AMAZON multi-meters discounts AMAZON oscilloscope discounts
LIGHTING (INTERIOR)
Interior lighting should be checked in each area of the building when you are doing Room PM (See section on "Room PM" in this SECTION). All areas will need to have their lighting checked as part of room PM or separately.
PM Tasks
Operate lights and verify operation.
Recommended PM Frequency Monthly. Consider group re-lamping of HID or fluorescent lighting, especially in difficult to access areas such as high ceilings. See SECTION 1 for information on group re-lamping.
LOCKS
Conventional key-in-knob type locksets require very little preventive maintenance. Most commercial locksets are classified as either Grade 1 or 2 by the Builders Hardware Manufacturer's Association (BHMA).
Grade 2 locks are tested to function for 400,000 cycles and grade 1 locks are required to survive 800,000 cycles during testing. Many lock manufacturers produce locks that exceed these requirements and can be cycled into the millions of times without any malfunctions.
Electronic locks will usually require more frequent PM than conventional locks.
PM Tasks
For conventional locks, the only maintenance that is necessary is to make sure that the locks screws have not become loose which requires occasionally tightening the screws and to occasionally lubricate the keyway. Lock keyways should only be lubricated with dry graphite lubricant. Any oil in the delicate mechanism of the keyway would attract dirt and could jam the lock cylinder mechanism.
Electronic locks provide many useful features such as the security of being able to remove a key card or code from the system without having to mechanically re-key any locks. They can also provide an audit trail of when, where, and who had access to any part of your facility.
Many electronic locks require more frequent maintenance than traditional key locks. The maintenance requirements vary greatly from system to system but often include scheduled battery changes and cleaning magnetic heads in card reader systems. See your lock manufacturer's literature for the PM requirements for your particular system.
Recommended PM Frequency
Annually: Inspect locks, tighten screws if necessary, lubricate keyway. Electronic locks will have specific maintenance requirements specified by the manufacturer.
LOCKERS
Schools spend a considerable amount of time each summer preparing student lockers for the following school year.
PM Tasks
Change lock combinations. Clean graffiti. Remove any mirrors, dry erase boards, photos left by students. Inspect lockers for operation and make repairs.
Recommended PM Frequency
Annually: Repair lockers.
Every 5 years: Have lockers professionally repainted.
Technical Notes
Locker PM is best handled similarly to room PM. A PM cart with all necessary replacement locker parts and tools should be prepared so that your maintenance person can move this rolling shop from locker to locker solving each problem as it is found. Locker parts are available from several sources.
Most lockers have combination locks that can be changed each year. These locks have a factory set sequence and a change key is used to advance to the next combination. Careful records of each locker's combination should be kept including any locks that are replaced and the new lock's factory combination sequence.
NURSE CALL SYSTEM
If you work in a hospital or nursing home, you are familiar with nurse call systems. These allow patients to call for assistance by pushing a button on a handheld pendent, bed mounted panel, or other device.
Nurse call systems ring an alarm, send a page to a nurse's pager, or in some way notify nursing staff that a particular patient needs assistance.
Nurse call systems and the nurse's response time is a component of state, federal, and JCAHO, facility inspections. Nurse call systems should be considered life-safety equipment and as such should have a high priority in you PM program.
PM Tasks
Test each nurse call station to make sure that the nurse is notified of the call, that any intercom operates correctly, and that the nurse call indicator lamp outside the patient room lights.
Recommended PM Frequency
Monthly.
Technical Notes
Since this is a life-safety issue and subject to inspection by so many agencies, be sure to maintain excellent documentation of inspections and repairs.
PARKING LOTS AND SIDEWALKS
PM Tasks
Inspect parking lot for pot holes, standing water, alligatoring (cracking), or tire ruts that form at turns. Pick up broken glass and other trash. Inspect the condition of signs. Outside contractors can be hired to sweep using street sweeping vehicles at a lower labor cost than doing so with broom and trashcan. Some companies apply liquid sealer to the asphalt surface annually to extend asphalt life. Re-striping should be included in the budget roughly every 5 years depending on the level
of traffic and aesthetic standards.
