Complete Manager's Guide to Preventive Building Maintenance -- Table of Contents; Introduction

Complete Manager's Guide to Preventive Building Maintenance is written for the building manager wanting to improve the condition of their properties while reducing costs and making the work of the facilities department more manageable. This guide will provide the tools necessary to create and implement an effective preventive maintenance program in your facility.

Preventive maintenance (PM) has been a familiar principal within industry and manufacturing for several decades. Comprehensive preventive maintenance programs have only recently become a common part of the maintenance program within facilities. Today, a large percentage of facilities still have no PM program in place or have PM programs which include little more than semi-regular changing of air conditioning filters. Each year, more and more well managed facilities recognize the benefits of a comprehensive program of PM and understand how significantly a well designed PM program can affect every aspect of a company's operations.

A well designed and well implemented PM program will extend the life of equipment by reducing replacement costs, preventing most break downs that effect building occupants, maintaining the energy efficiency of equipment, improving the effectiveness of the maintenance department, and improving the overall condition of a building and the experience of its occupants.

My first experience with preventive maintenance was nearly 30 years ago working for a apartment complex that did not have a preventive maintenance program. I spent long hours and late nights running from emergency to emergency. After reading an article in a trade publication about the benefits of PM, I created a simple PM program and was amazed how this changed my daily work routine. After only a couple of months of diligently following my simple schedules, emergencies almost stopped, guest complaints were suddenly gone, and I was working with less stress and getting more sleep. Since that early experience, I have created and refined many successful PM programs at facilities in several industries.

Most of the few books and online guides available on the subject of the preventive maintenance of buildings are written by professionals who have extensive experience with PM as viewed from the office or spreadsheet. I wrote this guide because I believe I offer the unique perspective of someone who has actually spent a career doing and supervising the daily activities of the maintenance department.

Five years ago, as a requirement toward earning certification as an Educational Facilities Manager, I took a course on preventive maintenance through the state university. The text book was disappointingly basic and not especially helpful in the real world of facilities maintenance. I had considered someday writing a guide about PM and it was this class which convinced me I had something to offer and swayed me to put pen to paper.

It’s my hope that this guide will serve the building manager in creating an effective preventive maintenance program that works well in this challenging field of facilities management. I hope the facilities manager who entered the field from academia will gain perspective into the nuts and bolts world of the maintenance department where PM is performed.

I also hope those managers who rose through the ranks from the maintenance department will gain a stronger understanding of the engineering fundamentals behind the PM tasks they perform.

But mostly I hope that, by reading this book, your buildings will last longer, your work load will become more manageable, emergencies will become fewer, maintenance costs will decrease, department morale will increase, and you will enjoy your work more and get more sleep at night.

--Introduction--

Complete Managers Guide to Preventive Building Maintenance has been written in three parts. The first part discusses components of an effective PM pro gram and gives the reader the necessary tools to create one in their own facility. The second part explains the science and engineering principals behind many of the most common and important PM tasks such as lubrication theory, HVAC system maintenance, how PM impacts indoor air quality, and the selection and application of paints and architectural coatings. The third section is a comprehensive reference section including over 100 different types of equipment commonly found in facilities including theories of operation, maintenance requirements, and government codes or regulations that apply to the maintenance of each equipment type.

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Part 1---Creating an Effective PM Program

The first section of this guide (SECTIONS 1 through 4) defines preventive maintenance and explains why and how to set up a PM program.

Some of the many advantages preventive maintenance brings to facilities are discussed. Other types of maintenance such as corrective maintenance, deferred maintenance, and emergencies are all reduced when an effective PM program is being followed.

Also included in part 1 is the return on investment (ROI) of a good PM program and why investing in PM is often one of the most lucrative investments a company can make. A dollar saved through PM is as good as a dollar earned through any other business activity and few business activities can come close to the ROI possible through PM. The reader will also learn how PM can be used as a budgeting tool, how to accurately make repair verses replace decisions for equipment and how to estimate PM costs.

Developing a successful PM system from goal setting and equipment inventory through determining the exact procedures to follow for each piece of equipment is explained. Setting up an intelligent PM schedule or calendar, and gaining the support and necessary start up financing from upper management is also included.

This section also addresses the selection and management of the people who will be performing the actual hands on work of PM. Included are managing staff and getting staff to support a new PM program, effective training options, and outsourcing all or part of your PM program.

Part 2---Technical Information for Preventive Maintenance Success

The second part of Manager's Guide to the Preventive Maintenance of Buildings is written to help the facilities manager with a technician back ground to become familiar with the most important science and engineering principles governing the PM tasks we do. This section is also intended to serve as a training reference for line staff performing hands on PM work.

The six SECTIONS included in part two of this guide address the science of lubrication theory, commercial roofing maintenance procedures, maintaining HVAC systems, belt drives, indoor air quality, and a SECTION on protecting buildings using paint and architectural coatings. These six technical areas offer the most impact for a PM program and are trade areas loaded with misinformation and inaccurate on-the-job folklore. The purpose of part two is to dispel the myths and provide useful information to make your PM program more effective.

Part 3---Specific Maintenance Procedures and Requirements

The final section of this guide is found in SECTION 11. This SECTION serves as a desk reference of preventive maintenance tasks and procedures for nearly a hundred different types of equipment. Maintenance tasks, engineering principles, operating principles, and the details of applicable codes or regulations are included for each piece of equipment.

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