The summer has come and gone and a majority of us technicians are just getting the dust settled finally. I say that meaning that the summers get so busy that we don’t have time to do things that we can do and some of them get out on the back burner. Not that we are not doing our jobs but that we are just limited on time. Our plan is to “handle this later” and there really isn’t any way around it. With that being said, I wonder if there was a different way that we could be caught up enough to handle anything that is thrown at us no matter what time of year it is. If this is a possibility, we would have to prepare ourselves better each year at the slower time of year.
With the wintertime upon us, it can be said that a majority of us are heading towards our slower time. Not that we are not busy, but there a couple things LESS that can happen in the winter than the summer. So what can be the solution? We have done some digging about what can go wrong and what can be done to prevent it. Here are ways to lessen the business.

1. Tune up while you turn- The most important part of doing maintenance has to be the turns. When you do a turn, it is critical to not miss anything. When items are overlooked, it creates work orders. It also can create a bad impression to the new resident (I think we have all been through this nightmare). Don’t just see if everything works, clean and check everything as well.
   For example: Check all of your components on your hvac system by testing the life of each one. Also, clean out your dishwasher inside and out to make sure nothing has the chance of getting down in your pump.
2. Unit by Unit- A unit by unit walk is a great way to get a good look at the units and what condition they are in by checking carpets, counters, cabinet conditions, etc. By doing this, not only are we changing filters but we are also getting an idea of what repairs may be needed. If we can take a look at things that we can take care of right then (or make a note of it), we can show we are proactive and prevent disastrous work orders from happening. Some quick things to check-light bulbs, leaks under kitchen sinks, clogged sinks, garbage disposals and closet doors on track. Just name a few.
3. Exterior Property Walk- An exterior walk of our property is an awesome way to keep on top of our curb appeal. Although it’s not the warmest time to do a walk, it is a good time to finally fix those disconnects for the a/c’s that have been hanging off the wall. Also a good time to fix crooked light fixtures as well. Focus on 1 building at a time for a day inside and out and you will be amazed at what a difference it can make.
4. Training- This is a big one for me. There is nothing more important to this industry than keeping people trained and ahead of the game. This is a perfect time to find a vacant apartment and to go over various topics with your maintenance staff. One suggestion that would be great is make a schedule of times that training will take place every week or other week (or whatever is allowable) and let the different techs pick a topic to train on. A vacant apartment has everything needed to help out with this.
5. Clean, Clean, Clean!- This is a wonderful opportunity to clean out that storage room on property. This is also a great time to get the shop back organized and clean to make things run more smoothly.

As I sit here and watch the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics, it is easy to see the pride in the faces of each athlete that worked very hard to win their medals and represent their country. No matter what sport they represent, it has to be rewarding for them to work hard all of their lives to make it to the Olympics. We don’t really see behind the scenes of all of the help and hard work by trainers and staff that have brought the athlete to the forefront of the lime light to shine. With any sport out there, it is always something you hear on television interviews that one individual thanks his or her team and calls it a team effort.

Have you ever thought how much teamwork plays unto our industry? What kind of team work can we involve ourselves in to make sure all of the work is done by week’s end and that our residents are happy? Let’s pretend that you got interviewed every Friday at 4 o clock and someone asked you about that week and what was done. What kind of answer would you give to questions about the week? Would you thank your team for helping getting the work done?

Although the Olympics are a far cry from maintenance work, property personnel take pride in their work and work just as hard to make the community they live on the best in town. That to them is like winning the gold medal. So what are some things we can do create that teamwork atmosphere?

Here are a few.

Grounds

Although a ground keeping is a specific title, it is the responsibility of every individual on that property. The groundsman usually takes care of keeping them up but what a difference it makes when everyone chips in. Here are a few tips:

1. If your property is big, split the grounds up into sections for all of the maintenance staff to do. Get a site map and highlight each section and who is responsible for it. Make technicians who are responsible for their sections to handle all that has to do with grounds for the section. Handing out flyers, tagging cars, and even blowing their breezeways. This gives them the teamwork drive to make the property look great!! Tip: Challenge them all to see who can keep the grounds the cleanest. Whoever doesn’t have any issues for the month gets a reward (lunch, pick from a tool box, etc)?
2. Get the office staff involved. Make the office staff aware to look out for any trash or items in the “hot list” pathways. This will be the pathways to the models and the units that are being shown. It is not fun when a leasing agent goes by broken glass to show someone the model or finds that there are a ton of cigarette butts by the front door.
3. Team up on the office. If 2 people jump on the office cleaning it up and wiping it down before they open at 9, it will save the company money for a cleaner. Also, check models for burned out light bulbs as well as common areas like laundry rooms and weight rooms for cleanliness as well.

Work orders

Each morning when work orders prioritized, find the ones that are most urgent and can use the extra set of hands. Strive to get those completed first. If a work order is to change a water heater, find a technician to team up with to get it completed. Being productive and feeling that sense of completion is a really good jump to the day and can put some serious motivation behind you and

Your team.

