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| SWITCHING TO SUMMER MODE |
| by Mark W. Lam, Ph.D. AIA |
Kick off pre-summer preparation efforts with a building maintenance plan and you can enjoy this summer, too!
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For kids, summer means escape from school responsibilities. However, summer may not be so relaxing for operations and maintenance personnel, particularly in hot and humid climates. A school building is often unoccupied for 60 to 90 days during summer vacation. Problems can develop when the building is closed and air conditioning systems are turned off or operated incorrectly. The majority of these issues stem from excessive moisture build-up. Left unchecked, moisture can quickly damage school property.
Recognize the Culprit
Moisture encourages the growth of mold and mildew, which causes damage and creates air quality issues. There are several sources of summer moisture build-up, including the following.
• Humid summer weather naturally increases the moisture level of air.
• Carpet and floor cleaning brings moisture into the building.
• Kitchen maintenance and cleaning may leave standing water.
• Air conditioning may be turned off or set to run on“ventilation only,” raising the level of humidity.
• Clogged gutters, roof leaks and plumbing leaks may go undetected.
Excess moisture need be present only a few weeks before clean-up costs rise to thousands of dollars. Excessive moisture has forced schools to replace an entire library of books, band uniforms and even implement extensive mold remediation. It is especially important during periods of total vacancy or partial building occupancy to take action to avoid the damage that moisture can cause.
Implement the Solution
“The main problems we see come from a lack of prevention and planning,” says James McClure, president, Estes, McClure & Associates (EMA), an engineering and consulting firm. McClure, whose firm specializes in building systems for schools and colleges, offers some suggestions.“School districts that have an operation plan, and who actively monitor the school, are able to quickly respond to issues that come up.”
Establish a Plan
Preparing written management, maintenance and operation plans for summer operations is a great way to start. It may be helpful to assign specific responsibilities and accountability by name. The plans typically include specific processes and procedures for your unique facilities, staffing levels, operations and local environment.
Perform Preventive Maintenance
A preventive maintenance program should be a large component of your summer operation plan. “Many schools develop programs to inventory, assess and plan for maintenance costs,” says Tony Duce, senior vice president of SHW Group. “We help our clients establish a long-range budget to maintain the systems they have.”
The five-year plan, called a Facility Inventory Assessment and Deferred Capital Maintenance Report, provides a list and schedule of all maintenance requirements. The process helps schools identify critical maintenance issues, in addition to long-range issues the organization will need to plan for in the capital budgeting process. It is especially important to stay current on maintenance for all air conditioning equipment, controls and plumbing. Specific preventive maintenance tasks include the following.
• Change or clean air filters regularly.
• Ensure drain pans are draining properly.
• Check for damage to condensate piping.
• Inspect condensate traps to ensure they are clean and operational.
• Check that pipes are insulated and not damaged or dripping water.
• Clean air conditioning coils.
• Inspect domestic water piping and all plumbing for needed maintenance and repairs.
• Inspect ceiling tiles for any moisture or water. Discard any ceiling tiles with moisture.
• Eliminate roof leaks or other sources of moisture.
Give Your Staff the Necessary Training
Regular maintenance can unwittingly be a major contributor to excessive moisture introduced to an unoccupied building. It is important for your maintenance staff to understand the damage excessive moisture can cause. The following staff members should receive special training for the moisture concerns related to summer cleaning, operations and maintenance:
• custodial staff and supervisors,
• maintenance and operation personnel,
• kitchen staff and
• grounds workers.
Inspect the Building Envelope
Deterioration or damage to the building envelope can allow water or moisture into the building. By inspecting the building exterior prior to the onset of summer, you will identify many issues and be able to make repairs to openings or damage immediately. Include the following items in your inspection process.
• Gutters and downspouts — be sure water flows freely.
• Roof drains — ensure roof drains are not clogged or broken.
• Inspect roof and wall flashing and coping.
• Look for roof leaks.
• Equipment housing — check air conditioning equipment, penthouses and related components.
• Inspect expansion joints.
• Inspect pitch pans.
• Irrigation sprinkler heads — identify leaks and adjust spray direction to ensure sprinkler
water does not hit the building.
• Dirt around building — remove dirt around the foundation above the brick weeps and ensure dirt slopes away from building.
Maintain and Operate Air Conditioning
Operating the air conditioning system dehumidifies the air and greatly lessens the chances of mold growth in the summer. In order to be effective, however, the system must be run properly. “Understanding and following the HVAC maintenance and operations manuals is the most important thing you can do,” says James McClure. “There are specific procedures to follow for each piece of equipment, and it can lead to problems when these procedures are ignored.”
