Keeping What’s Behind the Scenes Up Front

by Larry Schoen — Does anybody really know what it takes behind the scenes to keep a building comfortable and healthy? Does anybody really care?

They should.

Polished marble, gleaming stainless steel and crystal glass make a great first impression and are as important as neat and clean clothing. But if behind the clothing of a building engineer there is not the sure, steady arm and mind to direct it, the shiny surfaces may conceal elevators and HVAC that fail to function.

I chose these two examples deliberately. In studies of what building occupants want and what they complain about when they don’t get it, elevators and thermal comfort are always at or near the top of the list.

The relationship, communication and mutual trust and understanding among building engineers, management and occupants is critical to a smoothly functioning building. Just the other day, I witnessed a successful partnership when I re-visited a newly constructed suite 10 months after occupancy. This was part of the required LEEDTM enhanced commissioning process.

My job in this case was made easy because occupants had reasonable expectations for comfort. When these expectation weren’t met, they communicated the problem to building management, who in turn communicated them to building engineers and also supported the engineers with resources to troubleshoot and resolve them.

The thermal comfort problems were relatively minor because they were solved quickly. Variable Air Volume (VAV) boxes were in the “gray area” of responsibility by the remodel contactors since they existed before the work. The boxes needed adjustments and minor repairs even after air balance to provide optimum thermal comfort. Resolution was determined by the occupants who identified the problem from the beginning and were satisfied with the result of the repair.

Behind this complaint ==> response ==> resolution sequence was a preventive maintenance (PM) program to avoid most problems. No space, especially one that is newly constructed, is without problems. With a good startup (and commissioning can be part of this quality control process) and PM program, the quantity and magnitude of problems will be manageable and yield to resolution. The old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is still true.

The Three “R’s”

The absence of a well-crafted PM program will itself produce trouble signs that often include excessive complaints, an increase in time spent on repairs as opposed to prevention, and an increase in overall cost. (See checklist below): The proper response to these signs is to first determine if an effective PM program is in place. This involves looking for the quality of the three “R’s: Records, Repetition and Resolution.

Records of tasks completed and prospective are needed because nobody’s memory is perfect and none of us works alone. One shift needs to know what the last one did and a record of refrigerant added over time will point to the need for leak repair (not to mention EPA requirements). Repetition of tasks on a regular basis, as boring as it might sound, is an essential part of routine maintenance. Checking temperature and pressure on a regular basis is as important as changing filters and cleaning coils. Resolution is the tracking to completion of anomalies and problems found during the PM activities, from occupants, by an automation system or from any other source. Resolution of minor problems prevents them from becoming major ones.

The Role of the Engineer

The word engineer (literally, one who operates a clever device) is related to the root word for ingenuity, the quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful. In today’s tight times for property management we need that more than ever. Some clever ways to leverage time and money that I have seen building engineers use include the following:

• Differentiate between large and small, critical and non-critical equipment and tailor the frequency of preventive maintenance accordingly; i.e, work smarter, not harder.
• Know when the learning curve for a new or unfamiliar task is too steep and an outside contractor should be called.
• Use slow times for training, taking previously outsourced tasks in-house and shopping for better suppliers.
• Use predictive maintenance procedures to optimize task frequency based on run time, vibrations signatures, oil analysis and other indicators (see Predictive Maintenance sidebar).
• Use the “poor mans” computerized maintenance management: off-the-shelf software such as calendars for scheduling, address books and spreadsheets for task tracking.
• Use on-line searches for literature on equipment even old equipment manuals are found on manufacturers’ websites.
• When a space is empty, of course turn the lights off and HVAC down, but continue to monitor it to avoid freezes and leaks, exercise equipment and periodically walk through the vacancy.

See BOMA’s new Preventive Maintenance Guidebook for more strategies:

All parties must work to keep a building running well. Building engineers must continue to use such ingenuity to complete their work in a manner that is smarter, not harder; building management must continue to support engineering staff with resources, training, and regular feedback; and occupants must continue to play their role by having reasonable expectations and complaining (yes, complaining) when they are not met. All parties must have open, thoughtful and complete communication.

About the Author: Larry Schoen is president and principal engineer of Schoen Engineering Inc. in Columbia, Maryland, an international MEP building services consulting firm. He specializes in sustainability and indoor environmental health, meeting engineering challenges in existing and mixed-use buildings and at the Landlord-Tenant interface. He can be reached by email at Larry@SchoenEngineering.com.