Blog

3 Deferred Facility Maintenance Issues Not to Overlook

Just as you shouldn’t overlook small maintenance issues with your home or car, it’s important to be proactive with facility maintenance, as well. The bigger the building, the more a potential breakdown can cost you. There are several maintenance issues that you should never defer and fix immediately. By detecting and fixing these issues early, you can minimize the risks and losses of a future breakdown.

Electrical Problems

It may seem like one light switch isn’t working, or the lounge microwave is overloading a circuit every so often. But oftentimes, there are underlying problems whenever you experience an electrical hiccup. It could be a defective circuit breaker or some bad wiring. It’s best to deal with these problems as soon as possible.

You don’t know if there’s a problem leading back to the main circuit box. There may be an underlying issue with your entire electrical system that is hidden at the moment. It may mean that your facility needs upgraded components. While there may be some downtime involved, this preventative maintenance will save you a great deal of downtime later in the case of other related power outages. Your business can’t run well without power.

Insulation and Building Envelope

Are one or more areas of your facility getting too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer? It may not be your heating and cooling systems. It could be that there’s insufficient or ineffective insulation in that part of the building. There could also be a problem with your facility’s building envelope in that area.

It’s already expensive to climate control a large building. While it can be expensive to re-insulate some walls or reinforce a building envelope, it’s going to typically only be in sections. The downtime should be relatively minimal and the costs are easily absorbed by the savings in heating and cooling costs.

Even if these issues are not in key areas of your building, you’ll be surprised at how much better your HVAC system will function without having to work overtime to compensate for air leaks.

Water Leaks of Any Kind

We can’t live without water, but we definitely don’t want it getting loose into the walls, ceilings, and floors of our buildings, either. Water is one of the most destructive elements when it comes to building. It can allow for the buildup of allergens, mold and other harmful growths. Unfortunately, many times these water leaks can be invisible. This is when infrared inspections can be especially useful, to look inside the walls without having to make an invasive inspection.

These inspections should be done on a regular basis. You want to be proactive when it comes to leaks. They could be coming from anywhere: the roof, the walls, or even the foundation. Small leaks over time may not seem like much, but even a trickle brings in unwanted moisture that can cause great deals of damage.

Even if your building isn’t primarily wood-framed, rust is just as bad as rot over time. It also causes issues with drywall. Excess moisture can also interfere with electrical and mechanical systems, causing damage that is often invisible until it’s too late! That’s why any moisture leaks must be dealt with ASAP, especially if they are due to problems with your facility’s building envelope.

Be proactive with your facility’s maintenance. Your business and employees will certainly thank you for the reduced downtime. Meanwhile, you’ll enjoy reduced operating costs and a boost to your business’s bottom line.

 

How Preventive Building Maintenance Creates a Healthier Environment for Everyone
The Benefits of Infrared Inspections as a Proactive Predictive Maintenance Tool
Skip to content