1. As the weather starts to cool down, it’s important for facilities maintenance technicians to take steps to transition their HVAC systems from summer to Fall mode. This will help ensure the systems operate efficiently and effectively during the colder months and hopefully prevent any surprise maintenance repairs.

Here are the top 3 things ENTOUCH recommends facilities maintenance technicians should do:

• Automated heat test before Fall preventive maintenance. This will help identify any potential problems with the heating system before they cause a breakdown.
• Consider a Fall set point strategy or a change from your summer set points. This will help ensure the building is comfortable and energy-efficient during the Fall.
• Check overrides for operational and mechanical issues. This will help ensure that the HVAC system operates as designed and that any overrides are necessary.

Automated heat test prior to Fall preventive maintenance.
Your ENTOUCH Customer Success Manager may run an automated heat test to help identify any potential problems with the heating system before they cause a breakdown. The test can be performed by running the heating system for a set period of time (typically overnight or during non-business hours) and monitoring the air temperature. If the temperature does not reach the desired level or any shows other problems, the technician can be alerted to take corrective action.

Consider a Fall Setpoint Strategy
The set point is the temperature that the HVAC system is programmed to maintain. During the summer, the set point is typically set to accommodate a more comfortable cooling period for the space than during the winter. However, the set point may need to be adjusted in the Fall to account for the cooler weather. Work with your ENTOUCH Customer Success Manager to develop a Fall set point strategy that analyzes and is implemented by geographic region for a more targeted approach to savings and comfort at your facilities across the country.

Check overrides for operational and mechanical issues
Overrides are changes to the normal operating settings of the HVAC system. They can be made for a variety of reasons, such as to accommodate an employee showing up earlier than expected or to address a mechanical issue. However, overrides can also lead to problems if they are not properly managed.
Facilities maintenance technicians should check the overrides on the HVAC system to make sure they are necessary, and they are not causing any problems. Your facility or enterprise-level override report may be scheduled to run from the ENTOUCH Portal and delivered automatically at a daily, weekly, or monthly cadence.

Review potential changes in corporate hours and/or including seasonal Fall occupied times and hours of operation changes due to holidays. As the seasons change, so too may the hours a building is occupied. For example, during the Fall, fewer employees may work in the building during the day. This means that the HVAC system may not need to run as often or as long. Facilities maintenance technicians should review the corporate hours and occupancy schedule to make sure that the HVAC system is being operated efficiently. Work with your ENTOUCH Customer Success Manager to deploy these seasonal changes.

By following these simple recommendations by ENTOUCH, you can help ensure your HVAC systems are operating efficiently and effectively during the Fall. This will help save energy, improve comfort, and protect the people’s health in the building.