hvac management

Elliott is the director of HVAC Trade Services and EMS Monitoring Services at FacilitySource, HVAC management service provider. With nearly 15 years of industry experience, Elliott’s responsibilities include building relationships with equipment manufacturers, developing capital HVAC replacement programs and strategies, and managing the company’s HVAC maintenance program.

Once you’ve calculated the cost of keeping aged equipment in operation, the next important step is determining what assets to replace and in what locations. Start with an accurate asset list to determine the age of all equipment across a portfolio of locations and identify any equipment that has been in operation for at least 15 years.

Review the preventive maintenance history for the aging assets and ask yourself the following questions: Has the PM program been effective? What was the scope of work? It’s important to review the maintenance spend history over the last two to three years for repair work, as it will let you know if you are investing in an asset with diminishing or no returns. Finally, you’ll want to determine the RTU energy costs, regardless of age, to determine how much energy is being utilized and how much can be saved.

At the end of the day, taking control of an HVAC replacement strategy means saving the organization money. Using these four tips to calculate current HVAC systems costs will help avoid one-off repairs for unexpected replacements and help to create a proactive strategy to replace units that are draining funds, time, and customer satisfaction.