Inspection, Maintenance Requirements Outlined in ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA 180-2008
September 10, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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A standard from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE) and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) aims to ensure a consistent minimal level of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) maintenance and inspection to preserve a system's ability to achieve acceptable thermal comfort,energy efficiency and indoor air quality in commercial buildings.
ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA 180-2008 - Standard Practice for Inspection and Maintenance of Commercial Building HVAC Systems addresses inspection and maintenance of HVAC systems.
Inconsistencies exist within the building industry when it comes to inspection and maintenance of HVAC systems, with some facilities following rigorous policies while others have adopted a run-to-failure approach, said Robert Baker, chair of the committee that wrote the standard.
"Consistent maintenance ensures that energy efficiency remains at design levels," Baker said.
"Where maintenance is neglected, energy costs rise significantly, and equipment life drops dramatically. With HVAC/R systems responsible for about 60% of site electrical energy use, it's imperative that we provide consistent maintenance and inspection to improve energy efficiency along with thermal comfort and indoor air quality. When systems are not maintained, indoor air quality, occupant comfort and energy efficiency all suffer," Baker said.
In addition, much of the information that will be required to prepare the maintenance program can be obtained from building commissioning documents. This provides a basis for identifying failures.
To order ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180-2008, visit http://www.ashrae.org/bookstore.
Source: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE).