Johnson Controls Single Packaged Vertical Air Conditioner Units  (6)

We visit the doctor for yearly check-ups and take our vehicles to a mechanic for maintenance and oil changes. The same idea applies to an HVAC system. An HVAC system can run around 2,000 hours per year and is a building system that is constantly expending energy. Without preventative maintenance, it is much more likely that a building owner could be overlooking silent issues that could cause a system to break down long before it should. Preventative maintenance is catching on for a reason. A 2021 survey from The Colling Media Snapshot asked homeowners across the US about preventative maintenance. The survey stated that during the last time they had an HVAC service, 41% of homeowners had a preventative maintenance inspection of their HVAC system. The importance of preventative maintenance is resonating with homeowners and commercial property owners are no exception. Below are three reasons why commercial property owners and managers should keep preventative maintenance top of mind: Tenant Satisfaction Preventative maintenance can affect the satisfaction and the length of stay of residents For commercial property owners, tenant satisfaction is a top priority. Preventative maintenance can affect the satisfaction and the length of stay of residents. The Rental Protection Agency states that repair problems are the third most common complaint in residents nationwide, which includes heating and cooling. Busy season for contractors occurs during the hot summers when outside temperatures are extreme and homeowners are excessively running their units. The typical HVAC contractor carries a backlog of 2-3 weeks’ worth of work during the busy season. Summers without air conditioning can be miserable for residents and detrimental to a building’s reputation and retention if system failures are not fixed quickly enough. Staying on top of preventative maintenance is a proactive strategy to mitigate emergencies. Capital Planning Planning for routine services is important for all HVAC owners and operators as neglecting preventative maintenance can devastate a budget. This is especially true if you are a commercial property owner or manager as overlooking preventive maintenance could cause failure to multiple HVAC systems and exponentially increase the cost of repair and throw a property owner even further out of budget. In addition to reducing last-minute emergencies, keeping the maintenance and replacement history of a building’s HVAC systems is important when it is time to sell a commercial property. How well a system is maintained can affect the sale price of a property, especially as buyers from the coasts expect up-to-date HVAC systems. Data-Driven Decision Making  IoT coupled with sensors and wireless networks provide perspective into both predictive and prescriptive analytics In commercial properties, HVAC systems consume more than 30 percent of the total energy use of a building. The Internet of Things (IoT) coupled with sensors and wireless networks provide perspective into both predictive and prescriptive analytics that can assist in decision making. With this data, building owners and maintenance techs can understand which systems are consuming the most energy, which ones are the most energy-efficient, and can identify when systems are breaking down. These actions provide a runway of time to proactively fix system failures before the cost to repair is greater than the cost of replacement.

Over the last year, we’ve become all too familiar with the risk posed by a deadly airborne virus, but, as we move out of lockdown, there are other airborne hazards we urgently need to fight. However, while advice and guidance are abundant in the use of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in combating the spread of COVID-19, there has been very little said of the risk of using HVAC systems after a prolonged period of inactivity. As those familiar with HVAC systems know, air conditioning and ventilation systems are designed to be used regularly, if not constantly. Enclosed and moist environments As systems convey air and/or cool it, systems build up moisture and, having been inactive for many months, if not for a whole year, these humid, enclosed, and moist environments will have become a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and fungus. Mould or mildew can grow in air ducts, filters, or vents as well as in drip pans and coils Mould or mildew can grow in air ducts, filters, or vents as well as in drip pans and coils. It spreads through the production of microscopic spores which float through the air and deposit on surfaces. In the right environments, these spores can form mold colonies, where they can then produce more spores that can be spread further. Worse, these spores can survive and linger in an atmosphere for long periods, and some molds can be deadly. Exposure to mold Now imagine that a contaminated HVAC system, which has been inactive for weeks, months, or even a whole year, is switched back on: Immediately, a current of air carries the spores through the ducting before projecting them out across every inhabited space, ready for workers, shoppers or visitors who are venturing out after lockdown to touch, inhale, eat or drink. As well as smelling musty and unpleasant, mold exposure can cause cold or allergy-like symptoms such as a stuffy nose, cough, or sore throat as well as headaches, nausea, skin and respiratory diseases. It can also be particularly dangerous to people who are immunocompromised or who have conditions such as asthma. Routine maintenance It sounds disgusting, but the risk is very much real. Unfortunately, there has been very little advice or guidance from the UK government to make property managers or users aware of this issue and so many will have neglected to protect themselves and their workers or visitors. Mould has always been able to grow inside HVAC systems, and this is why owners are obliged to have them regularly serviced. But unless that routine maintenance has gone ahead as planned throughout the lockdowns, and unless their systems have been inspected and disinfected again before opening, COVID-19 will be just one of many airborne health hazards people will face this summer. No clear warnings Government guidance encourages the use of various HVAC systems as part of its COVID-secure strategies Of course, the UK is not the only country to have imposed lockdown restrictions, and, over in America, their health authority, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published warnings around this. But, here in the UK, there have been no such messages: Government guidance encourages the use of various HVAC systems as part of its COVID-secure strategies, but it makes no clear warnings about the particular risk of using these after a period of prolonged inactivity. Mitigated risks I suspect that while larger workplaces with dedicated property managers and close connections to professionals such as ourselves will be more likely to have mitigated these risks, countless other organizations will not: I’m particularly concerned about small offices, hotels, restaurants, pubs, holiday cottages, and shops which may have systems unchecked for years and which would have had their hands full with other problems that were more pressing than maintaining an HVAC systems no-one is using. Cleaning and disinfecting HVAC Enhanced cleaning in other respects could also have made matters worse; if, for example, a carpet was shampooed at the start of lockdown and the HVAC system was turned off, a property manager will have inadvertently created the perfect environment for mold to thrive. Fortunately, HVAC systems can be disinfected and cleaned to make them safe again, but with so little awareness, many system owners will not be taking these steps. Action against mold However, while there may not be specific guidance in relation to the risk of mold in HVAC systems after lockdown, there are still laws in place which oblige property managers to take action. These include the Health & Safety at Work Act, The Workplace Health, Safety & Welfare Regulations, Occupiers Liability Act, and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. As a result, employers or property managers may be liable for illness or harm which may occur from the use of contaminated systems. As we approach the end of the lockdown restrictions, I would urge all HVAC engineers, property managers, and property maintenance professionals to immediately reach out to clients and warn them of this danger, because the last thing we need is another health crisis.

