Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance

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

Commercial Building Operations and Maintenance

This guide is presented to highlight the value that proper systems maintenance provides for the owners
and tenants of buildings. In doing so, the comfort and safety of the occupants is maximized and the
utility costs are minimized.
Building owners and managers are realizing that a trained building operations staff is needed to
decrease problems that tenants experience with heating, cooling, and ventilation. Problems with sick
building syndrome, overheating, and overcooling often can be resolved with improved operations
practice. When these problems aren’t addressed, affected tenants are increasingly going to the courts. In
1995 alone, EPA estimated that building owners and operators faced $300 million in lawsuits over indoor
air quality. Better-trained staff is essential for managing this growing risk.
Preventive maintenance and maintenance resource management start with careful and complete
building and equipment records.
Operating records can be useful in making decisions about repairing or replacing equipment, and are
also a good guide for triggering maintenance and servicing.
Control diagrams and descriptions of operation can be useful in understanding how a building system
is intended to operate.
Types of Maintenance

Preventative Maintenance (PM)

• PM is often a goal in facility maintenance, but frequently is overshadowed by crisis maintenance.
Keeping the equipment running supersedes determining “how the equipment is running” or developing
a maintenance schedule that will minimize down time. An issue that goes hand in hand with the lack
of a PM program is the lack of information about system design and maintenance needs.

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• 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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• 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

Building Envelope Maintenance

The shell of the building protects occupants and material goods as well as controlling air and water
leakage. Comfort, energy and money savings, health issues and protection of goods are at stake.
Components include:
• Roofs - Check for damage due to expansion and contraction.
• Walls - Check for cracks and separations due to foundation settlement or seismic activity.

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• Insulation - Toxic mold may flourish due to water leakage or condensation.

• Doors - Check weather stripping and hardware for wear and alignment.
• Windows – Check caulking and weather stripping to protect against water and air leakage.
Shading devices or reflective window film can be a great cost saver.

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.

Boiler Combustion Air Tune Up

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.

Boiler Water Treatment

Water treatment is a crucial part of boiler system maintenance. The purpose of water treatment is to
reduce scaling in boilers and piping, optimize blow-down frequency, and prevent internal corrosion
(Deaerator).
Blow-down is a part of the water treatment program. A boiler may have two types of blow-down:
• Continuous or Skim Blow - removes suspended solids in the water.

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• 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.

Air Conditioning Maintenance

Important items to check and things to do.
• Fan lubrication and shaft wear.
• Inspect the exchanger for deposits and fouling.
• Regularly clean the plenums.
• Filter replacement.

Filters should be replaced when damaged, wet or clogged with dirt.

The most reliable method to determine if a filter needs to be replaced is to monitor the air
pressure drop across the filter. Check with the manufacture to obtain the recommended
maximum allowable pressure drop. If the measured pressure drop is greater, it is time to change
the filter. Clogged filters can restrict airflow into the conditioned space.
Changing the filter on a regular schedule will ensure that a clogged filter does not remain in the
air stream indefinitely. Careful examination of removed filters should lead to schedule
modifications to optimize filter life and effectiveness.
Visual inspection for dirt on the upstream side of the filter is the least reliable method for
determining if a filter needs replacement.
Filters are excellent growing places for mold and bacteria, especially if they become damp or wet.
High relative humidity can promote microbial growth in filters, so filters in humid climates
might need more frequent changing.

Air Conditioning Performance

Important factors for efficiency.

• Condenser Temperature.
• Evaporator temperature.
• Cooling load.
• Refrigerant characteristics.

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Typical causes for inefficiencies in refrigerant systems:

• Oversized unit – An improperly sized unit cycles frequently and draws more power than
necessary to meet the load.
• Thermostat location – Placement is important for accurate signaling to the unit. This ensures comfort
and energy efficiency.
• Uninsulated ducts and refrigerant lines – The most costly condition and the easiest to remedy.
Environmental heat is picked up and forces the unit to cycle more frequently. Occupants may not be
satisfied and the utility bill will reflect the problem.
• Low refrigerant levels – This will affect the transfer of heat in the system.
• Dirty coils – The unit will not be able to dissipate or exchange heat. The refrigerant will not be
used to its full capacity.

Chiller Maintenance

Important items to check and things to do.

• Chiller condenser
• Compressor oil
• Refrigerant level and pressure
• Purge air from the system
• Pump service

Cooling Tower Maintenance

Important items to check and things to do.

• Check air intakes and eliminators for blockage
• Check sprayer heads for blockage
• Clean sump of all biological organisms
• Service fan

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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Ducts and Dampers

*NOTE. Fire and smoke dampers are life safety devices, which must remain operable. All
responsible staff must be familiar with their locations in the building. Check the building plans on the
“M” or Mechanical pages to identify. A Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
contractor or local Building Inspector can provide this service. A good policy (once these dampers are
located) is to clearly mark them so that future construction and service workers will not disable or
block their function.

Items to include in routine maintenance are:

• Pressure balancing.
• Duct insulation.
• Filter cleaning and changing.
• Coil cleaning.
• Valve checks for leakage and function.
• Duct outlets operation and cleaning.
• Fan Balance and alignment.
• Fan bearing lubrication.
• Fan belt tension.
• Fan belt wear.