It is not necessary to run systems at the same “comfort” levels as when occupied. During summer months, the systems simply need to run enough to keep air moisture levels under control. Summer air conditioning operation is extremely important. Care should be taken to set up a proper summer control sequence based on the specific requirements of your system. A controls contractor can program your air conditioning system for summer operation to control humidity and excessive temperature. Some helpful hints for air conditioning operations during the summer include the following.
• Define control sequences for operation to ensure the system operates throughout the summer, running periodically as required each day.
• Monitor humidity and use air conditioning to control humidity and moisture in the building, keeping all spaces below 60 percent relative humidity.
• Avoid thermostat and sensor settings above 82°F (summer) and below 62°F (winter).
• Check all systems and controls at least one week before the school year begins.
Dehumidify Ventilating Air
While bringing in outside air is helpful for air quality, opening windows and running air conditioning units on ventilation-only cycles can often cause humidity build-up that may result in the growth of mold. When ventilating, especially in humid climates, outside air should be dehumidified before being introduced into the building. It helps to keep the chillers and compressor on when ventilating or introducing outside air. When the air handler fans are operating, running chillers and compressors will reduce the introduction of moisture.
Dry Carpet and Tile After Cleaning
Carpet and floor cleaning can be a major cause of moisture build-up in a building any time during the year, but especially in the summer. A freshly shampooed carpet can cause extremely high humidity readings in a closed room and can easily encourage the growth of mold. The introduction of outside air through windows or exhaust fans during the shampooing process is usually not sufficient to prevent problems, so the following steps are recommended.
• Keep air conditioning operating during shampooing and until the floor is completely dry and the space is dehumidified.
• Take advantage of vacuums specifically intended for moisture and water removal.
• Use floor cleaning methods that minimize the quantity of moisture introduced to the carpet and floor.
• Use additional fans to dry carpet and tile. Monitor humidity until the room dries out.
• Use portable dehumidifiers in addition to the air conditioning if required.
Maintain Chilled Water Supply Temperature
Increasing chilled water temperature is a strategy sometimes used for energy conservation, but higher water temperatures decrease the ability of the air conditioning system to remove moisture. For best results, keep chilled water supply temperature 45°F or below.
Eliminate Kitchen Moisture
Hosing down the kitchen floor and leaving standing water on the floor as the kitchen staff leaves for the summer can be a major contributor to the growth of mold in the kitchen. Humidity can build up so much that air conditioning is not able to adequately control the moisture. The following suggestions will help avoid this problem.
• Use an alternative cleaning method rather than hosing down the kitchen. For example, using conventional wet mops to clean floors may be a more effective cleaning technique.
• Take advantage of vacuums intended specifically for moisture and water removal.
• Operate air conditioning even during the summer to control humidity. Let all surfaces dry thoroughly after cleaning and before turning off air conditioning.
• Monitor humidity, and operate air conditioning to control it.
• Clean up standing water, food particles and spills.
• Use proper packaging and storage methods to minimize food sources for mold growth and rodents.
• Inspect and repair all plumbing leaks.
• Operate exhaust hoods to remove moisture-laden air.
• Drain and dry all pots, sinks, containers and surfaces before leaving.
Proactively Monitor the Building
Without regular monitoring in summer months, small issues can quickly become expensive problems. Take a proactive approach and ensure maintenance staff is available and scheduled to frequently inspect the building. The staff should monitor humidity levels in the building, check and identify musty odors, adjust air conditioning operations and make repairs or use portable dehumidifiers as needed to control humidity throughout the summer.
Manage Spills and Leaks
Using appropriate cleaning techniques can reduce the potential for problems and minimize the amount of moisture introduced to the building.
• Clean buildings and keep them clean because moisture, dirt and food are sources of microbial growth.
• Immediately vacuum and eliminate any water from leaks, spills and cleaning.
• Avoid propping open outside doors that allow moist humid air into the building.
• Clean up water damage immediately, and discard any materials that become water damaged.
These hints provide ideas to consider when planning summer operation schedules for your school. The suggestions are not intended to replace your current maintenance and operational procedures, and they obviously do not anticipate every situation or circumstance. However, by taking a proactive approach to managing your school operations, the building will present fewer surprises when school resumes.
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| Source: SP&M, APRIL 2005 |
Copyright 2009, Peter Li, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Peter Li, Inc. |
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