No facility manager or commercial building owner in the Chicago area wants to consider the possibility of the catastrophic failure of a major building component like the HVAC system. But many of them do so because they realize it’s far better to be prepared for the worst than to be caught off guard by a major disruption.

Preparing a solid strategy in case an emergency repair becomes necessary offers many benefits including:

• Making it possible to determine exactly what needs to be done and by whom.
• Can mean the difference between hours and days of downtime.
• Can mean the difference between thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in lost time and productivity.
• Can determine whether or not precious inventory and equipment survive the situation.

That’s why it’s so important to develop a plan ahead of time and make sure everyone who needs to know is familiar with it and understands their role. Here’s how to create an emergency HVAC repair strategy without wasting hours or days:

Step One: Safety first

The first and most important factor in your emergency repair strategy is to determine whether a given situation poses a safety threat.

For example, in your facility, is a temporary loss of adequate ventilation going to create hazardous conditions with fumes or pollutants that can concentrate in interior spaces? Will a significant increase or decrease in the interior temperature put anyone in danger or cause equipment or chemicals stored in the building to become unstable or dangerous?

The timing of these risks factor in, as does the facility’s location. But if safety is a concern, your strategy needs to address the welfare of building occupants first and foremost, including an evacuation plan, and a means of verifying a headcount after everyone is out.

Step Two: Is it something you can handle on your own?

While we recommend a high level of caution taking on do-it-yourself repairs, some very minor issues may be quick and simple to fix. As long as your strategy identifies one or more individuals on staff who have the right information and the right tools on hand to handle something like a blown fuse or a minor short circuit, that could be a quick and affordable option for getting the system back up and running.

Even if you go the DIY route for minor repairs, we still recommend having your commercial HVAC maintenance partner visit as soon as possible to perform diagnostic tests and determine what caused the issue. If that’s not investigated, it’s likely to happen again. There is always the possibility that something that showed up as minor issue is the manifestation of a larger problem that’s still progressing, and needs to be reviewed by your Chicago HVAC company.

Step Three: If you can’t handle the repair yourself

In most cases, an issue that requires an emergency repair is going to be more serious than your in-house team can effectively handle. Most commercial buildings don’t have knowledgeable and experienced staff on hand with the right tools to diagnose and repair every HVAC problem quickly and efficiently.

In all these cases, we recommend contacting your HVAC maintenance service provider and requesting a review of the problem along with any necessary emergency repair. Seek out reputable providers that offer 24/7 emergency service to get critical systems repaired as soon as possible. If the situation doesn’t require immediate resolution, you should arrange for repairs to be handled during normal business hours at a lower rate.

If you’re currently working with Midwest Mechanical, we can guarantee our skilled HVAC technicians are always prepared to handle your needed HVAC repairs and to make sure your building is operating with minimal downtime and maximum quality.

By covering these three simple steps in advance, you’ll prepare your commercial facility for an emergency HVAC repair situation, ensuring it costs the least in lost productivity and damaged equipment. Want to learn more about how to plan for an emergency HVAC repair in Chicago? Click the button below to find out how our team can help.