Sidewalks need to be inspected for uneven surfaces, or any cracks that could cause a person to trip or fall. Any change in elevation over ¼" should be considered a tripping hazard.
Recommended PM Frequency
Monthly: inspection of parking lot and sidewalks
Semi-annually: street sweeping
Annually: seal coat with asphalt
Every 5 years: re-stripe parking spaces and traffic lanes
Technical Notes
When filling potholes, all loose asphalt must first be removed from the hole. Asphalt patch should be tamped firmly. Tamping tools can be dipped in kerosene to prevent the asphalt from sticking. In cold weather, vehicle tires can be used to tamp stiff asphalt.
Holes over 2' in diameter or large areas of cracked and spalling asphalt will require professional hot patching. Damaged areas should be cut back to good asphalt using an saw and the area filled with hot asphalt.
Water penetrating into asphalt is the biggest cause of parking lot damage. Having repairs made to low areas that tend to pond and making sure to seal cracks can extend the life of a parking lot by several years. Annual seal coating helps to keep water on top of the surface.
Parking lots can typically be expected to last 30 to 40 years with one major re-surfacing project at approximately the middle of the parking lot's useful life.
Areas where vehicles come to a stop or make a turn are subject to stress and tend to become damaged more quickly.
PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
The playground safety standard most often used in the US is the Handbook for Public Playground Safety published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This 47 Page guide is available free from the CPSC in print form or can be downloaded from their website. This book is often referred to as the playground bible and should be on every maintenance manager's book shelf.
Playground inspections can be completed in house or by a certified
playground safety inspector (CPSI). Some schools or other facilities with playgrounds choose to have their in-house staff certified by attending a 3 day training course and passing the CPSI certification exam offered by the National Playground Safety Institute of the National Recreation and Park Association. Many organizations perform in-house inspections quarterly and have a certified inspector make inspections annually or every two years. Your insurance carrier may be able to provide playground inspections at no cost to you.
PM Tasks
All playground equipment should be inspected for corrosion, rot, insect damage, splintering, or weathering. Pay careful attention to moving parts where wear is likely to occur and fasteners that could become loose. Check for sharp points, corners, and sharp edges. Inspect the playground area for broken glass or other hazards. Surfacing material such as wood chips or shredded tires should be inspected to make sure they have not become compacted or displaced from high traffic areas.
The Handbook for Public Playground Safety includes an excellent checklist that can be used as a guide to inspections and as documentation that regular inspections have been completed.
Since surfacing material tends to compact, decay away, or be distributed away from fall zones, new surfacing material is typically added each year.
Recommended PM Frequency
Quarterly: Inspection of all playground equipment using CPSC checklist.
Annually: Add surfacing material.
Technical Notes
Surfacing material is required to be deep enough to prevent head injuries in the event of a fall. This is typically 6-12" of material. See the Handbook for Public Playground Safety for specifics of surfacing depth and fall zones for different types of equipment.
Playground surfacing material is probably the part of playground maintenance that will require the most time and labor. Wood chips tend to compress and all loose fill materials tend to become displaced from high traffic areas and will need to be raked back into place or more material may need to be added on a regular basis. Depending on the amount of playground usage, this may need to be completed daily.
POOLS
See Swimming Pools.
PUMPS
See Circulator Pumps.
RADON MITIGATION EQUIPMENT
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that seeps from the ground into buildings in some areas. Radon ventilation systems use exhaust fans to draw air from under a building and vent that air to the outside.
See also Exhaust Fans.
FIG. 15. Besides allowing water to enter the building envelope, clogged
gutters will rust or corrode and can support plant growth.
RAIN GUTTERS
Rain gutters collect rain water from pitched roofs. Like roof drains, rain gutters need to be kept clear of debris. Leaves, dislodged roofing mineral material, and foreign objects can block gutters. Because clogged gutters retain water, any dirt that collects in gutters is an excellent place for weeds, and even trees to grow.
PM Tasks
The one way to prolong the life of a gutter system is to keep it free of dirt and debris. Clogged gutters, or debris that slow water flow cause standing water. Standing water freezes and separates joints. Standing water accelerates rust and corrosion. Standing water can damage several types of sealants and caulks.
