Category: Building Maintenance

Generally, work orders are tasks assigned to a company’s maintenance staff or an external service provider. They can be submitted internally or externally, depending on the business and its maintenance structure. Facility Services, which fulfills the orders, usually houses maintenance and repair technicians, as well as supervisors and scheduling staff.

A work order request can include information and questions regarding:

– Directions

– Cost estimates

– Date and time of request or incident

– Procedures

– The person or service in charge of fulfilling the request

A work order request could be for maintenance or repair, and could come from staff, customers, or maintenance employees. They can be submitted to address specific problems or preventive maintenance.

Maintenance Request Process

Many companies have their own unique procedures, but the process usually goes like this: a work order request is reviewed by FS and, upon approval, a maintenance work order is made and assigned to a department, service, or maintenance employee, and given a priority.

Priority

A burst water pipe is much more of a problem than a leaky faucet. That’s why Facility Services usually has a priority system in place. For example:

– Emergency: An immediate danger to people, property, or environment.

– Urgent: A possible or probable danger to people, property, or environment.

– Concern: Work which must be done quickly.

– Routine: Regular service or maintenance which doesn’t pose any immediate danger to people, facilities, or equipment.

– Planned: Work scheduled for when resources and staff are available. Examples of this include HVAC maintenance checks, gutter inspection, and fire alarm tests.

Devising and executing a preventative maintenance plan is one of the best things that a facility manager can do to ensure that every system and piece of equipment in their facility is functioning properly. While they represent an ongoing cost, inspections and small fixes over time will always be less expensive than a sudden major breakdown. This prevents downtime and makes expenses predictable, allowing you to schedule upgrades and replacements at your own convenience.

The first step in developing a preventive maintenance plan is determining what systems and pieces of equipment need maintenance, and on what timetable. Certain items need more maintenance than others; for example, refrigeration equipment should be inspected monthly to every three months, depending on usage, whereas some plumbing constructs can go a few years without needing to be tested. Make an organized list containing every piece of equipment, its age, its service history, its service frequency, and its expected service life. This will not only help you manage your facility, it will greatly help whoever comes after you.

As a bonus, most types of preventative maintenance don’t require downtime, and thus can be done during the workday. For the ones that do, however, be sure to schedule them at a time that is convenient for management and employees.

MaintenX has helped many companies during more than 30 years in the industry plan and schedule the best preventive maintenance inspection plans. We want to do the same for you as well. Contact us today for more information.

The role of a facility manager is an important one, and properly doing the job takes skill and experience. Having the right strategy for building care is one of the most valuable assets that a facility manager can have, and the key for developing this lies in knowing the right preventative maintenance tips.

The idea behind preventative maintenance is that it is more cost-effective and efficient to perform inspections and small fixes over time than to wait for equipment failure and repair on a contingent basis. This not only applies to machinery and commercial equipment, but also to facility systems, such as plumbing and HVAC. Preventative maintenance extends the service life of your systems, and makes your expenses predictable.

Building care is an important aspect of this, as the building itself requires regular cleaning and maintenance. Windows, doors, skylights, and all other entryways should be inspected semi-frequently and cleaned on the same schedule. It is normal for roofs and walls to have wear and tear, but holes and leaks are a major problem. Increase the frequency of inspections during the rainy seasons, when reliability is more necessary.

Preventative maintenance is the key to successfully managing any facility, so it is worth investing time into developing the right plan for your business. We at MaintenX excel at this and can help you every step of the way in every maintenance project that you plan to undergo. Contact us any time for more information.

Fall is a particularly busy time of year for many facility managers because of the work to be done in recovering from the summer and preparing for the winter. It is a good idea to organize and develop a list of tasks that need to be accomplished before the season is over to ensure that important tasks aren’t accidentally omitted. These are things that should be done in addition to your normal preventative maintenance plan.

Your HVAC system runs hardest over the summer and winter, as those seasons involve temperature extremes, so you want to be sure it’s in great shape. Take the time to do a thorough inspection and cleaning of every component. It’s worth it; you never want to be surprised by a failure when you need HVAC most. This concept also applies to roofs, doors, and windows, as the seals on them may have taken extra damage from rain and winds over the summer.

To prepare for winter, it is a good idea to prune the business’ landscaping. Smaller plants and shrubbery should be either wrapped or tucked away, and mulch spread out to prevent the ground from drying. Obviously, raking the leaves and cleaning of gutters is advised as well.

When it comes to fall or any other season, we at MaintenX have you covered for all of your maintenance needs. Contact us anytime to learn more about the services we offer and how we can serve you today!

Every commercial and business facility must have a backflow prevention device in place to protect drinking water. Like any other kind of equipment, such a device must be well-maintained in order to perform its intended task. The key to ensuring this is testing your backflow preventer at least every year to three years, depending on the model.

There are different types of backflow preventers, so it is difficult to lay out a single way to test one. However, the basic idea is the same for every model. The water supply must be shut off as the test happens, so it is recommended to do it after hours.

Observe which direction water is flowing through the device, and gather the appropriate kinds and amount of test cocks and bushings. Shut off the downstream valve and wait several minutes and see if any problems arise. All test kit hoses come with instructions, so be sure to follow these to read results properly and attend to anything specific to your model.

We always recommend that a plumbing professional perform backflow preventer tests to minimize the risk of a misread or unintentional damage. Our trained technicians at MaintenX are the professionals for you, so give us a call when the time comes to test your backflow preventer.

Backflow prevention is a necessity for any commercial or business facility, and there are a few different devices that accomplish this. Whichever you use in your facility, a long-term backflow prevention program needs to be well-maintained in order for it to work properly. The most effective method for doing this correctly is regularly scheduled preventative maintenance.

The most important thing you can do to maintain a backflow prevention assembly is to test it at the required times. It’s recommended to test Double check valve (DCV) systems every 3 years and make fixes as necessary. The more complex reduced pressure zone (RPZ) models should be tested once a year, and rebuilt every five. For both types, this ensures that any problems in the systems are identified early on and taken care of before larger problems arise.

Don’t delay in fixing these systems! Backflow failure can contaminate drinking water and cause severe plumbing mishaps, which is dangerous and will cost the business much more in the long run. We at MaintenX excel in running backflow prevention program tests and repairs, so contact us whenever you wish!

A backflow preventer is an important piece of equipment that enhances a facility’s plumbing system. Just like any other piece of equipment, it must be well maintained in order to be effective. As a facility manager, knowing how to take care of your backflow preventer will keep it working properly for as long as possible.

How often a backflow preventer needs to be tested depends on its type. There are two main kinds of backflow preventers, and each has its own maintenance requirements. Double check valve assembly (DCV) and reduced pressure zone assembly (RPZ) devices are most commonly used in commercial facilities.

DCV assembly backflow preventers need to be tested at least once every three years. RPZ assembly models, on the other hand, require a bit more maintenance. They must not only be tested annually, but rebuilt every five years. If not, there could be serious harmful backflow.

If you discover anything amiss in the testing of the backflow preventer, it is a good idea to handle it right then. This kind of preventative maintenance will go a long way to minimizing the risk of a major breakdown. To learn more about how we at MaintenX can assist you in performing these tests and any necessary repairs, please contact us today.