Protecting your organization’s facilities from the elements is a full-time, year-round job. Facilities managers and maintenance departments are responsible for the upkeep of these facilities, as well as all physical assets within. This includes manufacturing equipment, machinery, computer hardware, and other operational equipment. It also includes critical building systems like HVAC systems, plumbing systems, and electric systems as well as infrastructure like roofing, parking lots, and even landscape features.
Why seasonal maintenance plans are important
As the seasons change, so do certain maintenance priorities. The start of autumn is a perfect example. This seasonal transition marks a pivotal time for maintenance teams, with changing weather promising colder temperatures, increased energy demands, and harsher external elements.
How does autumn weather affect facilities and asset maintenance?
Autumn weather brings cooler temperatures, fewer daylight hours, and higher energy bills. In some climates, autumn may also bring rapidly fluctuating humidity levels, increased rainfall, and rising wind speeds.
Seasonal risk factors
These conditions carry a number of distinctly seasonal risk factors. For instance:
- Falling temperatures place greater strain on the energy-consumption and operational efficiency of HVAC systems, especially for facilities that rely on climate-controlled environments such as warehouses and distribution centers storing temperature-sensitive goods.
- Increased rain or snowfall can lead to potential water damage, mold growth, and equipment rusting, which poses an especially acute risk to facilities with large outdoor areas or industries like construction and manufacturing that operate on open-air job sites.
- Falling leaves and debris can block gutters, drains, and ventilation systems, increasing the likelihood of water pooling, mold formation, and mechanical strain on HVAC systems.
- Shorter daylight hours may require facilities to extend their use of lighting systems, placing additional strain on electrical grids and increasing energy consumption.
- Fluctuating temperatures can create condensation, cause corrosion, trigger electrical shorts, and even cause equipment breakdowns
Autumn maintenance: industry-specific examples
The risk factors outlined above impact businesses in every industry, but they can pose a heightened threat to assets and operations in certain industries. For instance:
- Healthcare facilities and long-term care facilities require reliable temperature and humidity controls to ensure patient comfort and safety, to comply with strict regulatory conditions, and protect the functionality of potentially sensitive medical equipment.
- Manufacturing plants must take particular care to address issues of humidity and moisture, which can cause damage, corrosion, and malfunction of production machinery.
- Construction sites are particularly vulnerable to changes in the weather, with heavy machinery often exposed to the elements.
Preventive maintenance tips for changing seasons
As the seasons change, facilities and maintenance teams must take proactive steps to ensure that equipment remains available, reliable, safe, and productive. Seasonal shifts can introduce specific maintenance challenges.
While many of these these challenges may be related to unpredictable weather events, there are plenty of proactive steps that maintenance teams can take to prepare for these events including:
- Serving HVAC units seasonally with cleaning, filter replacements, thermostat calibration, etc.
- Verifying condition of insulation around ducts, pipes, and building exteriors
- Removing fallen leaves and debris to prevent drainage system blockage and consequent pooling water, leaks, mold, or structural damage
- Inspecting roofing for loose or damaged shingles, cracks, or weak spots
- Installing energy-efficient LED lighting to minimize energy consumption
- Ensuring backup generators are operational in case of power outages
- Protecting outdoor equipment from rust and corrosion by applying protective coatings or lubricants
Facilities maintenance best practices for autumn
Autumn is a uniquely unpredictable season. Temperatures can fluctuate widely–with warm days leading into cold nights. Storms can increase in frequency and intensity, leading to increased moisture, high winds, and flooding risks. And as the leaves begin to fall from trees, gutters, storm drains, and walkways can present increased safety hazards.
These conditions create a number of unique seasonal building maintenance challenges. Below are a few proven best practices that proactive facilities managers employ before and during the autumn months to keep their facilities safe and productive.
- Comprehensive seasonal inspections of both the interior and exterior of facilities, including roofing, gutters, HVAC systems, doors, and windows
- Outdoor preventive maintenance scheduling, ensuring that walkways, parking lots, and outdoor equipment are free of hazards like leaves, debris, and standing water
- Power outage preparation such as testing backup generators, inspecting surge protection systems, and verifying that emergency lighting systems are functioning properly
- Energy efficiency improvements to mitigate rising seasonal costs such as upgrading to smart thermostats, reinforcing insulation, and conducting energy audits to identify inefficiencies in heating, lighting, and ventilation systems
- Updated safety protocols for seasonal hazards such as slippery surfaces, increased rainfall, and reduced visibility
Equipment maintenance best practices for autumn
In addition to preparing facilities for the changing weather, maintenance teams are responsible for keeping heavy equipment and other critical assets in peak working order under any conditions. Below are some best practices that proactive maintenance teams use to prepare their equipment for the autumn months.