PM of gutters involves cleaning the gutters frequently. Depending on the circumstances, this can be done from the roof, on a ladder, from scaffolding, or from aerial lift equipment. Gutter and leaders (the portion that runs vertically to the ground) need to be cleared of debris and flushed clean.
Open joints, missing end caps, and separated leaders need to be repaired immediately or water can enter the building envelope causing damage.
Recommended PM Frequency
Semi-annually: Clean gutters. It is best to schedule one gutter cleaning in the late fall after the leaves have fallen.
Technical Notes
Several different devices are available to prevent leaves and other debris from getting into gutters. Most of these are not marketed toward commercial properties and will not fit commercial gutter profiles.
Basket shaped screens area available that prevent debris from entering leaders.
REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS
Like air-conditioners, commercial reach-in and walk-in refrigerators and freezers will benefit enormously from regular PM. Efficiency, the ability to hold temperature, and the life of the equipment will be affected.
PM Tasks
Clean and degrease condenser coils. Change or wash filters. Oil condenser fan motors. Check the condition of door gaskets and hydraulic door closers. All walk in boxes must be able to be opened from the inside, even with the door locked. Check interior lighting. Check evaporator coil for ice build up. Check freezer ceilings for ice stalactites indicting that de-icing heat coils are creating steam. Check de-icing timers.
Check thermostat settings and box temperatures.
Recommended PM Frequency
Quarterly Technical Notes
For more information please see SECTION 7-HVAC systems.
RESILIENT FLOORING CARE Resilient flooring includes vinyl composition tile (VCT), vinyl tile and sheet flooring, linoleum tile and sheet flooring, and rubber tile and sheet flooring. VCT makes up the majority of resilient flooring in commercial buildings.
PM Tasks
Floor care starts with a sealer and several coats of floor finish.
This floor finish should be dust mopped and wet mopped frequently to prevent dirt and other materials from becoming embedded in the finish.
Spray buffing with a rotary floor buffer will help to maintain a floor's shine. Floors can also be cleaned with a soft rotary pad and then extra layers of floor finish can be added.
Once a floor has reached the point that buffing no longer is able to do an adequate job of maintaining the appearance of the floor, it is time to use chemical strippers to completely remove the old finish and start over with a sealer and several new layers of mopped on floor finish.
Recommended PM Frequency
The PM schedule for resilient flooring care will vary with buildings.
Schools will usually be mopped each night but only stripped and refinished during the summer or possibly summer and winter break.
Hospitals may refinish floors monthly. Office buildings may only require mopping weekly and refinishing annually. The frequency of these tasks must be determined for each building individually. The following information will need to be adjusted for your building.
Daily: mop floors.
Monthly: spray buff with rotary floor buffer or surface clean with rotary pad and add coats of finish.
Semi-annually: strip all finish from floors, seal, and add at least 3 layers of finish.
FIG. 16. Shine of a well maintained vinyl composition tile (VCT) floor.
Technical Notes
Dirt works as an abrasive to remove the finish from resilient flooring as well as becoming embedded in the finish material. The best way to keep resilient floors looking their best is to prevent dirt from entering your building. See "Carpet Care" for information on using walk-off mats to keep dirt out.
There are many different systems of cleaning, stripping, sealing, and finishing chemicals available for resilient floors. You can get systems created to provide high gloss or systems that promise low gloss to hide imperfections. Some finishes are long lasting but require high-speed equipment while others are easy to apply and maintain but may require more frequent reapplication. Your janitorial supplier will be able to help you sort through the options to find what works best for you.
Low-speed buffers are often used for stripping. High-speed buffers create a shiny, gloss surface. Exceptionally fast buffing machines, called burnishers are able to create a gloss surface on exceptionally hard finish materials. These machines are often used in shopping malls and department stores to create hard surfaces that can hold up to heavy foot traffic and still maintain a shine.
RETENTION PONDS
Retention ponds and detention ponds are both types of man made ponds intended to catch storm water. In many developed areas, fields, forests and other places where rainwater would be absorbed into the soil naturally have been lost to development. Without these natural watersheds, storm water runoff can cause streams and rivers to overflow.
