BSEE


With workers gradually returning to work,


occupancy levels of buildings are increasing which is prompng facilies managers to review their building’s maintenance plans. With the government’s emphasis on the need to venlate buildings and ASHRAE and BESA’s also advising the need to maximise the intake of outside air, indoor air quality (IAQ) is a key priority in the bid to reduce the spread of any pathogens.


holistic approach is required that includes the maintenance of chillers, air conditioning units, grilles, louvres, diffusers as well as duct work and many other peripheral devices that are just as important.


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HVAC plant is costly to run and a huge consumer of energy, so it makes sense to keep your plant running optimally and to have a comprehensive planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programme in place. With many businesses still not operating with full occupancy levels, now is a good time to re-assess your building’s facilities and any upgrades and/or refurbishments can be carried out with minimal disruption. Most companies have in place PPM programmes which include F- Gas reporting along with a scope of work for each planned visit. Major services will include oil checks, leak testing, electrical testing as well as testing bolts and terminals for tightness and operational checks for all fans and pumps, temperature and pressure testing.


Condensers and coils


Condenser coil cleaning is one of the most overlooked jobs and facilities and estate managers could use up to 30% less energy by simply including coil cleaning as part of their PPM programme.


Ignoring dirty condenser coils or poor water quality in water cooled units increases the compressor’s energy consumption, reduces the ability to transfer heat, put additional stress on components and can result in system failures and hefty repair bills. With rising costs and increasing demands on equipment, no facilities


Once installed duct systems cannot easily be changed, particularly when negotiating false ceilings. Whereas fans, filters, valves and pumps can be easily changed for newer components when breakdowns occur. So, there is a need to design, install and maintain duct work effectively so that the air conditioning system performs optimally and to the original design criteria and customer expectations. Poor duct maintenance not only impacts HVAC efficiency but IAQ and the health of a building’s occupants. Attention needs to be paid to the dampers which control the volumes of air that flows into the work space, vibration isolators which provide flexible sections to prevent vibrations from the fans which can lead to joint failures and diffusers which distribute.


Unlike AHUs or chillers, duct work has no built-in redundancy. Preventing dust contamination and any microbiological growth will prevent allergies or other health related issues to a building’s occupants.


18 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2020


so duct maintenance and is relatively straightforward and inexpensive. And should be carried out at least every two years with regular assessments.


Air flow testing should also be carried out, lower flow rates can indicate blocked dampers or air flow passages.


Although these checks are essential and invisible to the end user, IAQ is very much at the forefront. There’s no doubt that employees and FM’s across the UK are concerned about IAQ particularly as the transmission route of Covid is now confirmed as airborne.


Many HVACR manufacturers, service and maintenance contractors already have effective maintenance and guidance strategies available to customers. But with the focus on indoor air quality, making premises as Covid-safe as possible is a concern for building owners as well as the building’s occupants. Many businesses are looking at solutions that can help provide a safer environment.


ut FM’s need to ensure that IAQ does not take the focus away from the rest of the building’s


infrastructure; an


MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT


The importance of an holistic approach to HVAC service and maintenance


manager can afford to ignore coil cleaning or water quality. If left, over time the surface of the coils/internals of heat exchangers will build up with contaminants and have an insulating effect which will decrease the available surface area for heat transfer and lead to excessive energy consumption, poor system performance and shorten the life of your equipment. Regular inspection of


condenser/water can increase the longevity of your HVAC systems. But it is not just old systems that need cleaning. Technology has advanced and chiller efficiencies for example have improved


considerably thanks to advances in technology. Systems with higher SEER ratings lose much of their effectiveness when forced to run harder than is necessary, so the newer and more efficient your HVAC system, the more beneficial it will be to have ensure regular inspections and a cleaning programme. Duct systems play an important role. All occupants breathe the air transported by ductwork and we’ve all heard of sick building syndrome and the effects poor ductwork can lead to, dry eyes and sore throats it. But as ductwork is hidden away, the important role it plays and the need for duct maintenance is often overlooked.


Air Leakages


All systems are designed for a small amount of system volume leakage. But high leakage levels will result in AHUs using far more energy, running longer and faster in a bid to maintain pressure. Leakages can also lead to hot and cold spots which will also impact efficiency. Apart rom the dampers there are no moving parts,


Ultraviolet solutions


There are many products on the market including air purifiers but one of the more popular solutions includes ultraviolet light (UCV). UV has been around for quite some time and is already widely used in the healthcare sector for sterilising equipment, wards and cleaning floors. In China UV is widely used on the transport system and buses can be seen emitting a blue glow as they are sanitised at night. In South Korea the government has gone one step further and has installed ultraviolet disinfection lamps inside bus shelters. Transport for London (TFL) is trialling UV and in Italy it is being used to sanitise lift enclosures. There are a whole host of other applications, retail, education sectors, laboratories, schools, commercial buildings, in fact any building where there is a need to provide safer and cleaner environments.


For businesses looking at


upgrading and/or replacing plant, a number of companies are offering UV solutions such as UV fan coils. These essentially disinfect the airflow and can prevent pathogens building up on equipment. Numerous UV solutions are available and many can be retrofitted. By using a UV solution, airborne pathogens can be significantly reduced and can improve the energy efficiency of the whole HVAC system. A major benefit of UV systems is that they can be virtually maintenance free, which is an added bonus and reduces HVAC maintenance costs.


Having a clear a maintenance strategy in place will not only increase longevity of all your HVAC equipment and peripheral devices, but will also deliver savings. Communicating the steps that have been taken will also reassure employees that their work environment is as safe as possible. HVAC service and maintenance is not a luxury but can be a business’s great asset. In the current climate, testing and maintaining HVAC equipment is as vital as ever.


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