airco Mechanical’s commercial HVAC services.
Plumbing
A small issue can cause a lot of damage. Water can cause damage to your floor, walls, cupboards and surrounding equipment. Blocked drains and faulty valves can cause issues, especially in busy kitchens and toilets.
By having regular checks you can identify leaks, poor drainage, old pipes, faulty plumbing and pressure issues. Water heaters, pumps, shut off valves and easily accessible drainage should also be checked depending on their condition and servicing requirements.
As a Facility Manager this will help you identify issues quickly.
Learn more about Airco Mechanical’s commercial plumbing services for maintenance, repairs and drainage support.
Electrical
Modern commercial buildings rely a lot on electricity to operate. Lighting, computers, security, machinery, heating/cooling all need electricity to run. Issues with your electrical systems can cause issues with productivity and safety.
If you are experiencing constant tripping of circuit breakers, flickering lights, unusual humming, faulty fittings and overheating it is best to have a qualified professional look at your systems. Your electrical panels, connections, lighting and emergency lighting should also be checked.
Don’t ignore any signs of issues, by quickly identifying them you can identify any potential hazards.
Airco Mechanical also provides commercial electrical services covering repairs, inspections and preventative maintenance.
Preventative or Reactive?
There are two facility managers managing similar office buildings. One will carry out repairs once an issue has been raised by the tenants. The other will have a planned maintenance schedule in place to monitor any recurring issues and regularly check the condition of the equipment.
One of the managers will experience an AC breakdown during the hottest part of summer. They will need to prioritise repairs to ensure the uncomfortable occupants aren’t affected. The other may have noticed during their last inspection that a component was beginning to fail and have it repaired before the busiest time.
This shows the difference between a reactive and preventative approach.
While reactive maintenance is sometimes required, relying on reactive maintenance can cause unexpected costs and cause disruption. Having a preventative maintenance schedule gives you more control on when your services are carried out, how much you are spending on repairs and planning.
Although there is an upfront cost to regularly servicing your equipment it can help reduce unexpected emergency repairs and ensure your assets are in good condition.
Explore Airco Mechanical’s commercial maintenance services to learn more about planned servicing and maintenance contracts.
Creating an Effective Maintenance Schedule
Your maintenance schedule should be based on how your building is used.
Daily checks can be carried out to identify any obvious leaks, unusual noises from equipment, lighting issues, unusual smells from drainage and any complaints from occupants. This will help your staff identify any changes which may need a professional.
Monthly checks can be carried out to identify easily accessible filters from your HVAC, fixtures in your toilets, visible pipework, access to mechanical rooms and any outstanding maintenance. Seasonally you should service your equipment so it is ready for higher demand.
Annually you can look at how old your equipment is, service history, money spent on maintenance and identify any systems which may need repairs/replacing.
How often you carry out maintenance will depend on your building, manufacturer recommendations, regulations and the impact failure would have. Some critical systems may need more frequent checks.
Different Building Require Different Maintenance
Restaurants will put a lot of strain on your drainage, hot water, ventilation and power to equipment. You may experience issues quickly due to blockages from grease and issues with your ventilation.
Warehouses and Industry may need more attention to your large HVAC units, extraction, connections to your machinery, high bay lighting and drainage.
Multi-tenanted buildings can be problematic as issues with plumbing and HVAC can impact multiple tenants. Good communication, access and quick repairs are key.
As a facility manager you should create a maintenance schedule based on the risk, occupants, opening times and equipment requirements.
Benefits of Keeping a Log
Keeping track of all your inspections and repairs will make maintenance easier.
By keeping a log you can track what services have been carried out, any issues, what has been done, what parts have been replaced, what has been found and what should be done. Creating an inventory of your equipment and warranty can make this more beneficial.
Over time you will start to see patterns. If you are constantly having to take a look at a certain pump or your HVAC is causing lots of service calls you can investigate whether replacing it would be more practical.
Having accurate information will help with budgeting. Instead of dealing with any issues as and when they come up you can plan what you will be spending in the future.
Improving Energy Efficiency
Cleaning your building can help improve energy efficiency. If your filters are dirty, controls not set correctly, using outside of working hours and inefficient equipment you can be using unnecessary energy.
By understanding how your building is operating, ensuring your HVAC is operating well, checking your lighting controls and checking for any unusual changes to your utilities you can identify ways to improve.
For example your heating/cooling may be running unnecessarily in an area which is empty. By adjusting your schedule you can improve your buildings efficiency without upgrading your equipment.
Depending on your building and the issue you may save on your energy. Having regular maintenance will give you a good foundation to identify any wastage.
When Should I Employ a Commercial Maintenance Contractor?
While some issues can be resolved by regular checks, technical checks and repairs should be carried out by the correct professionals.
If you are experiencing regular issues with your HVAC, constant leaks from your plumbing, blocked drains, unexpected issues with your electrical and increasing maintenance costs it may be time to take a closer look.
If you don’t currently have a formal maintenance schedule in place or don’t have service history employing professionals can help you understand your current systems. This will help you identify priorities and create a more organised maintenance schedule.
Airco Mechanical provide commercial maintenance services, HVAC, plumbing and electrical.
Conclusion
Commercial building maintenance will be most effective if it is planned. By carrying out regular checks, servicing at the correct time, keeping records and budgeting realistically you can protect your building systems and reduce any unnecessary disruption.
By monitoring your HVAC, plumbing, electrical, drainage and equipment history you can identify any issues developing and make informed decisions.
Often the best time to deal with any issues is before occupants become aware. By having a consistent maintenance schedule based on your building you can do this.
For help with commercial maintenance, HVAC servicing, plumbing repairs and electrical support get in touch with Airco Mechanical.
FAQs
What is Commercial Building Maintenance?
Regularly inspecting, servicing, repairing and recording your HVAC, plumbing, electrical and drainage systems to ensure your commercial property runs efficiently.
How often should I maintain my commercial building?
How often you carry out maintenance will depend on your equipment, how your building is used, how it is running and manufacturer recommendations. A typical schedule would be regular checks, monthly, seasonally and annually.
What is the difference between preventative and reactive maintenance?
Preventative maintenance will help with any developing issues by having scheduled checks and servicing. Reactive maintenance is carried out after an issue/fault occurs.
Will regular maintenance help reduce my running costs?
It can help reduce unexpected breakdowns, identify inefficient equipment and help with planning your repairs. How much you save will depend on your building and the condition of your systems.
When should I employ a maintenance contractor?
If you are experiencing regular issues, unreliable equipment, technical checks or wish to have a more organised maintenance schedule it is best to employ professionals.