Man made retention and detention ponds provide temporary storage for these waters.
PM Tasks
Retention and detention ponds need little maintenance other than to prevent vegetation overgrowth from clogging the basin. Grass or other small vegetation is needed to prevent erosion from flowing water but retention ponds can quickly become overgrown with trees and brush. If your facilities lawn care is performed by an outside contractor, you should consider having maintenance of your retention pond written into the contract.
Maintaining retention ponds involves inspecting the pond for clogged discharge or inlet culverts. Making sure that any large rocks placed for erosion control are not moved from where they are needed, and keeping the basin area free of large vegetation by mowing, or by clearing the basin with other equipment.
Recommended PM Frequency
Quarterly: Inspect retention pond.
Annually: Cut and remove brush.
Technical Notes
Retention ponds hold storm water until the water is absorbed into the surrounding soil while detention ponds hold storm water only temporarily and slowly discharge storm water into streams or wetlands at a flow rate that will not overwhelm the watershed. Retention ponds do not have outlets while detention ponds do.
In addition to managing the volume of storm water released to a watershed, detention ponds also protect our streams, rivers, and wetlands from contamination. Surface contaminants carried to the detention basin have time to settle as sediment and are not carried away from the local area.
FIG. 17. Commercial roofs have many different materials and components
that need regular inspection.
ROOFS
Please read SECTION 6 on commercial roofs. Roofing PM is one of the most beneficial areas of preventive maintenance if done correctly and can be one of the most expensive if done incorrectly. Roofing PM is important enough that you can find an entire section in this book on the technical aspects of roofing PM in SECTION 6. Make sure to read that section when setting up your PM system or when performing roofing PM.
PM Tasks
Visual inspections for penetrations, damaged flashing, delaminated roofing fabric, rust, ponding, clogged roof drains and scuppers. Any debris should be removed from the roof to prevent puncture damage.
Thermal imaging can be used to determine if roof insulation has become water saturated.
Recommended PM Frequency
Monthly: Inspect roof for any signs of damage according to inspection checklist in SECTION 6.
Annually: Contracted inspection by the installing contractor during the warranty period
Every 5 years and prior to end of warranty: Have independent 3rd party inspect roof for any defects including thermal imaging for saturated insulation. Apply seal coat to roof surface according to roofing warranty and recommendations of roof consultant.
Technical Notes
Please see SECTION 6 Commercial Roofs.
ROOM PM
In addition to performing PM to the mechanical equipment in a building, it is also important to perform PM to rooms within the building.
The term "Room PM" comes from the hotel industry where a large percentage of PM time is spent making sure each and every guest room is in perfect condition. Room PM is not just for hotel guest rooms and should be performed in all parts of your building and in every type of building. Room PM should be performed in offices, the main lobby, rest rooms, employee break rooms, conference rooms, computer rooms, classrooms, dining rooms, patient exam rooms, and every other type of room found in your building. Common areas such as corridors and entrance foyers that would not exactly be considered rooms still need preventive maintenance and should be included in the schedule of Room PM.
Room PM will probably show up on your PM calendar more than all of the other PM tasks you will do combined. Only a few rooms can be checked each day so you may have Room PM on your schedule dozens of times before you have completed every part of your building.
Several rooms can typically be maintained each day so your schedule may list rooms 101 through 107 for Monday; Rooms 108 through 114 for Tuesday; and the conference room, employee break room, and sales offices for Wednesday.
Room PM isn't about inspecting individual pieces of equipment.
Room PM requires inspection and repair of every item within a room.
The easiest way to do this is to create a PM cart. This is a rolling cart filled with all of the tools, spare parts, fasteners, caulk, paint, and whatever else is needed to solve all of the problems you are likely to find in a room. There are so many different items involved in Room PM that using a well stocked PM cart is the best way to avoid dozens of trips back to the shop or supply room for tools and parts.
PM Tasks
Room PM is usually done using a long checklist. No checklist can cover everything you might find in every type of room and a checklist still leaves open the possibility that something might be forgotten. An effective way to be sure that you are not missing anything is to do your inspection by working your way around the room and use your checklist after you are done as a double check.
