Every season has its challenges for your building management system. Winter, however, might be the most troublesome season. Heavy rains, lots of snow, sudden freezes, windstorms, and more all put your system components and you, as the facility manager, to the test. You can avoid many of the problems the winter brings, however, by adhering to basic practices and procedures. A little advance attention will save you headaches, money, upset employees, and irritated building tenants a few months down the line.
There is also the dollars-and-cents aspect. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 32% of energy use in a building goes to space heating, making it the largest category of energy use. Whatever you can do to reduce that number in your building directly impacts the bottom line.
Winter Preparation is Critical
Winter, like summer, is a time of extremes, placing demands on your BMS. Numerous manufacturing processes require stable, consistent temperatures so that computer chips, chemicals, adhesives, plastics, and other materials behave in a predictable, controlled manner. Your tenants rely on you to help them get it right.
Cooling can be a consideration as well. Data operations, with their heavy reliance on massive banks of computers, generate considerable heat, even when it is subfreezing outside.
It’s also flu season. Employees and building tenants are concerned with exposure to pathogens. Pay attention to air movement in your buildings and adequate ventilation.
Yes, the facility manager has a lot of responsibility, but you can address that with a thorough plan for your BMS.
Start with an Inspection of the BMS Hardware
As a facilities manager, you and your staff should visually inspect as many components as possible. Lay eyes on everything. Go up on the roof, down in the basement, and check every utility closet. Check relays, switches, blowers, chillers, A/C units, HVAC units, solar panels, or any other component.
This is the low-hanging fruit, the obvious stuff, such as dirt, excessive dust, corrosion, rust, loose wires, missing hardware, leaking water, and anything else. Repair all instances.
Inspecting the data is also essential. Review usage records for the previous winter. Did you hit your goals? Were there problems, and could they have been avoided if you’d done your homework up front?
Check Service Agreements
Winter is a busy time for HVAC service technicians. It might take you a week in February to get a technician out to solve a problem. Review the service agreements to determine if any systems or components require expert examination while the weather is still nice.
Filters are a Big Issue
Many parts of the country have just come through wildfire season, followed by autumn, with leaves and other debris blowing around. The job of your filters is to keep these elements from getting into the system. Check all filters and change any that look even mildly suspect.
Pay Special Attention to Thermostats
Your BMS is the brain of your building, but the thermostats are vital parts of the central nervous system. Check every thermostat and ensure proper calibration. A faulty thermostat, or one out of calibration, can send a false signal, resulting in overheating and discomfort.
Check Maintenance Records
If you have maintenance tasks scheduled for the next few months, consider completing them early. Replacing a worn pulley or checking the glycol levels in a rooftop chiller is much easier when the weather has not yet taken a severe turn.
Do you practice predictive maintenance? One of the tactics of this method is to allow less critical components to operate until failure, so you can get every last bit of performance out of them and save money. Review your predictive-maintenance components and consider changing them early.
Do you want to milk a few extra dollars out of that blower unit on the roof, only to have to change it out in the dead of winter when the wind chill has the mercury at 10 degrees below? You’re probably better off doing it now. Your staff will be happier, too.
Check Ducting and Windows
Two areas where most energy is lost are through windows and ductwork. Check all windows, ensuring that insulating coatings are in place and are not compromised. For those windows that open, ensure that they can be properly closed. Look for leaks in the window seals.
Ducting is another area. Check for loose ducting. Inspect offices and ensure tenants and occupants have not unintentionally blocked a vent or knocked something out of place. In fact, do regular inspections during the winter. Tenants and building occupants enjoy decorating for the holidays, but items like Halloween skeletons and cobwebs, Thanksgiving turkeys, and Christmas trees can create unintended blockages, preventing air from circulating correctly.
Check Glycol Levels
Water is a very effective conductor of heat, but it freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, which can cause burst pipes and damaged components. The proper mix of glycol can lower the freezing point of water by as much as 10 degrees below zero. Chances are, however, that you or your staff neglected glycol levels during the summer months. Now is the time to check it.
Winter Maintenance is Season-Long
Severe winter weather brings high winds and freezing temperatures. Your inspections should be ongoing. You’re concerned about blockages in the system from debris and ice. The last thing you want is carbon monoxide backing up into the offices and work areas. Carbon monoxide detectors are a good investment, too.
Check the documentation for your systems and components to ensure proper restart procedures in case freezing temperatures cause shutdowns.
Contact Your BMS Partner
Your BMS partner knows your system the best. They have built it with you. Ask them if they have any recommendations for winter preparation.
For more than two decades, FICO has served Montana and the Pacific Northwest with expertise and systems for HVAC, building management systems, and building security. We understand the impact of severe weather on your BMS and HVAC systems. We can help you make the proper preparations for the colder months. Contact us today.
