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Maintaining your cool
refurbish HVAC equipment? The answer depends on a variety of influencers including the age of the equipment, the financial implications of each option, and how ‘mission critical’ the system is and, therefore, how reliable it needs to be. But, before even thinking about the question of
A
refurbishment or replacement, enlightened building owners put in place an effective maintenance strategy. Run to failure has long been a discredited approach so the service options are limited to predictive and/or preventive maintenance. As its name suggests, predictive maintenance is designed to predict when equipment failure might occur and to prevent its occurrence via appropriate servicing. If the predictive maintenance plan is working well, machines are only serviced when required. Predictive maintenance tools such as vibration analysis, infrared thermography, ultrasonic testing and motor current analysis can be used to diagnose problems in advance. Predictive maintenance helps preclude problems
before they occur. However, preventive maintenance should be at the heart of any plan to ensure optimum HVAC equipment performance. Essentially, preventive maintenance is servicing that is regularly performed on a piece of equipment to lessen the likelihood of it failing. It is in two parts – making certain that the system is operating at its highest possible efficiency, and maintaining this performance.
There will, however, inevitably come a time when maintenance is no longer working. The choice is then to replace the asset or repair and overhaul it. But beware – it is a myth to assume that older assets exhibit higher failure rates; a well-treated HVAC system will have a lower failure rate than an ill-treated one, regardless of age. Treatment, in this context, means how well they are maintained. That’s why, in most cases, I recommend
refurbishment and repair over replacement. Refurbishing HVAC systems is critical, particularly
because of the enormous proportion of buildings built before the latest energy efficiency regulations were introduced. Of the buildings that will be standing in 2050, 60% are already built and 40% will pre-date 1985 (when Building Regulations relating to the conservation of fuel and power were first introduced under Part L), according to the Building Research Establishment. That is why it is vital to maximise the carbon saving opportunities of renovation and retrofit.
Ensuring the optimum performance of an AC
t one time or another, every building owner has faced the same vexing question – when the time comes, should they replace or
Energy efficiency
John Grenville, ECEX managing director
Refurbishment can extend the life of existing systems, increase their operating efficiency, save energy, boost performance, and reduce running costs. It also offers the opportunity to upgrade plant. John Grenville, managing director of ECEX, reports
Before and after refurbishment
system requires careful planning and that means having confidence that every component in the system is operating at its optimum. Simple repairs can have a big impact on efficiency/operations (a typical service will cover the repair and replacement of coils, belt drives, motors, fans, bearings and spares). Some companies, including my own, have the expertise and in-depth knowledge needed to offer refurbishment and repair services. ECEX has launched an air handling unit (AHU) refurbishment and repair service designed to extend the lifespan of existing AHUs, increase their operating efficiency, save energy, boost performance, and typically reduce running costs. It covers the repair and replacement of all types of coils, belt drives, motors, fans, bearings and spares. There are reasons to choose repair and
refurbishment over replacement. It is less expensive, costing an estimated 35 to 50% of the cost of a new unit, and offers the opportunity to upgrade the existing specification by taking advantage of energy efficient EC plug fans and components.
12 REASONS TO REFURBISH RATHER THAN REPLACE
Modernising and optimising an existing HVAC system: • is less expensive than replacing it; • offers the opportunity to upgrade the existing specification by taking advantage of the latest energy efficient technology such as EC plug fans and components; • minimises disruption; • reduces downtime;
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• overcomes the transport and access difficulties associated with replacing a unit; • is more environmentally friendly because it re- uses existing equipment rather than introducing new plant with all the embodied carbon that this represents; • can extend the service life of the components in HVAC plant such as the air handling units; • leaves existing services such as ductwork,
pipework and wiring unaltered; • can dramatically reduce energy consumption; • allows operators to use HVAC systems they are familiar and comfortable with, eliminating the learning curve associated with new equipment; • can allow the building owner to charge higher rents; • makes the building more attractive to a potential buyer.
September 2018
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