Three Approaches to HVAC Maintenance

There are three very important methods to be familiar with when it comes to Maintenance up-keeps. As with any maintenance up-keep there are a few different approaches you can take. In this blog though, we are defining Reactive, Preventative, and Predictive Maintenance, all in regards to the HVAC Industry.

When a professional sets out into the HVAC world; they should choose which approach is best for the business or consumer; and depict how you are going to save the most money in the long run. A lot of times depending on the approach one takes in the field will help you determine if you are working with a true professional.

So, to break it down by maintenance approach, we are going to start with Reactive Maintenance, which I believe is the least attractive of the three. Reactive Maintenance is an approach that takes place after the equipment is already at a “no-turn around” type condition and is often times referred to as Management by Crisis – which is when a manager is creating more crisis than he is preventing. This meaning that the equipment is broken down and that there was nothing done before hand to prevent the situation from occurring. These type fixes are going to take the most out of your pocket, and require the most attention (taking you away from greater responsibilities). As a professional, this would not be the most appropriate approach to take.

Preventative Maintenance, however, goes a step above Reactive, and is one that should be done at all times when dealing with HVAC equipment. Preventative Maintenance is making an attempt to at least check the condition of your unit rather there seems to be an issue or not. With HVAC, this approach is important for the simple fact that you can’t always see equipment deterioration or bacteria from the outside. And when you go with the “out of sight, out of mind”, is when we end up with Reactive Maintenance. This approach will help you to stay on top of things, so that you can catch the problem before resulting in system failure. This approach seems to be one of the more popular approaches.

Lastly, Predictive Maintenance, is going to be your worry-free approach, this technique is designed to help you determine the HVAC’s condition and better predict when maintenance should be performed. Basically, you have it on schedule to be repaired before the problem/break has presented itself. While this approach may not be the most popular, it creates the best results and is the best approach to take.

In a nutshell, Predictive Maintenance is going to result in more cost savings over routine or preventative Maintenance procedures, while Preventative does the same over Reactive Maintenance, saving you more over the reactive approach, more so than Predictive over Preventative.

Are you a professional? Which maintenance approach do you prefer? Leave me a comment in the section below.

Chasity Walker, Publicity Manager of Controlled Release Technologies, Inc., a research, development and manufacturing firm based in Shelby, North Carolina. CRT is a manufacturer of independently-certified Green products for HVAC maintenance. Since 1986, CRT has been creating leading edge HVAC maintenance products that have become industry standards, used in thousands of commercial buildings world-wide. CRT employees are members of ASHRAE, and the American Chemical Society. www.cleanac.com