For residential, industrial, and commercial HVAC, preventive maintenance is a year-round concern. Different seasons bring different weather conditions that all affect your climate control systems in different ways—from hotter temperatures in summer that strain your cooling systems to colder temperatures in winter that push your heating systems to their limits, from pollen in the spring to leaves in the autumn that tax your filtration and ventilation systems.
An effective HVAC maintenance program for your building isn’t just something you do once a year and then forget about until next year. To get the most out of your system and ensure comfortable indoor temperatures, healthy air quality, and improved energy efficiency, you need to tailor your HVAC systems to tackle each season and its unique climate control challenges head-on. That’s why our HVAC experts are here to help you transform your HVAC planned maintenance strategies with tips for optimizing performance and minimizing issues for all seasons.
Colorado’s climate brings unique challenges to commercial and industrial systems all year round. Read on for our advice on seasonal HVAC maintenance tailored for colorful Colorado:
Spring HVAC Maintenance Tips (March – May)
The Colorado Front Range’s semi-arid climate makes for a highly unpredictable spring. Temperatures can swing from warm afternoons to freezing nights, and residents can be surprised by the occasional late snowstorm. As a result, HVAC systems need to handle frequent heating and cooling transitions day-to-day, while winter dryness gives way to melting snow and increased precipitation and raises demand for humidity control.
To tailor your commercial HVAC maintenance strategy for spring, you can:
- Inspect and test your heating and cooling systems to ensure they function properly to handle daily temperature swings.
- Check and calibrate your thermostats, making sure their settings are optimized for fluctuating spring temperatures to avoid unnecessary energy use.
- Clean out debris from melting snow and increased rain from your outdoor condensers and air handling units to prevent airflow restrictions.
- Inspect and clear your drainage systems to prevent water buildup from melting snow and spring rain and ensure efficient drainage.
- Monitor and adjust humidity levels as winter dryness fades to prevent mold growth and discomfort among your building’s occupants.
- Replace or clean your air filters to prevent clogging by allergens like pollen and dust.
- Inspect and seal ductwork to prevent air leaks that can impact both heating and cooling efficiency.
- Inspect your heating system’s mechanical components for signs of stress and lubricate them if needed to reduce wear and tear and encourage longevity.
- Check your cooling system’s refrigerant levels to make sure your HVAC system is prepared for the upcoming summer demand.
Summer HVAC Maintenance Tips (June-August)
Denver summers are hot and dry, with temperatures reaching over 90 degrees Fahrenheit; the occasional heavy downpours lead to drastic moisture spikes. HVAC systems have to handle peak cooling loads and demand spikes without faltering.
Your HVAC planned maintenance strategies for summer can prepare your system for these weather conditions by:
- Inspecting your building’s chillers and rooftop units to ensure they can efficiently and effectively handle high cooling demands.
- Cleaning condenser coils to prevent dirt buildup from reducing efficiency and increasing energy costs during peak cooling season.
- Monitoring refrigerant levels throughout the summer months to prevent them from falling too low, ensuring peak cooling performance and reduced energy use.
- Checking and replacing your air filters to make sure clogs brought on by dry and dusty weather conditions will not reduce airflow and efficiency.
- Optimizing your thermostat and zoning settings to adjust for peak cooling efficiency and avoid unnecessary operation.
- Checking vents, dampers, and ductwork for blockages or leaks to ensure unimpeded airflow.
- Inspecting and servicing your HVAC system’s evaporative cooling systems to ensure proper operation for efficiency in dry conditions.
- Testing electrical components and ensuring your system’s wiring, capacitors, and relays are in good shape to prevent unexpected failures under heavy load.
- Checking the drain pans and lines in your condensate drainage systems for algae and mold buildup and clean them to keep them clear.
- Developing a contingency plan for heat waves, such as an on-call supplier for rental chillers, cooling towers, or RTUs, to ensure you have backup cooling options to either minimize downtime in the event of HVAC failure or increase your system’s cooling capacity.
Fall HVAC Maintenance Tips (September-November)
Autumn comes in with summer-like heat, but by late November and early December, subfreezing temperatures are common. HVAC systems need to keep up with both extremes, and as humidity levels fluctuate, condensation becomes increasingly important to manage proactively.
To tackle the temperature and weather extremes of fall, your HVAC maintenance program should include:
- Testing your HVAC systems to ensure they can switch smoothly between heating and cooling.
- Inspecting and servicing boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, and other heating equipment before winter demand increases.
- Cleaning and adjusting economizers to utilize outdoor air for free cooling and reduce mechanical load.
- Clearing roof drains to prevent blockages from fallen leaves that could lead to water damage.
- Sealing and insulating ductwork to improve efficiency for both heating and cooling transitions.
- Adjusting your thermostat settings for shorter daylight hours and cooler nights.
- Testing your humidifiers to prepare for drier indoor air as colder weather sets in.
- Checking and calibrating safety controls to ensure reliable operational before winter conditions arrive.
- Inspecting your ventilation systems to ensure proper airflow and indoor air quality as buildings close windows against winter weather.
- Stocking up on winter supplies for your building’s HVAC system, such as extra filters, belts, and emergency parts so you can make repairs quickly in cold weather and prevent unnecessary downtime.
Winter HVAC Maintenance Tips (December-February)
Winters in Colorado are cold and dry, with cold snaps pushing the temperatures well below freezing and pushing heating demand to a peak. The dry air spikes demand for humidification from HVAC systems. Meanwhile, buildups of snow and ice can block exhaust vents and intake ducts, harming HVAC efficiency.
With the right provisions for winter weather, your commercial HVAC preventive maintenance plan helps your HVAC handle the load efficiently, preventing unexpected needs for repairs and downtime while keeping your electricity bills lower and more predictable. For example:
- Inspect and service your boilers, furnaces, and heat pumps to make sure they can run efficiently for peak heating demand.
- Monitor your humidification systems to prevent overly dry air from contributing to static electricity buildup, material shrinkage, and occupant discomfort.
- Check rooftop units, intake vents, and exhaust stacks for snow and ice buildup and keep them clear of obstructions.
- Test backup heaters, redundancy plans, and other emergency heating systems to ensure your building is prepared to handle extreme cold snaps.
- Check the insulation on your pipes and ducts to prevent heat loss and frozen pipes during subzero temperatures.
- Inspect your electrical components for stress on connections and controls caused by cold weather.
- Monitor indoor air quality to prevent CO2 buildup.
- Seal drafts and air leaks to prevent unnecessary heating loss.
- Calibrate your thermostats and sensors to ensure accurate temperature readings and avoid overworking your heating systems.
- Train your staff on winter HVAC best practices for maintaining your system’s efficiency in extreme cold weather.
Chiller Systems Services: HVAC Preventative Maintenance Services for All Seasons
With over twenty years of experience delivering best-value, turnkey HVAC services for commercial businesses, industrial facilities, schools, hospitals, and more across the Colorado Front Range, we know commercial and industrial HVAC—and we know Colorado.
Since 1997, we’ve created customized solutions to fit our customers’ budgets, servicing each system personally with professional expertise and guidance, reliability and attention to detail, and consistent follow-through. Our preventative maintenance services help ensure reliable, consistent, efficient HVAC performance year-round. From industrial heating maintenance to commercial cooling and ventilation support, we keep your systems running smoothly and minimize downtime, upkeep costs, and energy bills.
Contact us today for help with the seasonal HVAC maintenance your building needs.