HVAC Systems Proactive Maintenance - Research Paper Example

HVAC System’s Proactive Maintenance Author Institution Group facilitator: Abstract Proactive maintenance of HVAC systems is a fundamental aspect of any building performance. HVAC systems control the air flow, air filtering and the temperature of indoor spaces. The system’s performance brings fruitful and healthy work spaces within a given occupancy where they are installed. HVAC systems strongly depend on gas and electricity. They represent over 50% potential improvement on energy efficiency in a building and thus, conversely representing over 50% risk due to retained energy efficiency and star rating energy (Levitt, 2005). With this in mind, it’s absolutely clear that comfort and fresh work places are a product of taking care of HVAC equipment. Managed HVAC environment is thus, responsible for low operational cost and increased staff productivity. Proactive maintenance and constant servicing of this system ensures that there are quick responses to problems for prevention of unnecessary breakdowns. Further, many facilities have realized the quality end results and the value that comes with good maintenance of the system. For example, in healthcare facilities, they have to use specific humidity, airflow and temperature requirements for critical spaces. In this case, a healthcare facility must keep and observe the conditions of a patient room to enhance healing. This condition keeping is efficient and productive only when proactive maintenance is adapted. This helps the hospital achieve its objectives like energy saving, heightened patient satisfaction, clinical retention and capital equipment investment. This research puts into consideration emphasizes on how profitable and economical it is to constantly service and maintain HVAC systems. A well-maintained HVAC system retains the asset value of a building, saves money by reducing Green Star and National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) performance rating and ensures less greenhouse gases are emitted to the environment. Key theme This research will be based on the theme of proactive and preventive maintenance of HVAC systems. The theme will be discussed under the following sub-themes: • Preventive and predictive maintenance • Component lifetime and reliability • Lubrication • Maintenance costing, documentation • The maintenance organization (department), report writing • Maintenance safety • Sustainable maintenance and the environment GLOSSARY HVCA Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association (United Kingdom) HVAC Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning AIRAH Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating HVAC System’s Proactive and Preventive Maintenance Introduction The following is a review on Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning(HVAC). The review talks of the various methodologies of maintenance that are applied across most building automation systems where the HVAC system are installed. Basing on the universally recognized maintenance methods, the main maintenance categories include: Failure-based maintenance, predictive maintenance, proactive maintenance and scheduled maintenance. Various HVAC practices can result into satisfactory differences when it comes to maintenance cost and the predicted HVAC life. A huge focus has been drawn on operation and maintenance of existing systems. By establishing and documenting of its design, installation, maintenance and operation of HAVAC systems need to be in line with the national standard systems (Bearg, 1993). The strategy in use looks into the existing non-technical barriers that are there. Maintenance ensures promotion of highly efficient technical solutions, optimizing processes and having an environment in which the efficiency of energy gains is sustainable and measurable. The review identifies and recognizes the importance of the currently existing Australian and International standards and guidelines. Previous publications have tried to cover factors for consideration as they set up maintenance contracts by including statutory requirements for health and safety, schedules for reliability occupant comfort and the contract administration (Bearg, 1993). In Australia, the maintenance of HAVC systems is checked by making available the AIRAH application manual DA19-HVAC&R that is acknowledged by the government. This move makes sure each and every building benefits from the maintenance strategy. With standards in place, operational efficiency is increased and the risks that are involved with the unplanned downtime decrease thus increasing the life expectancy of the HVAC equipment. As for healthcare facilities, the programs involved with HVAC equipment helps the organizations reach the government’s standards and these ensures healthy and secure environs that ensure patient and clinician comfort, infection control, checking humidity levels, air circulation and temperature variance. Recent market study has unfortunately shown that approximately 3 to 7 percent of facilities that were surveyed do not perform any maintenance on the HVAC equipment or its controls (Bearg, 1993). Lack of maintenance has been likened to running a car and not changing its oil or scheduling it for checkups. Irregular and sporadic maintenance unfortunately leads to expensive repairs; it could even mean endangering lives of passengers and ultimately reducing the life of the car. If periodic checkups on a car help in extending a car’s life and have its performance improved then having a HAVC’s equipment maintained will mean having it running efficiently (Mcdowall, 2007). In healthcare facilities that run 24/7 on this equipment, maintenance is preferable as lack of proper maintenance in the building is not going in line with the patient clinician satisfaction. Managers have agreed that having a planned maintenance strategy will help in minimizing the risk and hence increasing the returns. These goes further to identify opportunities that will help in improving energy efficiency. Doing so will take care of