July is the month for Americans to celebrate our freedom and independence. As a result of those foundations built into our psyche, we are in many ways independent thinkers. We also have some stubborn tendencies to keep doing things the same way, to not take the time to evaluate new methods and technologies – and to just hope things won’t change for the worse.
In other words, the status quo and the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality takes hold. The problem with applying that mentality to mechanical systems like HVAC and process equipment is that you have no idea of their status if you look at them while they’re running. Until it quits working, you assume it’s not broken. Unfortunately, this usually occurs when equipment is working the hardest. Suddenly, a catastrophic failure seems to come out of the blue and your system goes down, causing discomfort to every worker in the affected area or, worse, a complete loss of production that costs you thousands of dollars per day.
Only highly trained technicians with the proper testing equipment and armed with resources available to a nationwide network of service providers can prevent failures before they happen. In the old days, technicians just carried out preventative maintenance. Now, we can be more predictive and pinpoint issues and areas of concern. Both preventative and predictive maintenance help prevent failure, but the more predictive you are, the more cost-effective the service will be.
At Hays Service, we have the opportunity to talk to new customers and owners nationwide about their history through our affiliations with Linc Service and PremiStar. Most explain they had always believed they were taking the right approach to maintaining their HVAC systems and other mechanical equipment. They either inherited a system or had seen budget cuts that forced them to reduce their maintenance staff or operating budgets. Within a few years – sometimes less – all hell broke loose and things started falling apart.
One of the most rewarding things we hear as a service provider is that we brought stability and a sustainable solution to end their nightmares. We not only significantly reduced their downtime, but quickly reduced their owning and operating costs as well. For a business, energy savings are always a focus, but not having to replace major pieces of mechanical equipment is a lifesaver.
You can learn a lot about how your system is operating based on several key metrics. Find a qualified service provider who is objective and not looking to just replace equipment. Look at their history of sustained maintenance agreements and ask for a list of references. Ask those references key questions about cost savings and their facility’s comfort and downtime since they begin working with the provider.
Yes, we can be independent thinkers and make wise decisions. So, “let freedom ring” and get back on top of your budgeting for the last half of the year!
Coach Cal