On September 29, C&C Heating and Air Conditioning and YORK® Factory Direct partnered with Building Homes for Heroes during a Welcome Home ceremony in Glenside, PA, for Army Staff Sergeant Veronica Hally. She served more than two decades of service, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and she investigated hundreds of deaths and worked with the FBI to track terrorists across the globe. Her investigative experiences earned her many accolades, but also have left Staff Sergeant Hally with severe PTSD and anxiety that caused her to medically retire from the military in 2019. Donating HVAC system with touch-screen thermostat C&C Heating & Air Conditioning donated the HVAC installation services for the veteran’s new home To support Staff Sergeant Hally, Johnson Controls and YORK Factory Direct donated a YORK heating and cooling system with a Wi-Fi® enabled YORK touch-screen thermostat to better assist her with adjusting his home’s temperature without the need to get up.  Veteran-owned C&C Heating & Air Conditioning donated the HVAC installation services for the veteran’s new home, and Google Nest Pro donated a variety of smart home products. Supporting veterans Will Cordero, president & founder, C&C Heating and Air Conditioning, spoke at the Welcome Home ceremony about the honor it was to support a fellow veteran. Doug Cordero, vice president, C&C Heating and Air Conditioning, said, "We truly can’t give enough thanks and gratitude to heroes like Staff Sergeant Hally who keep our country safe. We feel blessed to have the opportunity to help her and her family be comfortable in their new home.” About Building Homes for Heroes Building Homes for Heroes strives to build or renovate quality homes and donate them to injured veterans nationwide Building Homes for Heroes is a national organization that recognizes those who serve in the United States Armed Forces by supporting the needs of severely wounded or disabled veterans and their families. The organization strives to build or renovate quality homes and donate them, mortgage-free, to injured veterans nationwide. “The customized amenities that Johnson Controls brings to these homes provide not only a foundation for these heroes but a hopeful path to a bright future with the opportunity to reach dreams they may have never thought imaginable when injured,” said Andy Pujol, founder, and CEO of Building Homes for Heroes. “We are honored to partner with Johnson Controls, C&C Heating & Air Conditioning, and YORK® Factory Direct to gift a home to Staff Sergeant Hally and her family.” Sponsor The YORK brand of Johnson Controls has been a proud sponsor of Building Homes for Heroes since 2014. The company has been recognized by US Veterans Magazine as a top veteran-friendly company. Johnson Controls is also committed to hiring veterans and military spouses. Veteran employees are honored to design, engineer, and assemble systems that help improve the lives of fellow veterans. 

