What Is Your Commercial HVAC Security Plan?

We incorporate security into all kinds of things that take place in our daily lives.

We set up a home security system to keep our families safe.  

We use security and backups on our computer to make our most sensitive data more protected.  

We even buy insurance policies to ensure everything in our daily lives is safe from harm, from our homes, to our cars, and even to our very lives.

But what about the HVAC system in the property you manage?

HVAC systems are designed to spread air throughout the building. Yet just as easily it can spread other, more dangerous contaminants as well. Whether accidental or intentional, your HVAC system could be putting your building at risk; unless you take adequate precautionary measures.

HVAC security risks can include a variety of things: fires, natural disasters, chemical spills, bacteria, viruses, mold, VOC fumes, smoke, asbestos and carbon dioxide. And they can spread through your building in a variety of ways: production activities within an office, sick office workers, chemical spills inside or outside of the building, water damage from a flood, even normal day to day activities can add in to the problem.

While its impossible to eliminate the chance of a problem from ever occurring within your building, it is important in having detection measures in place so you can eliminate the problem as quickly as possible.

Every HVAC security plan should start by having a design document that outlines how the system works, where every piece of equipment is placed, and what safety or alarm features exist. It should outline how the system functions, what equipment is in use, and where key entry points lie.

With a thorough planning document in place, the next step is to evaluate the system and find the greatest areas of vulnerability. Risk assessments should include determining where a potential contamination can easily take place, and what actions would be required to remedy the situation.

In many commercial environments, HVAC equipment is located on the outside of the building. Who has access to the equipment? Is it on ground level, easily accessible to anyone who may walk by? Or is it on the roof, protected and available to only those who have access to the building? Access doors should be secured. You can also build in additional security measures, such as monitors and alarms that will alert key personnel if and when the security is breached.

You should also build in security measures for accidents that may occur relevant to what is housed within the building itself. If the building is leased by a painting company, for instance, it will be at more risk for chemical spills and VOC hazards. Proper security should be added for both protection and detection.

Never forget that even minor, routine maintenance items can sometimes be your biggest defense. If your security plan calls for regular scheduled maintenance from a professional HVAC contractor, you will know that air filters are cleaned and replaced regularly, all filters are properly installed, equipment is running in its proper manner, gas detectors are properly calibrated, and screens and grates are cleaned and kept free of debris. Just these few routine tasks can alert you to problems that can quickly escalate and grow in a short period of time.

So what’s your plan? If this is the first time you’ve contemplated what your plan should be, there’s no better time than now to fix it. Let’s talk. With one of our professional HVAC contractors, we can help you design the perfect HVAC security plan for your building, giving you both security and peace of mind in the years to come.

What You Should Know Before Signing Up For A Commercial HVAC Maintenance Contract

Managing a property takes a lot of work. Every day presents its own

unique challenges, and you never know what may transpire when you show

up for work in the morning. One day it could be working with tenants,

solving their problems. The next you could completely switch gears,

getting your hands dirty with repair work in the building.

While you’ll never lack the opportunity of a challenge, you will have

some things that will be easier to solve than others. As a property

manager, you probably have a wide array of help at your fingertips,

ready to be called upon for any type of problem that comes your way.

That may include a general commercial contractor that can do a variety

of different tasks, ready to work on any small problem that presents

itself throughout the day.

The great thing about having a general contractor on staff is their

ability to do just about anything. They can repair a hole in the wall

one day, and make a plumbing correction the next. They’re generalists,

which is important to have when you have so many needs.

However, allowing a generalist to work on more complex issues – today’s

HVAC systems – can be putting the overall health of your building at

risk. Think of it in a similar manner to the world of medicine. Your

generalist can speak with you on most issues, even inform you when a

problem needs further investigation. But he would never give you advice

on your heart in the same way a cardiologist would because he doesn’t

have the tools or the knowledge to do the job correctly.

When you sign a maintenance contract with a commercial HVAC contractor,

they can provide many things:

Complex service for a complex system

Increasingly HVAC systems are becoming more complex. Not only does the

technology change at a rapid pace, but it also requires the knowledge of

what laws, policies and best practices are in place to ensure your HVAC

is up to code. With an increased demand for greener systems, the

requirement for more routine preventative maintenance is also

increasing. Because a general contractor doesn’t stay up to date on the

latest happenings in the industry, they may miss out on some of the

latest advancements that not only can make your building a better place

to work, it can also help you run as efficiently as possible.

More advanced licensing and training

Like many different service industries, the HVAC field requires proper

certification for certain repairs and installations. And for some

equipment, if someone doesn’t have proper certification and training and

works on the equipment anyway, it may make the warranty null and void.

General contractors do have their own set of licensing requirements, but

usually they don’t go into great detail in any one industry. Which means

they may not be qualified to undertake certain procedures required to

keep your equipment in good working condition.

Early diagnosis means less repair

If you catch a problem early enough, it won’t grow into a monumental

problem. That rule can hold true in a variety of areas, especially your

HVAC system. A heating and air conditioning professional understands

where small problems begin. They know the key to regular maintenance,

what to stay on top of, and what to service and repair long before it

shows itself as a problem. In short, they can repair things long before

you would even realize they are becoming a potential problem. They can

also diagnose and identify issues early, which will help you avoid

costly repairs down the road as they grow into bigger problems.

Anticipation can help you save

One of the best parts of having a regular maintenance contract with a

HVAC professional is it allows a contractor to know your system, inside

and out. They visit regularly and understand when things need

adjustment. They have access to parts that may be difficult to find, and

can have things on hand when they know what your system requires on a

regular basis. They can avoid potential devastating system failures by

anticipating issues, and repairing them before they grow. While you

could be waiting days for a general contractor to diagnose a problem,

order the parts, and learn how to install them correctly, a professional

HVAC contractor can have the problem diagnosed and solved in hours.

Clearly as a building owner or manager, you have two choices in keeping

your building as efficiently run as possible. If you don’t have a

maintenance contract in place, you could be at a disadvantage. If you’re

ready to learn more, give us a call today.