Tips to Stay On Track and On Budget with HVAC Projects
Communicate with Occupants
One issue building owners and facility managers run into is building occupants, all of whom will be impacted by the HVAC project. To combat any issues, it is best to inform your occupants of the impending work and, if possible, work around occupant schedules for the least impact.
Set a Realistic Schedule
When planning your HVAC project, be realistic. Don’t force your HVAC contractor to try and adhere to an unrealistic timeline. Instead, be flexible, and work with your contractor to set up a realistic schedule. From there, you just need to make sure the schedule is kept.
Having a realistic schedule will also help you plan for any potential disruptions and will allow you to notify your occupants in a timely manner (see No. 1).
Specify Access and Work Restrictions
It is important to outline access and work restrictions before work begins. This means clearly specifying all requirements for accessing the mechanical spaces, as well as the mechanical systems that reside in occupied spaces: ducts and terminal units. You should also specify what level of disruptive work would require after-hours completion.
Continued Communication with Your Contractor
It is important to communicate with your HVAC contractor from the initial bid and throughout the project. This will help ensure that you are well-aware of the status of your project, keep everything on schedule, and allow you to ensure the newly installed equipment conforms to your current facility requirements.
Avoid Partial Upgrades
Whenever possible, avoid “partial” upgrades. This can often cause more headaches than it is worth. And retrofits never perform as well as a brand new unit.
Bench Testing
When an installation involves fixtures that will be replicated throughout the facility, such as terminal units, it is best to complete one unit before moving on to the rest. This will allow your contractor to work through issues and avoid wide scale problems.
Third party Commissioning
Commissioning is essentially quality control. It is important to hire a third party to make sure everything is up to snuff.
Trust Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI)
As a commercial HVAC and mechanical contractor, Crockett Facilities Services helps building owners, property managers and facility engineers to lower their operating expenses and energy costs through preventive HVAC maintenance. Whether you need mobile HVAC services for installations and repairs, or on-site facilities engineering services, we can augment your existing facility staff to meet your needs.
Contact us today for a service quote for your commercial heating and cooling systems.
To learn more about CFSI, please contact us at 202.600.2787 or sales@crockett-facilities.com. In addition to mobile HVAC and preventive maintenance services, we also offer on-site engineering services.
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Sources:
9 Ways to Keep HVAC Projects on Track, facilitiesnet.com