- Pre-season inspections of all heavy equipment and assets with a focus on fluid levels, lubrication systems, and signs of wear–such as worn belts, frayed hoses, or loose connections–that could be worsened by colder temperatures
- Winterization of active equipment with engine block heaters, cold-weather fluid and lubrication variants, and battery replacements
- Winterization of dormant equipment including fluid drainage, installation of trickle chargers for batteries, and proper pest control in storage areas
- Moisture protection such as rust-proofing, replacement of worn seals and gaskets, and whenever possible, under-cover equipment storage
- CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) implementation to help streamline management of seasonal equipment maintenance tasks with features like automated reminders and preventive servicing schedules based on timed seasonal intervals
Emergency and reactive maintenance in autumn
A proactive maintenance approach is always preferred, especially in anticipation of the environmental challenges that accompany dropping temperatures. An overly reactive approach can result in:
- Frequent equipment breakdowns
- Higher repair costs
- Increased unplanned downtime
- Diminished energy efficiency
- Heightened safety risks
- A shorter lifespan for your equipment
However, some emergencies are inevitable. The autumn months bring unpredictable and sometimes harsh weather conditions, which can result in unexpected maintenance demands. Therefore, maintenance teams must prepare for the autumn months by having the following response plans in place:
- Develop a rapid response plan for common autumn maintenance challenges such as HVAC issues, leaks from roof damage, or power outages.
- Train staff for efficient emergency responses to the specific challenges that seasonal weather can introduce.
- Implement safety protocols for working in challenging autumn conditions, such as wet surfaces, poor visibility, or high winds.
- Implement downtime contingency plans by installing reliable backup equipment and forging service agreements with external vendors who can provide rental equipment or temporary solutions during emergencies.
- Conduct root cause analysis, using reactive maintenance tasks as an opportunity to identify underlying issues and take proactive steps to avoid future problems.
- Leverage real-time monitoring technology such as IoT sensors, to detect issues like abnormal vibrations, temperature spikes, or leaks before they escalate into full equipment failures.
Preparing equipment and facilities for winter weather
Autumn is at once a time to adjust to changing seasonal conditions and to prepare for the winter months. The unpredictable climate fluctuations of the fall will soon give way to rapidly dropping winter temperatures and snowstorms.
Maintenance teams can take proactive steps during the autumn months to prepare equipment and facilities for winter weather by:
- Testing HVAC systems to ensure that boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, and radiators are fully functional and that thermostats are calibrated
- Winterizing outdoor equipment with cold-weather fluids, protective coatings, and engine block heaters
- Weatherproofing facilities with increased insulation in walls, attics, and roofing; newly applied caulking and weather stripping to doors and windows; and new insulation to exposed pipes in unheated areas, such as basements, crawl spaces, or exterior walls
- Preparing for snow and ice management with inspection and servicing of snowplows, snow blowers, and salt spreaders; stockpiling of de-icing materials like salt and sand; and routine clearing of outdoor drains to prevent pooling and freezing water
- Increasing the frequency of routine preventive upkeep for critical systems like HVAC, boilers, and backup generators to counterbalance greater energy consumption and usage
Simplify and optimize maintenance year-round
Of course, facilities management and maintenance carry year-round responsibilities. Every season brings its own unique conditions and challenges. The key is to build a preventive maintenance strategy that places your maintenance team two steps ahead of the weather at all times.
This is why Limble’s industry-leading CMMS offers features like:
- Automated preventive maintenance (PM) scheduling for HVAC checks, equipment winterization, and seasonal inspections
- Real-time visibility into HVAC performance, equipment temperature fluctuations, and power surges
- Mobile CMMS app for improved rapid response to emergency work requests
- Customizable reporting so that you can make data-driven maintenance decisions to better align with seasonal weather patterns
- Streamlined inventory management so your team can set minimum stock levels for critical seasonal resources like HVAC filters, antifreeze, or snow removal supplies.
To find what else Limble can do to get you ready for the changing seasons, check out our Product Tour.