To perform a thorough inspection, pick a location on the edge of the door to start your inspection, often next to the entrance door. Then continue around the room either to the right or left. As you move around the room, check each building component or piece of equipment that you come to. Next to the door you might first come to a light switch.
Operate the switch and make sure the light works. To the left of the switch you may find a wallpaper seam that is separated. Note that on your work list. As you continue moving to the left you might next come to a closet door. Check the lock, hinges, door finish, and make sure the door opens and close properly. Continue around the room, checking every item, until you are back at the door where you started. Wallpaper, carpet, ceilings, bathroom fixtures, towel bars, televisions and appliances, furniture, electrical outlets, air conditioning units, and all other items in the room should be checked.
After the initial inspection, you should complete the work on the work list you just created and then move onto the next room on your PM schedule.
Recommended PM Frequency
The more often you do PM, the easier PM will be each time. If you are doing monthly PM to hotel rooms, the entire process could take as little as 10 minutes per room. If you only do PM quarterly, you will find yourself in the room for much longer.
The frequency of room PM depends on company standards, how often a room is use, and who uses the room. Hotel guest rooms, hospital patient rooms, and other rooms that get used often and where people have lots of time to inspect their surroundings should be maintained more frequently. Main lobbies, board rooms, and other areas that should impress the public should also be on the list of areas getting frequent room PM.
Offices, employee break rooms, and other areas rarely seen by the public do not need preventive maintenance as often.
As a guideline: PM high visibility areas monthly and other areas quarterly. Adjust these to fit your facility.
Technical Notes
Part of room PM involves aesthetic issues. Items such as smudged paint, dirty wallpaper, carpet stains, or scratched furniture are sometimes out of the thought process of skilled trades people used to performing more technical maintenance duties. Although some repairs found during room PM will require technical skills, room PM is entirely different than the work most maintenance people are used to.
Even skilled and experienced trades people may not be familiar with many of the tricks of the trade of room PM. Wood colored markers can quickly fix furniture scratches. Miniature paint sprayers filled with the right paint can do quick and neat touchup painting. Colored caulk can hide shrinkage gaps in wallpaper seams.
SEPTIC TANKS
In areas not served by local sewer, each facility will have its own system of dealing with plumbing waste water. In most cases, this will include a leaching field to dispose of liquid waste and a septic tank to store solid waste. Septic tanks need to be pumped out by a mobile septic service when they become full.
PM Tasks
It's a good idea to have septic tanks pumped before they become full. A full tank will cause plumbing drains to flow slowly or to backup and an over-full septic tank will be an odor problem.
After being pumped, your service company should perform a tank inspection.
Recommended PM Frequency
Your facilities history will be the best indicator of how often this service will need to be performed. If in doubt, it is a simple task to lift the concrete tank cover to see inside. Depending on the size of the tank, the size of the facility, and usage, tanks may need pumping several times a year or may not need to be pumped for several years.
Technical Notes
Septic service companies are often required to be licensed by the state or county.
SIDEWALKS
See Parking Lots and Sidewalks.
SMOKE DETECTORS ( BATTERY OPERATED)
Multi family residences, hotels, and other buildings with individual sleeping rooms or apartments will often have single station battery operated smoke detectors. Just like the smoke detectors that are part of a building's fire alarm system, these detectors need to be tested monthly.
Smoke detector batteries also need to be changed on a regular schedule.
Fire investigations show that 25% of homes have smoke detectors that do not work. The primary reason is dead or disconnected batteries.
PM Tasks
Test smoke detectors by pressing the test button. Make sure that any interconnected smoke detectors sound the other detectors on the same circuit (usually in the same apartment or hotel suite). Change batteries twice each year.
Recommended PM Frequency
Monthly: Test smoke detectors
Semi-annually: Usually done during October (National Fire Safety Month) and April each year.