Katie McGinty, Vice President and Chief sustainability, government, and regulatory affairs officer, Johnson Controls, has been named among the Top Women in HVAC by ACHR News.   According to the publication, some view the HVAC industry as a male-dominated industry. However, as the list shows, many women wake up every morning and play a role in changing that perception. editorial director review “This is a great collection of women,” said Kyle Gargaro, editorial director of The ACHR NEWS. “Although we could only honor 20, we received over 400 nominations. It gives us great pleasure to honor these individuals for the important roles that each plays in the HVAC industry.” “At Johnson Controls, we partner with our customers — helping them shape ambitious visions for how they can become better environmental stewards — cutting their energy use and emissions, even while saving money and enhancing the bottom line." — Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability, government and regulatory affairs officer, Johnson Controls. HVACR field rewarding In the publication’s interview, McGinty said she finds the “can-do” orientation of the HVACR field the more rewarding aspect of working in the industry. “At Johnson Controls, we partner with our customers — helping them shape ambitious visions for how they can become better environmental stewards — cutting their energy use and emissions, even while saving money and enhancing the bottom line,” she said. “It is thrilling to me that we do believe in what we are doing and what we can deliver that we step up and guarantee the result.”

Johnson Controls, the global front-runner for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, collaborated with 894 U.S. higher education institutions in its fiscal third quarter to implement healthy building strategies in preparation for campus reopening in fall 2021. As part of its OpenBlue Healthy Buildings offerings, Johnson Controls has helped college administrators create and implement strategies to safely and efficiently welcome back students, staff, and faculty. Through comprehensive, long-term relationships that transfer the full lifecycle risk of healthy building operations to Johnson Controls, campus administrators can provide ambitious and scalable campus recovery strategies to deliver healthy environments that put wellness, productivity, and safety first. Investing in indoor air quality "Now is the time for educators to invest in indoor air quality and move into the future of healthy living, sustainability and learning," said Jaime Paris Boisvert, Director for the Higher Education Market at Johnson Controls. Healthy campus environments have a direct positive influence on student achievement and wellness "We know healthy campus environments have a direct positive influence on student achievement and wellness. Now, campuses must also address short-term COVID-19 needs along with those long-term health goals. We're honored to work on so many forward-looking projects that will optimize the campus experience for years to come. Because while infrastructure has always played a significant public health role, upgrades shouldn't begin and end with COVID-19." Healthy, optimized campus experiences As a majority of North American colleges and universities reopened campuses fully for the fall semester, they required modernized and resilient infrastructure. Johnson Controls OpenBlue Healthy Buildings empowers higher education stakeholders to optimize their buildings to create a new standard for safety, wellness, and efficiency. Clean air solutions help mitigate the spread of airborne pathogens, touchless security minimizes contamination, and flexible facility solutions allow campus leaders to rapidly repurpose spaces as needed. Through OpenBlue, these solutions can be automated for scalable, efficient, and ongoing optimization. Filter installations To deliver a safe, healthy, and connected campus environment ahead of the fall 2021 semester, East Central College in Union, MO selected long-time partner Johnson Controls. Leveraging federal relief and stimulus funding and a turnkey approach, Johnson Controls building experts commissioned a comprehensive and integrated healthy building solution. They installed high-efficiency MERV-13 filters, UV-C disinfection technologies, upgraded heat pumps, and Metasys® controls. The applied solutions will enable East Central College to improve air quality while maximizing classroom comfort to support improved learning outcomes. Long-term revenue impact OpenBlue Healthy Buildings ultimately allows schools to safely bring students back on campus Regardless of endowment size, the pandemic's negative impact on tuition and donations has tightened the margins of colleges and universities throughout the country. For many, the solution to fostering revenue recovery and positioning for future growth lies in instilling confidence in the safety of campuses for students, staff, faculty, and their families by making clear commitments to their health. "Schools that get their return to campus right will not only have a successful semester but will remain competitive to health-conscious applicants and donors in the future. How campuses welcome back students this fall can impact revenue for years to come," said Paris Boisvert. A sustainable learning environment Global decarbonization targets and increasingly sustainability-minded applicants, donors, and communities have driven higher education stakeholders to commit to ambitious sustainability goals. However, many energy efficiencies and renewable energy projects were suspended or canceled during the pandemic. OpenBlue Healthy Buildings ultimately allows schools to safely bring students back on campus, freeing up capital that can be reinvested in sustainability initiatives that keep colleges and universities on schedule in reaching their decarbonization targets. Serving campuses Johnson Controls has served 2,887 higher education campuses in North America, powering its missions for exceptional student experiences through healthy, connected, and sustainable infrastructure. To learn more, visit, "The Link Between Healthy Campuses, Healthy People, and Better Learning."