Punches

Find ways to support your punch person in any way you can. Check in with them periodically during the day to see how they are doing. If you are on your way to the shop and pass the unit they are in, stop and ask them if they need anything for their punch that can be picked up and brought back. Saving someone a trip can do wonders for their progress even as small of a task as that is. Also, help out by walking the completed ones that are market ready. Grab someone in the office and walk the ready units to put 2 sets of eyes on the completed work. Remember: If a unit is punched correctly, the work order load goes way down.

The most important part of everyday should be to create a teamwork atmosphere and make it a great place to work. Build each other up every day and encourage your co workers to do better and help them when needed!!! You will be amazed how much fun work can be and what can be accomplished!!

HVAC Maintenance - Cleaning Coils

I can already hear the moans and groans now. How in the world does this guy think we can do thorough maintenance to 300 units before May? I have a ton of work orders, punches to be done, blah, blah, blah,…. I’ve got some nerve don’t I?

Not really.

Because I can tell you I have been in your spot for many years trying to come up with a way to avoid after hour calls and my days being slammed with a/c calls. It is nothing to have 20 a/c calls a day on a property 10 years old or more. So the million dollar question has to be…..

How can we avoid getting so many calls this year and lighten our work order load for the summer?

We all know that summer time is the busiest. People are moving, projects need to get done around the property while the weather is nice, and the work order load picks ups. From screens to punches, how does efficient HVAC preventative maintenance fit into the picture? Changing the filter is good. Adding drain tabs is good. Blowing out condensation lines is good too. But let’s go over 5 tasks you must do to keep from being called out and make your summer easier.

1. Changing filter- OK. This one is obvious. Everyone knows that the filters need to be changed on a quarterly basis. Keeping up with this is extremely important because a dirty filter will cause your suction pressure to be off. It will give the reading that the system is low on charge and make the technician think they just have to add refrigerant. Remember-AIRFLOW is the most important part of HVAC.
2. Clean Evaporator Coils- While we are changing filters, why not brush the coil down with coil cleaner? It is vital to the system to have a good clean evaporator coil. Blow out drain lines as well to prevent overflow of the pan and keep carpets from getting ruined. Also, if you have a float switch, test it for proper working condition.
3. Check Condenser parts- It does take some time to take all of the panels off and to check everything that makes an a/c run. But, there could be a weak capacitor or burned up contactor that could be caught right then and not a month from now. Go ahead and change out the part right then if you have it. This actually doesn’t take that long to check. TECH TIP: for your reference, keep a Sharpie with you and write down the date you changed the part on the inside of the cover. If you have come back to a unit that sparks your memory, this may help you with the elimination process to figure out if there is a bigger issue somewhere else.
4. Clean condenser coils- This is the tricky one. There are a lot of a/c units that are completely ignored when it comes to this task. Spend a day going around with a water house and coil cleaner just cleaning condenser coils. This will help the systems compressor work easier and allow the heat transfer to happen more efficiently. Just think of an HVAC system as the human body. The inside coil is your nose and the outside coil is your mouth-it’s impossible to breathe through just one, right?
5. Charge system properly- The most common call for an a/c is low refrigerant. It is also the #1 cause of compressor failure. By charging systems up correctly, you can avoid major component failure as well as being called out. Have a tech go inside and turn the systems on while someone else checks the charge.

By following the tips above, it will guarantee that your summer will be easier. And it will also save your company money and time for you to focus on keeping the other prospects of the property up. Take one building at a time and team up with someone to help you. You will be glad you did!!!

Happy Summer!!!!!

1. You arrive at work and assess the work order situation. You have 3 work orders for 3 different apartments. Without hesitation, you pull those keys.
2. A vendor comes in to the office and gets a key for an occupied apartment to paint an accent wall. You give them the keys.
3. The office then pulls a key to go and walk a unit for move in inspection walk before the new resident arrives. They take the keys.

That’s a lot of activity in and out of the key box before noon and there is still half the day to go. And although we are in the zone with what we have to do, it can slip our mind just how important it is to keep track of the keys. Whether they are thrown in a cup on the golf cart or put in our pocket or even handed off to someone else the bottom line is that whoever pulls the key owns it until it is put back in the correct place in the key box. So, with that in mind-are you comfortable not putting the key back yourself?

One continuous problem that seems to hinder the industry still is keys being thrown on a desk or even put on top or somewhere near the key box-not in it. No matter what position on the property you hold, it should be everyone’s main focus to make sure keys are handled with extreme care. If you stop for a second and think about it, we hold the keys to several hundred homes. If you were to put yourself in the residents shoes and mindset, think about your neighbor that you know real well and trust with the key to your home. No worries, right? Now think about the guy that lives near you that you really don’t know that well other than a wave in and out of work with a key to your place. Do you trust him with your key?

Regardless of how you rationalize the whole key control process, the liability of having keys out in the open and available for anyone who may walk by and grab it off of a desk or the golf cart can rock the apartment community. Once, when I was in charge of a property, we unfortunately walked in on a murder scene. We had to go check on someone who had not been heard from for several days. We had to unlock the door to get in. The first steps the police took were to eliminate the staff as suspects. Because we kept documentation of who checked the key out last and the date the locks were changed prior to her moving in, it eliminated several people very quickly. This is a situation that could happen at any time in the apartment industry. This is why it is important to always stay mindful of how much responsibility we hold when handling keys.

