A considerably large proportion of businesses are reliant on air-conditioning or refrigeration equipment- sometimes even both. The consequences incurred when these systems break down can be disastrous for any company or individual, making periodic service and maintenance vital.
There exists a recognised correlation between personal performance, and immediate surroundings. Air conditioning can directly improve working efficiency particularly in office environments. The World Health Organisation states that improperly maintained HVAC units cause 20 to 30% of the office population to suffer symptoms ranging from itchy eyes and throats, to short term memory loss.
For businesses that rely on refrigeration units, the importance of keeping them in working order is even greater. Small food businesses are particularly dependant on efficient and reliable refrigeration for survival and downtime can be catastrophic for any company in the food industry. Therefore it is essential that potential problems are recognised and dealt with before they affect business continuity. This will in turn save both time and money.
Proper maintenance
Issues can arise with any refrigeration equipment that is not properly maintained; from faulty operation to parts failures, these problems can cause unscheduled equipment breakdowns often-necessitating extensive repair work. Furthermore, equipment that has not been properly serviced tends to be less energy efficient and has to work significantly harder to produce the same results; this can give rise to high electricity bills for companies.
If air conditioning equipment is not maintained and cleaned, dirt and bacteria can build up and is circulated, contaminating the surrounding environment. These problems can all be regulated and controlled with comprehensive service and maintenance. A small price to pay for preventing the costs and future business loss incurred from a possible outbreak of illness among customers or staff caused by poor indoor air quality. Furthermore, an environment with good quality conditioned air creates a productive and comfortable environment.
Whilst it is crucial to provide agreeable surroundings for employees and customers, it is equally as important to ensure adherence to industry rules and regulations. If manufacturer’s warranties for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment are to be upheld, it is essential and a stipulated must, that regular maintenance from a credible provider be undertaken. If this is not executed the warranty can easily be declared void.
Regular checks
All refrigeration systems containing fluorinated gases must be by law and in accordance with the European Union’s F-gas Regulation, No 842/2006, must be checked on a regular basis, how often depends on size; Systems containing 30kg or more refrigerant requires a twice-yearly check, whilst systems containing between 3 and 30kg need to be checked annually. In accordance with this regulation, businesses are required to keep a logbook on site, in which records of any leak checks, refrigerant repairs and details of refrigerant gases removed and added are recorded. Without it, companies can incur large fines.
Specially skilled technicians are required to offer guidance and support to ensure the integral components of the unit are in efficient condition and operating reliably throughout its design life, as well as inspecting the system functions and safety controls, adjusting operating sequences, cleaning and lubricating motors or pumps, checking refrigerant levels and proper airflow.
Maintenance options
We provide a turnkey service and maintenance option for our customers and are a D1 approved installer by Daikin and an A1 Mitsubishi accredited installer. Basically D1 accreditation provides complete assurance for any company requiring air conditioning, that their equipment will have been installed by engineers who are committed to the most up to date training, and are fully aware of product innovations. This is perhaps one of the most important areas of the industry where short cuts cannot be taken and because of this Daikin recommend that all air conditioning is maintained by D1 accredited engineers to ensure that it is maintained by professionals.
Sherin Hammad, Branch Manager for Daikin says: “All equipment can only ever be as good as its installers, which is why the Daikin D1 accreditation is only awarded to those completely committed to attending courses and continuously updating their skills. Having a maintenance / service contract in place is essential for optimum longevity for any air conditioning unit and ensures the highest levels of efficiency. A comprehensive maintenance package allows for complete peace of mind for all end users, providing a proactive clean environment.”
Regular servicing
As with a car, air conditioning needs regular service and maintenance to upkeep its optimum levels of performance, and remain in peak condition to reduce running costs. Planned and preventative maintenance is the backbone of product efficiency and longevity, enabling any system to remain in peak condition for optimum performance.
With changes occurring continuously within the industry, companies require a provider who mentors compliance through all the latest legislations including F-gas and R22 phase out. We will even extend our service offering by monitoring and keeping up to date log books highlighting compliance with the latest F-gas regulations.
Keep it current
With the constant changes to legislation covering air conditioning systems it is imperative that you deal with a company who knows the industry and knows what they are doing. Without a proper maintenance schedule carried out by professionals you run the risk of expensive downtime and inconvenience to your staff and customers – something which can easily be avoided.