Preventative Maintenance
Why Consider a Preventative Maintenance Program?
The objective of a preventative maintenance program designed by Falcon Refrigeration is to prevent functional failure. This objective can be accomplished only by maintaining proper operations, by replacing necessary parts and by lubricating regularly. Faulty operation, failing parts, or lack of lubrication can create equipment failure that will in turn, cause unscheduled loss of equipment, unscheduled loss of production, or the unscheduled loss or use of an area in the facility. Many times these failures necessitate major repairs and lead to expensive emergency service work.
- A simple refrigerant pipe leak undetected for a short period can cause loss of refrigerant, equipment failure or even compressor failure.
- A simple loose wire connection undetected can cause sparks, fire, blowing of fuses, or even at times premature equipment failure.
Studies show that Heating and Cooling units on retail facilities run approximately 2000 hr/yr. This is equivalent of driving a car 60,000 miles per year. A preventative maintenance program is basically like changing the oil in your car per the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Here are the facts:
- Preventative Maintenance helps you and your air conditioning / heating systems.
- Preventative Maintenance is way of building maximum reliability into your systems.
- Preventative Maintenance dramatically reduces frequent service calls which are very costly and always inconvenient.
A too frequent example of how a quality Preventative Maintenance Program could reduce both costs and aggravation is a simple belt. Failure of belts averaged once a year. If you require service for a broken belt, it will cost approximate $ 165.00 to fix it if the mechanic has the correct size. That same belt caught and replaced during a Preventative Maintenance inspection before it breaks may cost you only $ 17.50. And the cost due to aggravation is eliminated.
Other major advantages to a Commercial Refrigeration Corporation Preventative Maintenance program are as follows:
- Studies shows that it also increases the efficiency of the system from about 3% to 14%, depending on the previous condition of the system.
- Dirty air filters can reduce the capacity of a system up to 12%. A preventive maintenance with filter service guarantees the filters are cleaned or changed.
- During preventative maintenance inspections, an air conditioning unit’s refrigerant pressure is checked. This procedure can help warn if there is any leakage in the system. It is found that a loss in refrigerant reduces a system’s efficiency by up to 60%. Moreover, unnoticed refrigerant loss can lead to very expensive compressor failures.
- In general preventive maintenance increases comfort, increase system capacity, lowers operating costs and insures longer equipment life.
Some of the procedures Falcon Refrigeration performs are:
- Check the condenser coil for its heat transfer and dust/dirt accumulation.
- Check Fans and Blowers. Clean if required to insure proper air delivery.
- Check refrigerant pressures and assure the system is leak free.
- Check the amperage of the compressors/motors.
- Check exposed duct for any leak and proper insulation.
- Adjust belts and pulleys or replace if needed for better performance.
- Check thermostat setting and calibrate if required to maintain proper temperature in the conditioned space.
- Lubricate motors and bearings where possible to avoid frictional losses.
- Test controls and safeties switches.
- Check the heating system for proper operation.
- Check relays and contactors.
- Inspect the evaporator coil and clean if necessary.
- Check and inspect blower motor and its amps rating as compared to actual.
Preventative Maintenance is more than just a visual inspection. In Preventive Maintenance, a system test is performed for proper operation so that defects can be detected before the failure of the equipment takes place.
