Commercial HVAC Maintenance Plans – Why Do You Need One?   

We are evangelists of preventative maintenance, and we will never tire of saying how necessary, effective, and efficient it is: good preventative maintenance of your heating and cooling system makes a world of difference in the performance of your HVAC equipment. And the only thing better than good system maintenance is getting a maintenance plan so you get regular maintenance services from the same technicians several times a year.

If you’re not convinced yet, let us show you some facts and figures that will help you make up your mind and start looking into HVAC maintenance plans.

Fewer emergency repairs

Your car works well, right? It starts when you turn the key, and takes you where you need to go safely. Think of all the regular check-ups and maintenance you give your car: oil changes, inspecting the brakes, cleaning filters, purging the radiator… and now think of what might happen if you stopped doing all of these things.

How long do you think it would take till your car breaks down in the middle of the road? How much would you have to pay for a tow truck and repairs? What about the inconvenience and disruption to your plans?

Commercial HVAC systems run pretty much constantly for months at a time, cooling you in summer and heating in winter. And just like your car, you cannot afford to have your air conditioning break down unexpectedly, especially in commercial buildings – your customers and employees would be uncomfortable and unhappy, plans would be disrupted, sales would decrease, and your hard-earned reputation would suffer.

Regular commercial HVAC maintenance prevents emergency breakdowns and repairs. We promised you figures, and here is the first one:

According to SMART (the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers), annual HVAC maintenance has been shown to reduce emergency repairs by up to 95 percent.

This number alone should help you make up your mind, but there’s more! Let’s talk about efficiency next.

Keeping energy expenses under control

Let’s consider your car again. You are aware that keeping your car tuned up and in good shape will keep your gas mileage good, meaning you get to drive more while spending less in gas.

The exact same principle applies to HVAC equipment and energy efficiency: regular maintenance means the system works efficiently, using only the energy it needs. And to a business owner, this means less money is spent on power bills, and more money is available for investing in your business.

On to the numbers: studies conducted by the National Center for Energy Management and Building Technologies showed that implementing a preventative commercial maintenance plan made the system operate optimally, reducing energy expenses by 15-20 percent.

How much is 20% of your heating energy bill? How would you like to spend that money instead?

The New Buildings Institute also conducted a study ion the effects of regular maintenance and discovered that HVAC equipment with no maintenance increased its energy consumption and operating costs by 30-60 percent.

How much is 30-60% of your energy bill? Probably more than what you’d spend on a commercial maintenance plan.

Fewer and smaller repairs

We have said this before: if your car’s radiator has a leak, you can fix it immediately and cheaply… or you can leave it until the car overheats and the motor block cracks, at which point you will have to spend a serious amount of money in parts and labor to get it running again, not to mention renting another car so you can keep working while it gets fixed.

It should go without saying that a complex and expensive system like an HVAC and ductwork also develops small issues, which can quickly grow into much more serious ones. Inspecting your air conditioners, ducts, and furnaces regularly will help you detect early signs of damage and fix them immediately, preventing larger damage.

Not convinced? Here is a case study with some numbers that will give you food for thought: the Houston School District had been spending up to $12,000,000 a year on HVAC repairs all over their schools and venues. This was clearly too much, so they implemented a basic boiler and chiller maintenance plan: cleaning, lubrication, and belt and filter replacement.

The results? Just giving the system basic maintenance annually reduced the district’s HVAC repair costs by $1-2,000,000 every year.

Better air quality

Indoor air quality is not often measured, and it does not affect your expenses as directly as energy bills do – but indirectly, it has a huge effect on the earnings of a commercial space.

A stuffy office or store, where the air is full of mold and dust particles, is not a great place to be. Customers will stay for shorter periods of time and probably not return, especially if a visit to your store set off their allergies or asthma.

Employees will not be working at peak performance if their noses are runny or stuffy al the time – concentration and energy levels will decrease, and productivity will definitely suffer.

Studies have shown that 20% of business spaces do not clean their filters and ducts often enough, leading to poor air quality and an unwelcoming, potentially unhealthy space.

Numbers talk, and we hope all of these numbers have helped you make up your mind about the many benefits of an HVAC maintenance agreement. Get in touch with us – our adjustable service plans include everything you need and can be tailored to your business needs.