Preventive Maintenance Agreements

OK, excuse the cheeky title, but it’s Halloween and we couldn’t resist.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been discussing various aspects of HVAC preventive maintenance, including the importance of a good plan, choosing the right vendor and what to look for when selecting a service contract. To wrap up this series of blog posts, let’s review why having a preventive agreement makes sense for your building and your budget.

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Both are a pain in the, ah hem…arm, and you’ll probably regret it if you don’t get one.

If you’re reading this likely you’re either in the process of selecting an HVAC vendor, or (like many people) you’ve had a frustrating, confusing, or downright devastating experience with a previous maintenance contract. And yet, you want to do your best to prevent equipment failure, keep your employees and tenants happy, and save time, money and stress in the process.

From mechanical contractors to manufacturers, there are a wide variety of vendors who offer preventive maintenance contracts, and not all of their services are equal. This article–and this series, really–is meant to help you avoid preventative maintenance mayhem, by giving you the knowledge you need to make the decision that’s right for you.

In our last post we discussed all the ways contractors can vary; now, let’s review the various types of service agreements help you make an informed decision before investing in one.

HVAC maintenance contract types can generally be narrowed down to the following:

• Full Coverage — The ultimate insurance policy for the buyer, as the contractor assumes the risk for most anything that can go wrong with your system. But make sure you understand exactly how each vendor defines “full coverage.”
• Full Labor — Typically covers 100% of the labor to repair, replace and maintain most HVAC equipment. As the system owner or manager, you’re responsible for the cost of any equipment and parts needed to complete the repair.
• Preventive Maintenance — Generally a “fixed fee” charge for a specified number of scheduled maintenance visits annually. Though initially less expensive than a full-service or full-labor contract, any emergencies, repairs and replacements must be paid for on a labor-and-materials basis.
• Inspection Service — This is typically the least expensive type of agreement — and the least valuable when it comes to protecting your system. It is also usually purchased for a fixed annual fee and includes a specified number of periodic inspections.

Variations are possible within each contract type, but it depends on the system owner’s requirements and the contractor’s ability and willingness to modify or customize service offerings.

Don’t be driven by price alone — if a service provider is less than reputable or misquotes costs, you can bet they’ll only do the minimum to keep your system running until the end of the contract term.

To learn more about HVAC service agreements, download our free guide to HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contracts: How to Find the Right One for Your HVAC Infrastructure.

When it comes to preventative maintenance, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is deciding what contractor to hire.

Welcome to the first of our four-part series on HVAC preventative maintenance contracts.

Over the next four weeks, we’ll be talking about the various types of contracts that are available,HVAC Preventative Maintenance Contract and how having a well-maintained system can benefit your building — and your budget.

Let’s get started with the overall importance of preventative maintenance. The right hvac preventative maintenance agreement considers the technology, age, frequency of use and load requirements of your HVAC system. This helps to sustain a building’s overall profitability by addressing worker comfort and productivity, equipment reliability and energy-efficient operation. When performed regularly and systematically, hvac preventative maintenance can greatly improve system performance, reduce equipment degradation and maximize the life span of your HVAC system.

Use the following checklist as a starting point for thorough preventative maintenance:

• Twice-yearly inspections, with seasonal start-up and run inspections.
• Seasonal preventative maintenance of chillers and boilers.
• Cooling tower inspection that includes: disassembling screens and access panels; inspecting the tower fill, support structure, sump and spray nozzles, fill valve, gear box, drive coupling, fan blades and motor bearings; cleaning starter and cabinet; wiring inspection; checking motor starter contacts for wear and proper operation; megger testing the motor and log readings; and checking the condition of the sump heater and contactor, and log observations.
• Inspection of couplings and checking for leaks. Investigating unusual noises.
• Air-handling unit maintenance, which includes cleaning or replacing air filters at least quarterly, based on their condition.

Variations among vendor services

Now that you’re familiar with the basics of good HVAC preventative maintenance, it’s important to know what qualities to look for when evaluating various types of maintenance contracts. HVAC vendors offer several different levels of service — be sure to consider the following before deciding on one:

1. How old are the components in your HVAC system? Do you want to cover them all?
2. How much are you willing to spend?
3. How much of your system and its parts are you willing to leave to chance?

Always remember to compare and contrast — not all contracts are created equal. Since there are no industry standards when it comes to what is and what is not included in preventative maintenance agreements, it’s important that you trust the company whose services you’re about to purchase. A service contract is only as good as the company that stands behind it.

Want to learn more? Download HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contracts: How to Find the Right One for Your HVAC Infrastructure, a free guide to evaluating HVAC contracts and vendors.