The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on one particular area of hotel maintenance: overall heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems as well as packaged terminal air conditioners. From hotels being closed for various amounts of time to dealing with low and intermittent occupancy, these systems are in need of some tender, loving care.
According to Jerad Adams, director commercial product management for Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., hotels that do not have properly operating HVAC and remain unoccupied for long periods of time are of real concern because non-operational HVAC and unconditioned air could become a catalyst for poor indoor air quality and/or room degradation in the future.
“Friedrich has strongly recommended that our clients continue to operate equipment at minimal settings to maintain the proper indoor conditioning,” he said. “From the maintenance perspective, we encourage customers to maintain set schedules, regardless of occupancy/run times to ensure the overall health of their systems components.”
When it comes time to reopen, each situation is different, according to Adams.
“It’s important to understand how the hotel prepared for the close or suspended operations. Namely, what steps did the hotel take to ensure proper HVAC building conditioning during the suspension?” he said. “Friedrich has recommended that our clients maintain basic indoor conditions for temperature, humidity and ventilation. This helps guard against any unnecessary equipment failures or room degradation at startup. If these steps have been taken, startup can be easily completed with a simple individual system clean, check-up and filter replacement.”
If the recommended conditions for temperature, humidity and ventilation haven’t been maintained, a variety of poor outcomes can occur.
“Issues that can result from not properly running and maintaining HVAC equipment range from premature equipment failures to indoor room degradation caused by poor air quality that can result in the growth of mold, fungus and other problems,” according to Adams. “Maintaining basic operation and indoor air quality during downtime ensures the health of a building and prevents future indoor air quality issues.”
According to HD Supply, three PTAC cleaning tasks should be undertaken every month: cleaning the air filter with a vacuum or running water and replacing any that are damaged; cleaning the vent screen; and cleaning the front grille. Seasonal PTAC maintenance tasks include checking the caulking around the PTAC wall sleeve to make sure all air and water openings are properly sealed and checking the wall sleeve's level; spraying and rinsing the condenser coil and base pan; and checking the clearance around the unit to make sure the intake and discharge paths are not blocked (there should be a minimum of 8 inches between the intake vent and furniture, beds, or other objects for proper operation, according to the company).
The good news, according to Adams, is that many of Friedrich’s customers are not only utilizing the downtime for scheduled maintenance but preventative maintenance as well, which he said is definitely an industry best practice.