Commercial HVAC Preventive Maintenance Spec Sheet
A facility manager's spec for what real commercial HVAC maintenance should include. Use it to vet contractors. Use it to write RFPs.
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Who It's For
Facility managers, property managers, building owners, GMs of restaurants and retail with rooftop units, anyone responsible for commercial HVAC uptime.
What's Inside
Quarterly inspection checklist (28 line items), monthly checklist (8 items), annual deliverables, what should appear on every visit report, contract red flags, and a side-by-side comparison framework.
Why It Matters
Most HVAC problems in Birmingham are preventable or fixable cheaply if you know what to look for. This guide tells you what to look for.
Most commercial PM contracts are vague — "quarterly tune-up" with no defined scope. This spec sheet fixes that. Itemized inspection points, frequencies, deliverables, and the exact line items that should appear on every visit report. Cut and paste into an RFP. Compare bids apples-to-apples.
This is the field-guide version — the same approach we take when we walk into a service call. No marketing fluff. No upsells dressed up as "tips." Just the working tech's playbook, written down.
A Look Inside
Why Vague PM Contracts Fail
"Quarterly maintenance" with no defined scope means whatever the contractor decides to do that day. That's how facility managers end up paying $4,000/year for $400 worth of work. This spec defines what should be done, what should be measured, and what should be reported — so you're paying for outcomes, not handshakes.
Monthly Checklist (Per Unit)
For sites with 24/7 operations, restaurants, or high-occupancy buildings, monthly PM is the standard.
- Air filter inspection and replacement when ΔP exceeds spec (typically 0.5" w.c. for 2" pleated)
- Condenser coil visual inspection
- Drain pan inspection for standing water
- Belt tension and wear check (if belt-driven)
- …
Quarterly Checklist (Per Unit)
Standard for office buildings, retail without heavy kitchen load.
- All monthly items
- Condenser coil cleaning (chemical or rinse, depending on fouling)
- Evaporator coil inspection and cleaning if needed
- Refrigerant pressure check — suction and discharge, recorded against ambient
- …
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