Technical Notes
There are two types of smoke detectors. One type is connected to a building's fire alarm system and acts only as a smoke sensor; sending a signal to the fire alarm panel which sounds an alarm throughout the building. The second type is the "single station battery powered smoke detector." These are not connected to a building's fire alarm system and are similar to those found in private homes. The single station type has the sensor, and alarm built into one unit. These units are often hard wired to the electrical system but have a battery to allow the detectors to operate during a power outage.
In apartments and hotels, it is common to have detectors in hallways that are part of a building-wide alarm system and single station detectors in guest rooms. This prevents nuisance alarms caused by cigarette smoke from evacuating an entire building.
Single station battery powered smoke detectors typically have a design life of 10 years before they should be replaced. Some manufacturer's may have different replacement intervals.
See also Carbon Monoxide Detectors.
SPRINKLERS
See: Lawn Irrigation, Fire Sprinkler Systems.
SUMP PUMPS
Sump pumps remove ground or rain water from basements, crawlspaces, or other areas where standing water is a problem. Most sump pumps discharge water onto the ground away from the building while some discharge into a building's storm water system.
In some locations, sump pumps can be considered critical equipment and a sump pump installation can include backup pumps, automatic lead/lag controls, and failure alarms.
PM Tasks
To check the operation of the sump pump you can usually push down on the float or submerge the switch to turn the pump on. Verify that the water level drops in the sump pit. Failing check valves are a common problem with sump pumps. Water should not flow back into the sump pit once the pump turns off. If lead/lag pumps are present, make sure each pump operates and submerge any alarm switches to test operation of the alarm.
Recommended PM Frequency
Monthly: Inspect and test.
SWIMMING POOLS
In all except the most southern states, outdoor swimming pools are operated during only part of the year. Indoor swimming pools can be operated year round in all climates.
PM Tasks
When shutting down the pool for the winter, make sure to check the following items: remove the drain plugs from pumps and filters, to prevent damage from freezing. The water level in the pool should be pumped down to several inches below tile coping to prevent rising ice from damaging the coping at the top of the pool wall. Lowering the water level in the pool also prevents water from entering the scuppers where it could freeze and cause damage. Lines to scuppers and wall returns should be blown out with compressed air toward the pool and expansion plugs should be installed to prevent water from entering these lines during the winter. Swimming pool antifreeze can be used instead of draining and blowing out lines. Add algaecide and place a pool cover over the pool to prevent leaves, and trash from blowing into the pool and to make the pool less dangerous. A small pump made for the purpose should be placed in the lowest part of the pool cover and operated as needed on warm winter days to remove water from the top of the cover. Do not leave an in ground swimming pool completely empty over the winter. Heavy rains can saturate the ground causing a
swimming pool to float like a large boat.
When opening a pool for the season, first drain the pool completely to allow an inspection to be performed. Inspect the pool for cracks or damaged paint on the inside of the pool. Many facilities scrape and repaint the inside of concrete pools with rubber waterproofing paint once per year. Pools in good condition and fiberglass pools do not need this treatment.
Every day during the operating season, pools need to be cleaned and inspected for hazards such as loose tile, loose diving platforms, non-latching fence gates, operation of pool alarms, exposed electrical wiring, or damage to any pool equipment. Check pool lights. Water and electricity can be a dangerous combination and underwater lights are sealed to prevent water from entering the light fixture. If you see a waterline behind the lens, close the pool immediately and replace the gasket. Make sure main drain safety covers are in place to prevent anyone getting trapped underwater by suction entrapment. Pool Lifeguards can usually perform these inspections as part of their duties freeing up skilled maintenance staff to do other jobs. Outside professionals are often used to open and close pools for the season with in-house Certified Pool Operators (CPOs) handling daily operations including chlorine and pH testing, adding chemicals, and cleaning
filters.
Many jurisdictions require 5-year electrical bonding inspections to be performed by a licensed electrical contractor.
Recommended PM Frequency
Daily: Visual safety inspection (during season).
Annually: Season start up in the spring or summer.
Annually: Season shut down in the fall.
Every 5 years: Electrical bonding inspection (depending on local codes).
Technical Notes
In many states, public swimming pools can only be operated by a CPO. CPOs must complete three days of training in water testing, chemical treatment, pool safety, and other issues related to the safe and sanitary operation of swimming pools.
