Four fall maintenance items for senior care
The start of fall means specific maintenance tasks and scheduling to ensure that everything in a community is running smoothly. When you implement this critical fall maintenance checklist you can potentially avoid equipment downtime, maximize asset efficiency, extend equipment life and contain costs.
There are generally four main categories you’ll need to inspect prior to fall:
- HVAC Maintenance
- Grease Trap Cleaning
- Mixing Valve Inspection
- Landscaping
Why does fall preventive maintenance actually matter?
While there are times when you simply can’t sidestep emergency repairs, preventive maintenance can go a long way to reduce the amount of emergency needs in your facility. By practicing preventive maintenance, you may be able to:
- Reduce emergency service needs (and costs)
- Extend asset life
- Increase workspace safety
- Save money in the long run
Fall HVAC maintenance checklist
Your HVAC system is critical to your community’s health and wellbeing, making this a vital piece you’ll want to ensure runs properly. Thankfully, a little now will do a lot to ensure your residents keep warm and comfortable during the long heating season.
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- Ignition and burner assembly
- Fan and blower motors
- Belts and pulleys
- Inspect for signs of wear and tear:
- Make sure drain lines and pans are clean
- Inspect heat exchanger
- Replace filters and lubricate parts
- Clean the coils
- Inspect the ducts
- Schedule a maintenance checkup if needed
How to tell if your HVAC system is failing
Knowing the warning signs for when your HVAC system is failing can be vital to ensuring your system makes it through the chilly season. Some signs to watch out for include:
- Indoor humidity
- A musty or moldy smell
- Unusual noises like rattling, squeaking, or clunking
- Indoor temperature running too hot or cold
Grease trap cleaning assessment tips
There’s nothing glamorous about it, but this as-needed task needs to be done. Blocked, clogged or improperly cleaned grease traps can cause maintenance costs to soar and resident and staff satisfaction to suffer.
- Reference your asset documents to determine when your last cleaning occurred and when you’ll most likely need another one
- Schedule your next grease trap cleaning to remove the built-up waste since your last cleaning
Signs you need to clean your grease traps
Not sure if your grease trap needs cleaning? The top 3 signs to watch out for include: bad smells, draining issues and leaking grease.
Should I perform Mixing Valve Inspections before winter?
Your residents rely on you to help keep them safe. One important way you can help ensure their safety is through is a semiannual mixing valve inspection to help protect against scalds and burns.
- Disassemble and perform a deep clean
- Measure and record hot and cold water temperatures at full flow and ¼ flow
- Record the test results and any recommended actions in report
- If not functioning properly, perform or schedule a rebuild or replacement to ensure all parts are working in order and are providing the desired temperature
Top warning signs your mixing valve is failing
Lastly, but no less important, is your mixing valve. There are some warning indications that can alert you of your mixing valve needing maintenance, including inconsistent water temperature, water leakage and poor water pressure.
Preparing your exterior landscape for winter
Residents aren’t the only living beings you take care of: trees, shrubs, and flowers are also affected by winter weather. Use this checklist1 to help keep your exterior looking nice and allow your landscape to spring back to life when it warms up.
- Remove dead annuals
- Aerate & fertilize the lawn
- Mulch any flower beds & insulate your perennials
- Plant any spring-blooming bulbs
- Trim shrubs & perennials
- Prune trees
Where can I find HVAC, mixing valve, and grease trap cleaning near me?
Performing these fall maintenance checklist tasks can help ensure your community runs smoothly throughout the upcoming fall season and beyond and can help you avoid costly emergency service visits that all too often plague the industry. When you don’t have the time, the staffing or simply don’t want the headache, the TELS® team can help you schedule these maintenance tasks and cross them off your to-do list. Our nationwide network of service technicians gives you access to insured, local and vetted service providers near your community. With TELS® Building Services, you’ll have:
- 24/7 maintenance service and support
- Emergency equipment rentals (call for availability)
- A 30-minute cap on travel time for technicians
- 15-minute billing increments
- No emergency fees
We know that it can be tough to make the leap and schedule service with a new company for the first time. Even if you “have a guy” or can do it yourself, we’re here to support your maintenance needs in any way we can.
Learn more about the full TELS Building Services offering or call 888-433-3224 to speak live to a helpful TELS team member. Our staff of fully trained customer service professionals and maintenance technicians can help consult with you, diagnose issues and set you up with the right service provider.