comfort safety of occupants, health and the environment. Having a planned maintenance program is a tested method that will make sure a building running on HVAC is running without any hitches. The periodic checkups consists of having inspections on the building assets such as; air handling units, roof top units, variable frequency drives, compressor fans, cooling towers, pumps and building automation systems and controls. The periodic inspections are critical and it’s government requirement for such systems to be maintained on a regular basis (Bearg, 1993). Discuss on the Major Theme and Sub-Themes The key theme for this research is preventive and predictive maintenance for HVAC systems The sub-themes in discussion below show in detail how important it is to have a healthy working HVAC system that is maintained from time to time. Fundamental approaches to maintenance, planning and scheduling function of an HVAC system should be maintained according to the objectives stated under maintenance and environmental policies with regard to comfortability. The maintenance strategy must take into consideration the available resources in terms of budget of maintenance, in-house staff skills, time available, administration input and setting up of maintenance contract (Bearg, 1993). An important part of operations and maintenance manual is schedules for cleaning filters, ducts drive belt inspection , measuring use of energy and comfort, and replacing filters. Performance measurements should be carried out at least quarterly or monthly to provide enough data to the operators so that they can tell when poor system performance is being experienced. Many systems in building automations can provide data on energy use, humidity and temperature on an hourly basis. Thus, to ensure energy is saved on HVAC systems, a planned preventative maintenance strategy should be incorporated and should utilize the data obtained from automation. The use of BMS to actively monitor HVAC systems, as well as, prioritization of any defect fixing that leads to water and energy loss is important. If issues on maintenance are not remedied and diagnosed promptly, water and energy wastage will impact on performance of a building could be substantial (Bearg, 1993). Preventive and Predictive Maintenance Predictive maintenance (PdM) involves the analysis of machinery and trending its performance and the operating parameters so as to identify and detect any developing problem before any extensive failure or damage can occur (Sugarman, 2005).The most desirable way of detection would be online detection and diagnosis. The following are benefits of early detection of a problem when one has minor defects that affect HVAC performance: 1) Reduced machinery downtime as repair time is kept to the minimum 2) Analysis mostly identifies the problem, hence one finds that the cost trial and error approaches for problem solving are avoided 3) The machinery shut-down for repairs is scheduled for a time that is convenient 4) Forced failure is avoided. 5) Before shut down, a work schedule, together with the requirements for the personnel, tools and their replacement are prepared. 6) Time and money are not wasted on the dismantling machinery that is in good operating condition, as long as, problems do not develop. Lubrication Lubrication is a major proactive measure skill. It goes hand in hand with fixing a problem for the first time. The leading cause of premature bearing failure is the improper lubrication. Lubrication provides a separation between moving components. The lubrication film thickness should be 10 micrometers. The lubricant not only acts as a friction control but also a temperature control. Lubrication is fundamental in HVAC maintenance as shown in figure 1. Figure 1: Illustration of Importance of Lubrication Component life time and reliability: Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) The Reliability-Centered Technical Maintenance strives to identify appropriate methods that are based on the maintenance requirements for every asset. Failure modes are usually identified and the maintenance requirements of an equipment are specified. A well maintained machine is bound to last longer. The RCM approach was used in the development of the aircraft and the nuclear plant in the 1970s. It has been proven to produce outstanding PM and achieve a high reliability. Performance of a well maintained HAVC is superb (Sugarman, 2005). Maintenance Safety Any catastrophic failure with an HVAC system can pose a very serious safety threat to the occupants of a building[Rob07]. The failure of the system adds loss to the production process. However, in situation where repair costs surpass the replacement cost, such failure should be allowed only if there is no risk to safety that is being presented. The consumer today is smarter and has access to information, thus forcing the industry to have products that are of high and improved quality. Therefore, for the market to cope with the increased safety demands, the HAVC enterprise is continuously building relationship by effective planning of resources. Effective planning of resources involve customer order management, efficient manufacturing, maintaining an optimum inventory and safety management. The Maintenance Cost Documentation Records to do with HVAC maintenance cost have to be maintained accordingly. This stems from the fact that maintenance records are useful in cost estimation and decision making. It makes it easy for management to decide whether to do away with a system that is too expensive to maintain or buy a new one. Further, the document cost can be factored in the overall appraisal of the building. Sustainable Maintenance and the Environment The HVAC 10 year strategy has been designed to create an environment that is efficiently gaining value that is measurable and sustainable and it is important in order to achieve sustainability in the commercial buildings (Stanford, 2010). It has been pushed to the forefront for several reasons such as increased cost of energy and water, and the need to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of