How often should you get your HVAC serviced?

HVAC is the industry term for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems. Most businesses in commercial or industrial premises have some form of HVAC system installed, whether for the needs of the employees, such as to support central heating, or the need of the business process such as a ventilation system removing air contaminants.

At Inergy Group, this month’s blog offers advice to how often you should get your HVAC unit serviced. For more information, call us on 01204 929999.

Why HVAC Maintenance is Important

Regular maintenance tasks for HVAC systems, AC units, and boilers are crucial for several reasons:

Efficiency

• Optimal Performance: Regular service intervals ensure that the system operates at peak efficiency, reducing energy consumption and lowering energy bills.
• Preventive Care: By identifying and addressing minor issues before they become major problems can prevent costly repairs and downtime.

Longevity

• Prolonged Lifespan: Well-maintained equipment lasts longer, providing a better return on investment (ROI) and delaying the need for replacement.
• Reduced Wear and Tear: Regular maintenance reduces the stress on system components, minimising wear and tear from operation.

Safety

• Avoid Hazards: Regular checks can identify potential safety hazards such as gas leaks, carbon monoxide leaks, or electrical issues, ensuring the safety of occupants.
• Compliance: Adhering to maintenance schedules ensures compliance with Health and Safety law.

Air Quality

• Improved Air Quality: Clean equipment such as filters and coils improve indoor air quality by removing dust, allergens, and pollutants, creating a healthier environment for employees.

Reliability

• Consistent Performance: Regular servicing ensures that the system operates reliably, providing consistent comfort and preventing unexpected breakdowns.
• Peace of Mind: Knowing that the system is well-maintained offers peace of mind to business and property owners.

Environmental Impact

• Reduced Carbon Footprint: Efficient systems consume less energy, reducing the overall carbon footprint and environmental impact.

How often should you get your HVAC system serviced?

Timely HVAC maintenance is crucial for ensuring these systems run efficiently and effectively and to also prolong their lifespan.

As a general rule, it is recommended that your HVAC system is serviced at least once a year. This may be increased depending on the business need. For example, in business processes such as production lines which may operate 24 hours a day, a more regular service interval may be recommended to maintain efficient operation.

New installations should also be regularly maintained to preserve any manufacturer’s warranty. These warranties protect your system and can be invaluable in your overall cost-of-ownership calculations, but the routine or regular planned maintenance must be carried out and evidenced.

When should you get your HVAC system serviced?

At Inergy Group, we work with our service clients to determine the best time of year to schedule their service visits. This might coincide with other routine works or factory shutdowns to optimise equipment access.

Without any business necessity then we recommend any heating systems being serviced in the Autumn, prior to the coldest months of the year when the system is likely to be in regular use. The same principle applies for cooling systems which we prefer to schedule for springtime routine service checks, prior to the warmer months when the business need is greater.

This optimal scheduling ensures that the system is ready for the highest demand and is ready to be used safely. We can of course schedule routine maintenance at any time of the year to suit your needs.

How can regular HVAC Maintenance Save Money for my business?

Regular maintenance saves you money because routine service visits are classed as scheduled work, the visits are normally completed in regular business hours, at a suitable time for everyone. Compare this to an emergency breakdown call which may be at any time of the day or night and may be an emergency or urgent situation. These urgent callouts are more costly and often result in a part replacement, this may need to be ordered and re-visit needed for installation. All this additional engineer time ultimately costs more money.

Inergy Group Service Checklist for your HVAC System:

We provide this list to all our service clients. These are helpful reminders of what to monitor on a Weekly basis to get-to-know your system:

HVAC Weekly Checklist

• Monitor temperature and pressure: Ensure they are within the recommended range.
• Listen for unusual noises: Report any strange sounds or vibrations.
• Keep the area clear: Ensure the space around the boiler is free from obstructions.
• Check for leaks: Look for any water leaks around the AC unit or any fuel leaks around a boiler.
• Test controls: Verify that operating and safety controls are turning on and off correctly.
• Boiler Only – Inspect the burner flame: Look for any excess soot or signs of damage through the sight port.

By completing these weekly checks, you will have a good idea of your HVAC system performance. At Inergy Group, we take pride in delivering a comprehensive planned maintenance service visit for our clients and the following further inspections would always be carried-out by a trained service engineer at your planned maintenance visit:

Annual Checks

• Comprehensive inspection: A thorough check of all system components is the starting point for any routine service visit, including indoor and outdoor system components.
• Clean main components: All principal components will be cleaned – including the burner and heat exchanger in a commercial boiler and the filters and ductwork in an AC system.
• Combustion performance checks: The boiler needs to burn fuel efficiently and safely and so a combustion check is necessary.

To comply with Health & Safety law, a detailed record of all maintenance activities and any issues found must be maintained. Our service engineers issue a comprehensive report following all visits whether planned or reactive in nature.

At Inergy Group, we can support you with your AC Service requirements and can make this task a breeze. Regular maintenance checks from our professional engineers will maintain your AC unit’s efficiency, prevent unexpected breakdowns, and prolong its lifespan.

In addition, if any major issues are found during this service, we can advise on the next steps needed to get you up-and-running safely.

Inergy Group, for no-hassle HVAC.

Contact Inergy Group

At Inergy Group, we provide energy efficient commercial HVAC systems for a wide range of businesses. For further information, you can call us on 01204 929999.