Control your indoor air quality by maintaining your HVAC system’s air handling unit.
Maintaining your air handling unit (AHU) is crucial to your HVAC system’s functionality. Your heating and air conditioning system’s air handling unit is the central unit that moves air throughout ductwork. A malfunctioning air handling unit usually experiences problems when certain obstructions are blocking air flow. You’ll need to ensure all other areas of your HVAC system are functioning properly before deciding to replace you AHU entirely. Primarily, air dampers, air-side economizers, heating and cooling valves and coils, and AHU filters must be assessed first before moving forward. This week, we’ll give you a checklist for your general air handling unit’s maintenance to keep your facility cool and comfortable during the hottest days of the year.
1. Check Your Air Dampers
You’ll need to make sure you system’s air dampers are opening, closing and modulating properly. To do so, have a trusted HVAC maintenance team test your damper’s movement. Have your operator send a test signal to open and close all dampers to visually assess their condition. To allow for changes in outdoor airflow, sometimes air dampers actuators need to be installed. They will keep your dampers modulating effectively.
2. Check Heating And Cooling Coils And Valves
To ensure the proper operation of your heating and cooling valves, you’ll need to determine if it’s seated correctly. If your valve placement is off, your HVAC may be unnecessarily heating and cooling simultaneously. This could get very uncomfortable for your employees. You can check your HVAC’s air mixture and discharge temperatures by shutting off the valve. If it’s shut off, and the supply is still heated by the coil, your AHU’s valves are malfunctioning. To check your cooling coils, you’ll need to check their cleanliness. If they’re covered in dirt, dust, and debris, wipe them down with a clean cloth. Dirty coils increase static air pressure causing increased fan energy waste. More air is needed to flow over a dirty cooling coil in order to elicit the same heating and cooling effects.
3. Assess The Status Of The Air Filters
Static pressure sensors are used to determine how dirty your air filters are. Unclean air filters waste your facility’s energy! Your fan system needs to work that much harder to account for airflow obstructions. Your air filters should be changed as soon as possible if they aren’t slightly opaque.
4. Ensure The Proper Operation of Your Air Side Economizer
Some HVAC systems have Air-Side Economizers that have outside air temperature sensors, and outdoor relative humidity sensors that need to be operating properly. Your economizer functionality can be assessed by viewing damper positions and outdoor airflow rates. Have you HVAC maintenance team turn your these sensors on and off to check your air side economizers capabilities.
Crockett Facilities Will Expertly Maintain Your Air Handling Unit’s Functionality
Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI) is committed to helping building owners, property managers, engineers, and facility professionals lower their operating expenses through HVAC preventive maintenance. We can develop a cost-effective, customized preventive maintenance plan for your commercial building that will provide you with peace of mind, improved comfort, and energy savings.
To learn more about the importance of HVAC Preventive Maintenance, please contact us at 202.600.2787 or sales@crockett-facilities.com. Our PM contract customers receive priority service with 24/7 emergency service in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.