What can I get with a Maintenance Program?

  • A comprehensive analysis of your facility and equipment to assure your maintenance program is customized to your needs.

  • Regularly scheduled equipment inspections and preventative maintenance.

  • No overtime premium for qualified, after hours emergency service.

  • Discounted service, repair, and equipment replacement rates.

  • Access to our 24/7 service response.

  • 2 hour emergency response available.

  • Optional remote monitoring of systems via web-based and dialup control system interfaces.

  • Web-based customer portal access.

HVAC SERVICE & PLANNED MAINTENANCE

Heating and Cooling breakdowns, along with service disruptions can never be planned, likewise they are never welcomed. When HVAC equipment fails, commercial buildings rely on highly skilled technicians for rapid responses with efficient troubleshooting and effective solutions and repairs.

With a team of professional HVAC-R technicians, Chesapeake Controls provides planned maintenance, equipment change-outs and retrofits, and 24-Hour Emergency Service. At Chesapeake Controls we offer our customers a full range of HVAC commercial services to meet the demands of any commercial facility.

Industries & Facilities We Serve:

  • Healthcare & Assisted Living Facilities

  • K-12 & Higher Learning Educational Facilities

  • Data Centers & Communication Companies

  • Hospitality

  • Churches & Religious Organizations

  • Food Processing & Manufacturing

  • Shopping & Retail Centers

  • Offices Spaces & Commercial Buildings

  • Government & Municipal Facilities

Organizations depend on reliable heating and cooling equipment in their buildings for continued service. Downtime equates to lost revenue and upset occupants. Run your business confidently trusting that your heating, air, and refrigeration equipment is installed, serviced, and properly maintained by a team of dedicated commercial HVAC professionals.

  • Chiller Repairs Services and Maintenance

  • Cooling Tower Repairs Service and Maintenance

  • Boiler Repairs Service and Maintenance

  • RTUs, Packaged Units, Split Systems, VRF

  • Ductless Splits

  • Unit Heaters

  • Equipment Changeouts and Retrofits

  • Humidification & Dehumidification

  • Troubleshooting

  • Planned Preventative Maintenance

5 Reasons Why Building Automation Upgrades & Maintenance Should Be at the TOP of your Facility's Preventative Maintenance Plan

Edward McKellar, Veteran | Problem Solver | Smart Buildings | BAS | HVAC

Building Automation Systems (BAS) or Building Management Systems have drastically changed the way that facility and maintenance personnel around the globe manage the day-to-day operations of their facilities and operations within a plant or building. Control systems give managers a much more practical approach to viewing, maintaining, and of course, controlling various equipment throughout their facilities. Some of the systems that often rely on Building Management Systems are: 

  • HVAC systems - Air Conditioning, Heating, Hydronics Systems etc. 

  • Power & Energy Management

  • Controlled Access & Security Systems

  • Lighting & Occupancy Scheduling

  • Mass Notification & Emergency Alert Systems

  • Parking Lot Management

These control systems are designed to intelligently operate various mechanical and electrical equipment to essentially make life a little less complicated for personnel responsible for the operations and management of the various systems.

The maintenance of these systems is a must to keep them working as they are designed. Like any other piece of equipment or software, prolonged neglect leads to extended problems and compounded costs. In a recent poll conducted with facility maintenance personnel 86% of responders claimed scheduled maintenance as CRITICAL for Building Automation Systems. While a remaining 14% ranked the topic as "Fairly Important".

Builidng Automation Systems (BAS) Should Be Part of a Regular Maintenance Plan in Facilities.

Here are the 5 Top Reasons why BAS Annual Maintenance is nothing short of Extremely Necessary.

#5 - Operational Effectiveness

Let's face it, any system that is designed, installed, and commissioned to perform a task should do just that. In order to keep an automation system executing as it was designed to do it requires incremental checks throughout all associated controls, sensors, and equipment to ensure that the communication and function of the devices are working appropriately. As actuators turn, and sensors communicate they can develop slop and hysteresis which will transmit false information to the control system and create unwanted processes and responses from the equipment that it may be controlling. Keeping these components regularly maintained and calibrated will ensure that the entire facility and the staff's productivity and operational effectiveness are at their peak. A property manager recently contacted me regarding a space where the complaint was the room was always too cold and had been for several months. Upon arrival, it was found that the VAV damper was stuck open causing a constant supply of 55° F +/- air to a room with minimal load as it was. The BAS was indicating that the damper was at the minimum opening, while in fact, it was wide open causing the perpetual uncomfortable condition. Having a technician onsite quarterly to hear these complaints, investigate the system, and correct issues would have saved the tenants from needing to wrap up for the arctic conditions while in their workspace, and overall making for a more productive work center. 

