by Shane Henson — December 31, 2012—Facilities managers often find they need to be especially vigilant during the winter season to ensure their building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system functions properly, while also taking further steps to make certain their energy bills do not skyrocket.
Tozour Energy Systems, a provider of HVAC and building automation systems, has offered a short list of tips that include easy and no or low-cost modifications for facilities managers and commercial building owners to save on their energy bills this season.
- Inspect your HVAC system: Clean and perform regular maintenance to keep systems running more efficiently. Scheduled maintenance will keep equipment running smoothly and fuel bills low.
- Seal air leaks: Make sure that windows and ducts are properly sealed to prevent heat loss. Keep heat in by caulking, insulating and applying weather strips to doors and windows.
- Standardize indoor temperature: Put an end to the thermostat wars by determining the most effective standard indoor temperature and assigning one person to control it. Or consider adding a remote monitoring service and letting someone else control it.
- Change air filters: Since the furnace is used consistently throughout winter, change the air filters to improve efficiency and indoor air quality. Also check drive belts on the furnace or air-handling unit for wear and proper tension to prevent frozen coils or a reduction in airflow.
- Prevent equipment freezing: Identify equipment that is vulnerable to freezing and prepare it for cold weather with proper drainage and/or freeze protection.
- Review BAS data: Utilize data from the building automation system to measure all mechanical systems’ performance, and make repairs when performance is out of an acceptable range.
