Shop Talk: Start-up S.O.S

Strict budgets and unoccupied buildings usually lead to school districts shutting down their HVAC systems during summer break. While this practice can save dollars, starting up idle equipment can lead to a host of problems. Think mold, grime, mechanical issues, poor ventilation, odors and more.

Let the HTS Parts Department be step 1 in your disaster plan. We’ve got everything you need to get those units running like new before the school year starts.

Combat mold, grime and dirt

The increased humidity during the summer (we’re looking at you Houston) coupled with a stagnant indoor climate can cause some serious mold growth within equipment. Not to mention, coils and filters gather dirt, dust and grime while sitting dormant.

Starting up a system without first inspecting your air handlers and cooling towers can be detrimental to your air quality. Pushing air through moldy coils and dirty filters leads to mustiness, bad odors and an unclean environment for your occupants. Students and teachers could start to experience allergy-like symptoms and spaces like gyms and locker rooms become even more susceptible to bacterial growth.

At our HTS parts stores, we carry plenty of filters and Hydrobalance, a line of high-quality coil cleaners for both condenser and evaporator coils. Not only will performing these steps ensure increased air quality, it can also increase the efficiency of your system.

Moving parts

Just like leaving your car untouched in your driveway, leaving your HVAC system idle for too long can cause mechanical problems – namely with your belts and motors.

Motors are moving parts that are meant to, well, move. Idleness leads to a lack of lubrication of bearings and can cause jerky start-up and additional maintenance. Again, like your car, running them for a while will most likely get them back up to peak efficiencies, but expect a delay and don’t forget to follow your IOM for proper start-up. If you do experience a motor failure, our parts stores keep premium Baldor motors in stock so a quick trip is all you need in a time when convenience matters most.

Belt drives should be thoroughly inspected for wear, damage, tension and rubbing. We’ve compiled apreventative maintenance checklist from Gates belts (also in stock at your local parts store) so you can avoid a bigger problem down the road.

Don’t forget about your GRDs

Airside products don’t always take center stage when it comes to HVAC equipment, but cleaning your grilles and registers, especially being subject to mold as we touched on earlier, should be an important step in your start-up process.

To rid your GRD’s of built-up dirt, you want an odorless solution that won’t damage the finish or metal (you guessed it – available at our parts stores). You may also consider inspecting the fan and motor assemblies on any fan boxes in your system to make sure they are free of dust and grime as well. This article from one of our local airside product experts lends advice on proper airside maintenance.

Don’t miss ship dates

With summer coming to an end, we know you’ve got jobs that need to get wrapped up. With our access to Daikin and Danfoss stock, you can count on us to give you accurate lead times.

Did your supplier miss a ship date? Still waiting on that VFD? Call your local HTS office and get the situation under control.

Air Handling Unit Ship Times*

• Daikin Vision and Skyline
  • 5-7 weeks
  • Quickship: 20 working days
• Daikin Destiny
  • 6-8 weeks
  • Quickship: 3-4 weeks