#4 - Facility Scaling

Facilities are constantly changing and developing new processes and operations. Production and personnel changes create needs where buildings are regularly adapting to the ever-changing requirements. A building management system that is being maintained properly can essentially get in front of major and minor infrastructure changes that could create burdens in programming and operating a building control system. As development plans are orchestrated and approved, BAS technicians can be made aware of changes that will need to be implemented that could result in adding or removing control components that may or may not be required. Making these needed adjustments and additions as an afterthought will create headaches for building managers that are for the most part completely avoidable. 

Staff, equipment, and operations are constantly changing. Maintained equipment keeps all of these factors working in unison.

#3 - Enhanced System Security

One of the most important factors in maintaining a BAS is ensuring the security of the control system. Many of these installed systems are integrated into systems that are a part of the company's intranet. Prolonged neglect leads to an increased risk of cyber attacks that compromise valuable intellectual property and personal information. Keeping the system's annual Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) up to date ensures that regular updates and security patches are installed and decreases the risk of would-be hackers and cyber terrorists. Often facilities may choose to skip keeping these licenses for a year or more. This creates added costs for organizations as the licenses, backups, and patches most often have to run in parallel. In other words, once the backup or license renewal becomes absolutely necessary for functionality. All license costs and updates from the manufacturer or the controls will have to be installed. Running these updates quarterly and semi-annually as they are released keeps the system safer. Additionally, users have a better user experience with the system and all its potential functionality. 

Another aspect of the security of an automation system is ensuring that controlled access schedules and entry provisions are maintained. As personnel changes throughout an organization, access needs may no longer be necessary for persons whether internal or external. A BAS technician can provide data for facility managers to review and edit as necessary keeping a building, its property, and personnel safer. 

#2 - Increased Equipment Life (ALL OF IT)

It's somewhat of a no-brainer, the better any equipment is maintained, the longer operational lifecycle that can be expected. Building Automation Systems (BAS) maintenance however is twofold. Not only does it promote a better life for the automation system and its associated components, but the equipment it supports will also provide better efficiency and performance overall. An air handler for example operating in a zone with incorrect set points or faulted sensors will experience short cycles or prolonged run times that may be unnecessary. This constant running or short cycling creates wear and tear that could be prevented. Imagine for a moment an automobile, would it be wise to leave the system running after returning home for the evening until time to depart for work again the next morning? This logically makes no sense as it creates excess run time and added fuel cost for ZERO productivity. Likewise, a mechanical HVAC system of any sort should shut down based on set points and scheduling needs. Chillers, air handlers, boilers, and associated equipment rely on the sensors affixed to the BAS to demand the starts and stops. When these sensors and such are not maintained, expect extended and unnecessary runtimes. 

Chillers rely on Modern Building Automation Systems for Proper Operations and System Efficiency.

#1 - Save Money

Ultimately, all roads lead to here. Everything discussed prior to now leads to cost savings that can wind up as capital improvements, profit shares, bonuses, or simply money in the bank. When systems are maintained, they run the way they are designed, meaning they are using less energy and minimize downtime. An easy method to determine how much downtime is valued at is to consider the equipment and its role in the productivity of processes and operations. Simply think of what operations would come to a halt should a system unexpectedly stop and now value its production rate into an hourly format. You'll quickly understand why many facilities rely on redundancy equipment along with strict and detailed maintenance plans. BAS system maintenance is critical to ensure a facility is operating at its peak efficiency. The average facility could see a 20% or more increase in energy savings annually with intelligent control systems in place. Prolonged time with a lack of maintenance will rapidly neutralize these cost savings and can start moving the needle into an extended cost zone. 

Furthermore, regular maintenance of a building automation system is no different from any other system or equipment. Keeping it regular reduces unnecessary repair costs and keeps the system up-to-date and operating efficiently. Building automation systems can cost millions of dollars to install and commission. Maintenance plans ensure the system gets maximum return on initial investment along with an overall better user experience of the system. 

Contact Chesapeake Controls for your building automation maintenance needs. Since 1985 Chesapeake Controls has provided organizations with their building management systems installations, commissioning, support, and maintenance needs. Demands for efficient and intelligent buildings are increasing daily around the globe. Building Automation Systems (BAS) provide owners with modern control systems to operate their facilities as effectively as possible. Call today for your No Cost, No Obligation Building Controls Consultation.