School's out for summer! While students are away, the facilities team can take advantage of the lower occupancy and schedule maintenance work to enhance school buildings. In this blog, we discuss the most common problems in summer facility management for schools and how to solve most of these common problems. This blog discusses the most common problems in summer facilities management for schools and how to solve them.
How to Solve Common Problems in Summer Facilities Management for Schools
Summer is ideal for school facilities managers to review the grounds, assets, and building maintenance needs. These are the most critical things facilities managers should consider for making school buildings as safe and secure as possible for a successful start when students return in the fall. In this blog, we discuss the most common problems for Facilities Management for Schools during the summer and how to solve them.
Deterioration of HVAC Systems
Deterioration and breakdown of HVAC systems are common problems in school buildings. Summer is the ideal time to reinspect HVAC systems.
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As the temperatures increase, scheduling some time to inspect all HVAC systems is advantageous. Doing this in the summer will ensure that your HVAC systems are in good working condition and ready to handle any additional workload that the summer brings for your facility management team.
- Check furnace system controls and thermostat
- Tighten electrical connections
- Lubricate moving parts
- Check the condensate drain for proper function
- Clean the air conditioning coils and evaporator
- Check the refrigerant level
- Clean or change the air filter
Forgotten Maintenance Procedures
Forgotten maintenance procedures are a common problem in school facility management. Therefore, summer is an optimal time to reexamine and reevaluate maintenance procedures.
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Summer is ideal for facility managers to evaluate, review, and revise maintenance procedures. Those scheduled during the summer months ensure that your facility management team addresses issues that might happen due to weather changes.
In addition, it is crucial to ensure that the facility management team has procedures for outside activities that only happen during this time of year, such as maintaining the grounds and landscaping and caring for external building elements like parking lots and sidewalks.
Lack of Innovation in New Tech Solutions
Another typical problem with summer school facilities is not evaluating newer technology in the market that dramatically improves efficiency, such as intelligent sensor solutions.
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For example, smart sensors in athletic stadiums improve operational efficiencies by using sensors to send data about water usage, concession sales, and even noise levels. Other schools are using intelligent sensors to manage the electricity, heat remotely, and cooling on campus by using WIFI to determine how many people are in a room and sending that data to the HVAC system to automatically adjust based on that information.
Not Replacing Air Filters
Changing your HVAC air filters during your pre-summer inspection is a step in the right direction. Ensure the facility team monitors the condition of the air filters throughout the summer months.
Dirty filters reduce equipment efficiency and can result in poor indoor air quality. Still, they can also cause more severe issues—like poor heat transfer and dirty coils, which are much more difficult to replace than filters. Setting up automated preventive maintenance requests will ensure this stays at the top of your team's mind.
Air circulating throughout the building is imperative during the summer, as it can directly impact building occupants' comfort. Therefore, evaluate your air-handling systems and conduct preventive maintenance regularly and frequently during the summer months. That way, you can ensure that air-handling systems work optimally and keep your buildings cool and comfortable.
Ignoring Green Spaces
Does your building have a green area for employees to enjoy? Make sure you focus time on activities to maintain this space. For example, cutting the lawn, pruning the bushes, and pulling weeds require using your resources. Including these maintenance procedures on your calendar can make it easier for your team to build into their day.
If your buildings and facilities have green space for employees and tenants, scheduling time for maintenance activities to care for these spaces properly is essential. For example, cutting the lawn, pruning the bushes, and pulling weeds require using your resources. Including these maintenance procedures on your calendar can make it easier for your team to build into their day.
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Summer Facilities Management for Schools: Common Problems and Solutions
Discover how to tackle common summer facility management challenges in schools. Learn how to prevent HVAC system deterioration, address forgotten maintenance procedures, and leverage new technology solutions for improved efficiency. Find out why replacing air filters and maintaining green spaces are crucial for ensuring a safe and comfortable learning environment. Explore Intellis software for effective solutions to your summer facilities management needs.
