HVAC and employee comfort

2 minutes
March 9, 2022

The HVAC system serves as your building’s lungs. It’s designed to make your employees comfortable at work, all year round. Strict health, cleanliness and temperature control standards must therefore be respected.

This is why it’s a good idea to set up an inspection and preventive maintenance program.

Learn more about this program and how you can improve air quality in your building!

Where to start?

An inspection and preventive maintenance program is essential for making sure the HVAC system is operating properly (i.e. push clean air into all spaces and expel stale air outside).

An effective program will contribute to employee comfort and be a boon to their concentration and performance.

The frequency of inspection and maintenance will depend on the following:

  • Manufacturer recommendations
  • Building type
  • Business activities

Call a Specialist

Call a reputable commercial HVAC system inspection and maintenance company.

Make sure it specializes in:

  • Cleaning and changing air filters
  • Testing filter performance (85% efficiency minimum)
  • Aligning or replacing ventilator fans and pump belts
  • Cleaning air ductwork
  • Preventing mould in humidifiers 
  • Calibrating thermostats

In-House Help

Delegate an employee to be responsible for the air quality in the workplace and oversee the HVAC inspection and preventive maintenance program.

Ask this person to keep a log of all measurements taken over the years for reference.

Feedback

Get feedback from your team about heating, air conditioning and ventilation in the workplace, and do so regularly. Maybe someone noticed differences in temperature and air quality? Your employees are your best allies when it comes to making adjustments.

Rule of thumb: at least 80% of employees should be satisfied with the air quality in the workplace.

A Few Tell-Tale Signs

Ensuring your staff's well-being means keeping an eye on things like:

  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Migraine headaches
  • Dry cough
  • High rate of infectious diseases (flu, measles, tuberculosis, chicken pox, etc.)

Poor ventilation may be to blame.

What about COVID-19?

The risk of COVID-19 transmission (This hyperlink will open in a new tab). increases as a result of:

  • Poor ventilation
  • Tight spaces
  • Dense employee population
  • Prolonged exposure to the virus

Just a few more reasons to take this seriously!

What to Inspect

Pay attention to the signs that your HVAC system isn’t running efficiently:

  • Unusual noises
  • Imbalanced heating versus air conditioning calibration
  • Musty smell

Some HVAC system parts warrant more attention that others, namely:

  • Fresh Air Intake Vents: make sure they are not blocked or letting contaminants in.
  • Stale Air Exhaust: make sure stale air is being expelled away from the fresh air intake vents.
  • Coil Pan: make sure water condensation is being emptied out and the drain is not obstructed. Make sure any insulation near the coils is dry.

A Good Clean

Accumulated dust can negatively affect your HVAC system’s performance.

This is why you should clean these parts regularly:

  • Diffusers
  • Return vents

Call a Specialist

Call a reputable commercial HVAC system inspection and maintenance company.

Make sure it specializes in:

  • Cleaning and changing air filters
  • Testing filter performance (85% efficiency minimum)
  • Aligning or replacing ventilator fans and pump belts
  • Cleaning air ductwork
  • Preventing mould in humidifiers 
  • Calibrating thermostats