most commercial buildings. Buildings installed with these HVAC systems have enhanced the comfort of its occupants, the asset retention is better and there is improved reliability. The National Green lease policy for the efficiency of energy has endorsed the lease policy principal. The policy gives direction to the government to reward the tenants who are occupants of buildings that have shown low environmental impact. As per research, we find that commercial tenants are demanding to stay in sustainable buildings that have been able to reduce the environmental impact. Figure 2 shows a representation of HVAC maintenance. Critical Reflection and Discussion Introduction This section is a critical reflection and discussion. The reflection considers the case study of a nursing home care where the HVAC systems are used. This section describes the background and history or setting of the facility, challenges and then the solutions applied to resolve the faced problems. This nursing home facility namely, majestic care center, illustrates poorly maintained HVAC system and ways to handle maintenance of the system. Background Majestic Care Center (Majestic) is a designed care facility where the use of HVAC system is discussed herein. Like any other nursing home, Majestic is operated with the main goal of providing a stimulating, healthy and safe surrounding for their elderly residents. Their focus is individuals who have been diagnosed with dementia. Majestic includes a dining hall, commercial kitchen, 64 apartments, offices and common areas totaling to 64,000 square feet building space, along with carpeting, lighting, mirrors, among other facilities. All these arespecially designed for the safety of the fragile population (Sugarman, 2005). Majestic are determined to optimize the air quality for provision of health and comfort to their residents. Challenge Location of Majestic care poses them with the biggest challenge. Climatic Changes ranges from moisture to excessive heat in the building depending with the season. The HVAC system earlier installed was a standard one and had been abandoned for its poor performance. The poor performance confirmation was as result of comparison of the current performance to when the system was first installed. The challenges are discussed herein. During the cold season, the study showed that the location gained high content of humidity in the air. The challenge during this season was delivering enough air from the outside to the building. This made it hard to maintain and optimize quality air in the building. The humid air brought damp condition in the building and this caused illness to the delicate resident. This condition made the administration face a lot of drop outs and constant complaints from registered individuals. The dampness, further, caused serious invasion of mold (Tompkins, 1998). The air conditioning equipment (HVAC System) used, left the building uncomfortably cool, because for it to remove moisture, it had to overcool the air until at a dew point and again reheat, a process that uses a lot of energy. The laid system was no longer helpful. The upstairs suite had a disturbing problem of undercooling and overheating. Investigations conducted revealed that circulation control was a problem. This was due to the economizer deployed, since the original design lacked the air balancing dampers. VAV filters proved to lack access panel and almost got completely clogged due to lack cleanliness and good maintenance. A close attention at the operation showed a disused building automation system and a poorly maintained HVAC system. Underground leaks were also discovered, which contributed to system inefficiency (Tompkins, 1998). Further study indicated that the roof top was black, causing overheats to the third floor plenum. From the study, a healthy environment for majestic, at large, meant a space that required an outside air of 8200 CFM. This was to be delivered in the following conditions; 750 F and 50% RH (63.6 gr/lb.) relative humidity. Problem Solving As proved by the study, one problem why Majestic was having issues with the quality of air was due to poorly maintained HVAC system. As a move to improve this, DCV and Entropy sensors were joined to a new economizer. This approach maximized the use of outside air, as well as, limiting it when not wanted. The economizer was set to cool the building instead of the boiler running simultaneously with the HVAC chiller. Before, the chiller was working 24/7, the whole of winter (Tompkins, 1998). . To maintain VAV filters, access panel were brought in and key locations installed with air balancing dampers. This enabled the fans to run a significant lower pressure and thus lower energy. The additional airflow greatly cut condenser and boiler usage. Underground coolants were fixed to avoid energy loss (Mcdowall, 2007). Regarding to the black roof issue, a white reflective coating was installed to the roof to lower roof temperatures with about 400F. Other than the maintenance of the existing HVAC System, a new technology called Advantix technology was brought in to improve on the quality of air. This technology initiated the use of desiccant liquid for HVAC applications. The conventional way of delivering the outside air is by use DOAS or rather the Mechanical Dedicated outside Air System. DOAS systems have a tendency of being maintenance and energy intensive. As a more economical and effective solution, Majestic switched to Advantix System, a technology that is liquid desiccant that offers removal of moisture naturally from the air. The liquid used is a brine solution and is non-toxic. It has the capability to clean and dehumidify the air simultaneously without having to excite the system or even needing a replacement (Cruzan 2009). The liquid desiccant, when heated releases back the moisture out in form of vapor air that is definitely and helpfully warm, thus eliminating system condensation at any part. Liquid desiccant is again a natural disinfectant, which helps in removing microorganisms, bacteria and bad smell from