TERMITE INSPECTIONS
In all except for the northern-most parts of the U.S., subterranean termites are a threat to wooden structures. In the southern-most regions of the U.S., the Formosan termite, an extremely aggressive wood destroyer, does millions of dollars of structural damage every year.
In areas susceptible to termite damage, termite inspections should be performed so that treatment can be performed before significant damage occurs. In most areas termite inspections are performed only by licensed inspectors or by licensed pesticide applicators.
PM Tasks
The frequency of termite inspections depends on your area's termite damage risk. Northern states may not need any termite inspections while areas with Formosan termite infestations may need annual inspections.
Recommended PM Frequency
Every 5 years: Most parts of the US with risk of termite damage Every 3 years: Southern US without local infestations of Formosan termites
Annually: Areas of US with known Formosan termite infestations.
Technical Notes
There are a few treatment options available for termites. The traditional method is to create a chemical barrier around the perimeter of the structure by saturating the soil with a termite killing insecticide.
During new construction, backfill material is often drenched with a barrier chemical prior to backfilling. In existing construction, a method called "rodding" is often used where a long tube is used to inject the chemical into the soil around the building perimeter. This rod is forced into the soil approximately every 12 inches along the foundation. The goal is to create a continuous chemical barrier. Drench treatments last approximately 5 years.
Since no chemical barrier is ever completely continuous, termite inspections should continue even after treatment. If active termite infestation is found after treatment, retreatment may be required.
In recent years, termite bait systems have become common. Bait systems are often used as a preventive measure as well as a treatment for existing infestations. With the bait system, bait stations are placed in the ground around the structure. These bait stations contain wood or another form of cellulose that termites will eat. These bait stations are inspected for termite activity and when activity is found, the cellulose bait is replaced with a chemical insecticide which the termites take with them back to the colony.
TRANSFER SWITCHES
See Emergency Generators.
TRUCKS
See Vehicles.
VACUUM CLEANERS (& OTHER
HOUSEKEEPING EQUIPMENT)
When compared to chiller plants, roofs, or fire sprinkler systems; maintaining vacuum cleaners and other housekeeping equipment may seem trivial. However, poorly maintained floor care equipment results in dirty floors. Dirt on hard flooring such as VCT causes wear and makes floors look dingy. Dirt in carpet fibers causes premature wear of carpet.
Keeping housekeeping equipment in good condition helps keep the rest of the building in good condition.
Equipment such as floor buffers, vacuum cleaners, and carpet extractors get hard use. When performing PM on housekeeping equipment, it can be surprising how many have broken beater bar belts, clogged filters or hoses, full vacuum bags, frayed cords, broken switches, or other problems. These machines are still being used daily even though they're no longer doing their job well.
PM Tasks
Make sure all parts of the equipment are working properly. Check any vacuum paths for obstructions, change motor brushes and oil motors when appropriate. Be prepared with replacement power cords since this is one of the most common repairs needed during PM. Make sure any safety switches are operating (floor buffers should require both handles to be pressed to operate.)
Recommended PM Frequency
Monthly: Inspect all housekeeping equipment.
Technical Notes
Each piece of housekeeping equipment should be given a unique number and repairs recorded. If the same machine keeps showing up in your shop with the same problem, a repair record will show you that you need to look deeper for the cause.
VALVES
Water valves can become stuck from rust and corrosion if the valves sit for a long time without being operated. Many valves sit unused for years and may not function when needed in an emergency. In an ideal world, it would be nice to operate every valve in your building twice a year so that no valve becomes corroded in the open position. However, in most buildings that would be a daunting task and the locations of all valves aren't always known.
The main valves for a building and any branch valves serving large areas of the building should be operated regularly since these are the valves that will be needed in an emergency. This rule applies to valves for domestic water, heating water, and natural gas.
FIG. 18. Brass
tags are one way that valves are numbered for future identification.
PM Tasks
Lubricate stem with light oil. Fully open and close valve. Tighten packing nut or replace packing if there is any dripping around the valve stem. Do not oil or loosen packing nuts on gas valves.
