In general terms, buildings SHOULD ALWAYS be prepared and modified to account for changing temperature, humidity, and weather conditions. With that comes the BAS (building automation system) changes, mechanical system changes, and system optimization. Then, as temperatures drop, it's crucial to begin the Fall maintenance procedure. The typical Preventative Maintenance objectives include; starting up a heating system, and cleaning mechanical heating equipment, checked and enabled; this may consist of cleaning boilers, stroking valves changing valves, filters, etc. Furthermore, the cooling equipment must then be disabled and cleaned.

From a BAS standpoint, you will want to ensure that your system and interface perform optimally. First and foremost is updating your BAS to the most recent software rev, including all security patches, bug fixes, and new functionality. These small changes may significantly impact your system's efficiency, ease of use, and safety. Next, ensuring that what you see on the computer interface is happening optimally in real life is critical. Lastly, addressing all alerts/errors on the BAS, addressing and clearing them will enhance the user experience and uncover any potential problems.

Another critical topic is the changing season's Impact on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). IAQ is affected by outdoor temp, humidity, and weather. The outside variables predict how much "fresh air" we can add to our system and what measures we need to condition it. Checking things like economizer function, damper actuator activation, sensor accuracy, and control sequence is paramount. Ensure you get the proper amount and type of air changes per hour. Indoor data like CO2, VOC, and PM (particulate matter) can further drive IAQ. Again, you want to ensure everything is clean, free-flowing, and mold-free on an equipment level. You may want to use higher spec filtration and add air cleaners (UV or Ionization).

All of this rolls up to an essential change of seasons preventative maintenance. Again, the goal is to ensure your system operates optimally to make occupants of the space comfortable and healthy.