COMMERCIALSERVICES

Preventive Maintenance Savings

Preventive Maintenance Agreements (PMAs) are agreements between you and your HVAC contractor for scheduled inspections and maintenance of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

PMAs are generally scheduled semi-annually to maintain peak efficiency, prevent utility overpayment, and avert system failures through predictive maintenance that can help extend the life of your HVAC system. Sometimes PMAs are also referred to as “planned maintenance agreements,” “start and checks,” or “preventative service agreements.” PMAs usually consist of fall and spring scheduled sessions for a service technician to go through your entire HVAC system preparing it for the upcoming season in a proactive approach before system failure and prior to overpaying your utility company.

Just like your automobile, your commercial building must have well-maintained heating and cooling systems to operate efficiently. To improve your business’s efficiency and help ensure reliability and long life, consider the following tips.

Easy Steps to Reduce Energy Consumption

• Engage a qualified HVAC firm in a maintenance contract with seasonal tune-ups. During these tune-ups, a technician should check combustion efficiency, refrigerant charge, and belt tension as applicable.
• Replace air filters regularly. Accumulated dirt and dust make your fans work harder. Clean or replace filters as recommended by your system’s manufacturer.
• Clean the evaporator and condenser coils on your heat pump, air-conditioner, or chiller. Dirty coils inhibit heat transfer; by keeping them clean, you save energy.
• Inspect ducts and piping for leakage or damaged insulation. Leaky ductwork is one of the biggest contributors to cooling loss in buildings. Apply duct sealer, tape, and insulation as needed.
• Repair old valves and steam traps. These can waste hundreds of dollars and are low cost parts.

Energy Consumption

The HVAC system is most likely the single biggest use of energy in your home. In commercial applications where refrigeration is applied (combined with the HVAC systems), huge amounts of energy are used in the building. In fact, over 1/3 of the energy used in the United States is used to heat and cool buildings.

What Should You Expect from a Burkholder’s PMA visit?

Note: For heat pump applications, winter season inspections repeat a number of the summer procedures plus several additional checks. Maintaining semi-annual PMAs for heat pumps is also important.

What’s Your Bottom Line?

• Savings: PMAs typically more than pay for themselves through higher efficiency, less utility overpayment, and contractor discounts. PMA customers typically receive a discount on all parts and services performed during the entire year.
• Peace of Mind: Predictive maintenance will mean fewer system failures and a longer life for your HVAC equipment.
• Priority Service: Should a system failure occur during the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter, customers with PMAs generally receive priority service.
• Continuity: Many contractors are often able to assign technicians to the specific customers. That way, you get to see and know the same service technician, and he or she becomes more familiar with you and your equipment.