Recommended PM Frequency
Semi-annually.
Technical Notes
Each valve in your building should have a unique valve number attached to it with a piece of wire or ball chain. A "valve chart" listing each valve, its location, and its function will be very helpful when trying to shut off water in an emergency. I recommend creating such a valve chart and adding a valve number tag to each valve when doing your building inventory. Without a valve chart, it's unlikely that your PM tech will find all of the valves in your building. A set of plumbing system blueprints will help you in creating a valve chart.
Many valves also have the valve's function and "normally open" or "normally closed" printed on the valve's tag. Boiler rooms are often crowded with pipes for hot water, domestic water, cooling tower loops, heat exchangers, heating water, makeup water, fire suppression,
booster pumps, and others. Having each valve's function printed on the valve's tag can make troubleshooting and operating each of these systems much easier.
VEHICLES
It wasn't long ago that cars and trucks all needed to have the oil, oil filter, and air filter changed, and chassis greased every 3000 miles, tires rotated every 10,000 miles, and transmission fluid, filter and engine coolant changed every 50,000 miles. In the last two decades a lot has changed in the service intervals required for vehicles.
Many vehicles require oil changes every 5000, 7000, or even 10,000 miles now. Many vehicles do not have a scheduled service interval and instead monitor engine temperature, number of engine revolutions, and driving conditions to determine when it's time to perform service.
Since vehicle PM is based on miles driven or hours of operation, instead of calendar date, it is a difficult item to schedule accurately on a PM calendar. If you have your vehicles serviced at an auto shop instead of in-house, they will usually affix a sticker to the window reminding the driver of the next required service. If you perform service in-house you can purchase these stickers from many auto parts stores or use any type of sticker or hang tag to indicate the next required service.
PM Tasks
The service requirements for vehicles vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle. Consult the vehicle's owner's manual for the specific requirements for your vehicles.
The only item that can be entered accurately on your PM schedule is dates for renewing registrations, or having vehicles inspected for safety/emissions according to state laws.
Recommended PM Frequency
See manufacturer's literature.
VENTILATION FANS
See Exhaust Fans.
VINYL COMPOSITION TILE (VCT)
See Resilient Flooring Care.
WASHERS (COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY)
See Laundry.
WATER SOFTENERS
Water softeners are often used in buildings that have "hard water." Hard water contains minerals which can crystallize inside plumbing and which can cause problems with the function of soaps and detergents.
PM Tasks
Water softeners need to have water softener salt added to the salt tank. At the same time, any filters for iron or other minerals that are part of the water treatment system, these should be checked or replaced.
Recommended PM Frequency
Monthly: Add salt to system. Inspect system for any leaks, check timer or water meter operation, check condition of filters.
Water filter replacement interval will need to be determined by volume of water used, concentration of iron or other minerals present, and the size of the filter used.
Technical Notes
When minerals such as calcium, magnesium carbonate, and manganese are present in high concentrations in water that water is considered to be "hard." Water with more than 3.5 grains per gallon (GPG) of minerals is considered to be hard water. Water with more than 10.5 GPG is considered to be very hard.
Dissolved minerals can re-crystallize creating scale that blocks plumbing or leaving deposits on sinks, toilets, and clogging shower heads. Scale on the inside of water heaters, boilers, and heat exchangers
acts as an insulator slowing heat transfer and reducing the efficiency of heating and cooling equipment. Minerals in hard water also react chemically with soap preventing soap from lathering and creating a gummy deposit called scum. Hard water also requires much more soap to be used to do the same job.
Water softeners remove these dissolved minerals by replacing them with dissolved sodium from sodium chloride (salt). A water softener's water treatment tank is filled with zeolite beads. Zeolite materials can hold charged molecular ions on their surface. By soaking these beads in salt the beads are made to be covered with sodium ions. As water passes over these beads, the calcium or magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium ions and the Ca and Mg ions are left on the surface of the beads. When all of the sodium ions are depleted and the beads are covered with Mg or Ca ions, the zeolite beads must be soaked in salt brine again to recharge them with sodium ions. This recharge cycle is handled automatically by a timer or water meter.
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