the air very easily (Stanford, 2010). Three Advantix DT-Rooftop units were installed for provision of enough (8,200 CFM) outside air. Maintain the set (750F, 50% RH) conditions and attain energy saving results (Bearg, 1993). The applied solution efficaciously dehumidifies the air from outside and transmits this treated air to packaged units. Other than meeting the target conditions of a humid climate, the solutions applied, proved to be affordable in energy consumption and maintenance cost. Table 1 show the effects of applying the stated solutions and a reduction of 33% of energy cost as an economic and financial benefit. The result further demonstrated the importance of well-maintained HVAC systems on energy (Sugarman, 2005). Table 1: Comparative Analysis before and after Applying Maintenance Outdoor Air condition given Conventional Solution together with the poorly maintained systems After Applying maintenance and Advantix Energy Consumption Kwh/yr. Energy Consumption KWh/yr. Dry Bulb Humidity Ratio (Gr/lb.) Cooling coil capacity (tons) Kw/ton Full load consumption (kw) 495,360 3*DTRT/15 (kw/unit) Full load Consumption (kw) 331,200 84.8 152.7 64.5 1.60 103.20 495.360 23.0 69.0 331,200 Total Annual cost for system energy operation 49,536 Dollars Total Annual cost for system energy operation: 33,120 dollars After the study and application of the solution, it was clear that comfort desired by the resident had finally been attained. The whole operation reduced 30%-40% of operating expenses and low upfront costs. The administration had reduced the amount they used on electricity and no more drop outs or illness brought by moisture were registered (Sugarman, 2005). The case study, therefore, clearly shows that poor performing HVAC system can cause destabilization to a whole institution from management to the occupants of a building. However, improvement and proactive maintenance of HVAC system brings back stability as illustrated above. Summary A HVAC system provides humidity and cooling mechanism into parts of the building where it is installed. Conditioned rooms often have their windows sealed, since open windows would work against the system meant for regular conditioning of indoor air. Fresh, outside air is drawn into the exchanger section to create a positive air pressure. Air replacement in a space helps in temperature control or removal of any moisture combination, smoke, odors, heat, carbon dioxide or airborne bacteria, and helps replenishing oxygen. As illustrated above, it is one very important factor to maintain friendly, healthy and quality indoor air in a building. However, these may be affected by a poorly maintained System (In Rosaler, 1998). All conditioning systems are equipped with filters for internal air filtration. These filters must be washed or replaced as conditions warrant. Failure to make a filter replacement will result in contribution of lower rates of heat exchange. Short equipment life span and high energy bills as proved by the study. Low flow of air can lead to ‘iced-up’ evaporator coils which can indefinitely stop complete air flow. Additionally clogged filters can cause damage to the system or fire since they can overheat during heating process. The efficiency of the system, therefore, means proactive maintenance and upgrades. After improvement, cleaning and fixing of the system, Majestic care center bring back normality in the building and settles all issues. Energy efficiency is the prime aspect that is achieved when better HVAC technology is applied or when proactive HVAC system maintenance is enhanced. Proper maintenance is able to reduce risks that come with fault systems by employing an efficient dehumidification mechanism. The majestic management is able to experience the positive benefit of HVAC technology. The clean air quality, odor-free allows them to maintain their residents’ comfort and optimal health. This evidently comes with a significant reduction in operation cost. References Levitt, J. (2005). Complete guide to preventive and predictive maintenance. New York, NY: Industrial Press. Sugarman, S. C. (2005). HVAC fundamentals. Lilburn, GA: Fairmont Press. Stanford, H. W. (2010). Effective building maintenance: Protection of capital assets. Lilburn, Ga: Fairmont Press. In Rosaler, R. C. (1998).HVAC maintenance and operations handbook. New York, N.Y: McGraw-Hill. Cruzan, R. (2009). Manager's guide to preventive building maintenance.Liburn, GA: Fairmont Press. Top of Form Bottom of Form Tompkins, J. A. (1998). The warehouse management handbook. Raleigh, NC: Tompkins. Wells, J., Association of Energy Engineers, World Energy Engineering Congress, WEEC, & World Energy Engineering Congress. (2003). Solutions for energy security & facility management challenges: [proceedings of the 25th World Energy Engineering Congress. Lilburn, Ga: Fairmont Press. Mcdowall, R. (2007). Fundamentals of HVAC systems: SI edition. Atlanta, Ga: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers eLearning. Sugarman, S. C. (1992). HVAC optimization handbook. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall. Rob07: , (McDowall, 2007), Acknowledgements We thank the group members for their contribution and overseeing the complete of this review. This work has been greatly supported by all the group members with each member giving useful data and information in the making of this review on Proactive Maintenance of HAVC. We thank the group facilitator who has been of great support. His intellect and organization has ensured that these review has been a carried out within the stipulated guidelines. The group could not simply imagine working with anyone better. We also acknowledge the publishers of the materials that support this review. However for precision of data other sources were used. A report from National Center for Energy Management and Building Technologies task 10: Energy Reduction through Practical Scheduled Maintenance subtask 10.1 literature review Special thanks go to Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Thank you for your support. Top of Form Bottom of Form Read More