Fan Coil Maintenance
In newer buildings with a central heating/AC system, fan coils may be located behind a panel in the wall of one or two rooms in each suite along with the thermostat. At the bottom, there is an air filter with the in-vent and above is the motor for the fan and coil with a pan under to prevent condensation from dripping. The exhaust vent is above. A picture is provided below.
When the thermostat is on A/C or heating, the fan simply re- circulates air that is already in the room after the system has either cooled it or warmed it. The air does not come from outside. This is why, if this system is to work properly, no furniture should be placed in front of the grill where the air filter is. This is where the air goes in to be cooled down or heated up.
It’s a good idea to air a room regularly by opening a window but this should be done only when A/C or heating are not on. Otherwise, energy will be wasted and the motor will work harder and burn out prematurely.
This maintenance is necessary for proper functioning and to prevent leakages as well as mould formation. When furniture is placed in front of the air intake (where the filter is), the system can’t get air in and the motor may burn out prematurely.
Managers are well aware that most owners would forget about it, may not hire a proper contractor, and would end up paying far more individually than warranted. As a result of neglect, the entire system would deteriorate much more rapidly. This is why many condominiums do it on behalf of owners and include it in the general budget.
Our fan-coil cleaning and servicing program is a great way to keep your in-suite HVAC in top-running condition.
In-Suite Fan Coil Maintenance
The in-suite fan coil unit provides air conditioning (summer) or heating (winter) in the condominium unit it serves. It has a number of internal components: water coil, supply air fan and motor, condensate drain pan, control valve, etc., and is controlled by a wall mounted space thermostat. It requires regular maintenance to ensure proper operation. Inefficient operation will affect its cooling/heating performance. Furthermore, in-suite fan coil units are an integral part of the building central cooling and heating system, their inability to perform efficiently will ultimately affect the efficiency of the central system, resulting in higher system maintenance costs as well as higher operating (energy) costs.
Additionally, fan motors require lubricating or inevitably will fail resulting in costly repairs. For these reasons we recommend a regular program be implemented. As previously mentioned, the fan coil unit is equipped with a condensate drain pan designed to collect the condensation that formed on the water coil during the cooling process (dehumidification). The condensation is drained away from the pan through a drain line. Occasionally, the drain line may become clogged, causing the drain pan to overflow. This will result in property damage, not only within the suite it is located in but also the suite(s) below.
Our semi-annual maintenance program will ensure the fan coil unit is properly cleaned and operating efficiently. efficient operation of the units will help to reduce the building energy consumption.