Although properties cannot always afford automatic key control systems, we can still manage our keys efficiently. Management companies nationwide have done a great job with background checks and are usually very careful of who is hired. If you took the entry to apartment equation out of it, we may not even need the background check. There are a few simple steps that can be taken to make sure keys are NEVER an issue at your property. Check with your management company’s policy and procedures first and adhere to their guidelines.

1. Documentation- Whenever a key is checked out, have a binder set up right by the key box for staff and vendors to sign keys in and out. This avoids any confusion as to who as the keys to what apartment. Also keep a log of whenever a lock is changed or re-keyed. You can down load a free lock control log in our preventative maintenance section of mymaintenanceshop.com. Automatic key control systems keeps track for you.
2. Create a vendor system- By now, a lot of the apartment community population is on a vendor system. A vendor system is where a bunch of locks are keyed alike and are put on the apartment during the turn and showing process. When turnover vendors come in, it is a good idea to take their drivers license to assure each they will return the key. By keeping vacant apartments on vendor locks until move in, it also helps office staff when they show an apartment not have to carry around a bunch of keys.
3. PUT IT BACK!-There is no doubt that everyone is busy. It can even seem like too busy even to put the key back in the box. But the worst mistake we can make is to leave it to where it can end up lost or even stolen.
4. Locked at all times- Every key box should have a lock on the box that only staff has the key to. It’s also a good idea to have the log book locked up as well in a separate place so it cannot be read by anyone but staff.
5. Minimize your keys-Try getting the keys you have for property operation down to a minimum amount. For example, you could probably get away 95% of the time with only 2 keys. This will give you 1 key for everything all staff has access to-office, closet doors, pumps rooms, shops, etc. and then 1 vendor key for all vacant apartments being turned or shown. Although Schneider was the “original gangster” of maintenance, it doesn’t make us look any more important for everyone to hear us coming!

Kicking off the new year with Organization

Everyone does it. Around this time of year as the year winds down we start making resolutions for the New Year. These are promises to ourselves that we will “stick to our guns” about getting better at something. Although only about 25% of resolutions stick, I often think about the resolutions I make for myself. I like to set goals for what I can accomplish personally, but every year I try to make at least one resolution that will affect me professionally. I try to see what will make me better this year at my job and stick to it. I think one of the hardest jobs we have when doing apartment maintenance is to stay organized. It’s hard to put that part back where it belongs or take time to sweep the floor in the shop when we are slammed.

But what if this was a promise we kept all year long? How much time will we save ourselves by taking the few minutes or so to stay organized. There are several things we can do this year to help us. They reach far beyond a clean shop. We need to stay organized for our residents too. Here are some ways to work smart, not hard.

1. Clean up!! Yep. Simple as that. Start the New Year off by getting your shops organized. The best way I have done this in the past has been to gut it-then put it back. That may not be how you decide to clean and organize but the goal is to get your shops in a position to where it is easy to get to and find your parts. By doing this, this will save you money by seeing exactly what parts you need for inventory. This is also helpful for any other shops and storage areas you have as well. Being this time of year is slower too, staying organized will make you more efficient when it starts to get busy is a couple months. Below is a general color code for your shop.

1. Plumbing-Blue
2. HVAC-Yellow
3. Electrical-Red
4. Painting-Black
5. Lighting- Orange
6. Appliances-White
7. Hardware-Brown

2.  Maintenance in the office- Another way to stay organized is to make it easy for the whole staff to access the work order area. Every office has a maintenance area where work orders and general maintenance items are stored. These areas are often cluttered as well with supplier catalogs, flyers and miscellaneous notes. A good way to organize is to make a couple of bins that either hang on the wall or sit on a desk that can be labeled for easy identification. Here are a couple ideas for your bins:

1. Work orders
2. Pending work orders
3. Completed work orders

By having these bins, it is easy for anyone on staff to see what could be going on. For example: if a resident calls and asks about the garbage disposal status, an office team member can look in the pending work order bin and see that there are notes saying that the disposal is on order. This will help everyone make their job easy.

3.  Follow a resident reach out program- A good way to stay on top of things is to follow up. This is extremely important to do in this industry. If you don’t have one already, create a program where you call residents back to make sure the work order that was called in was fixed correctly. This is good to do towards the end of the week. By doing so, it assures that if you have to go back for any reason, it can be handled by the weekend and avoid an after hours call. It will also show great customer service!!!

4.  Follow a preventative maintenance program- There is nothing more important than this step right here. By following a preventative maintenance program, you can catch a problem before it starts. This is not only critical to staying organized, but will also save so much time on the property. There are a few forms in our preventative maintenance section on the home page that can give you a start.

This is a good start to helping get a property organized. There are many other ways as well to making a property run smooth. Organization has to be at the top of the list or the time that is spent on the opposite side can really hurt a properties performance !!

Happy New Year !!!

But before we get to that point, let’s find out about mold and what it really is. When faced with a mold issue, it is very important to follow proper procedure from the very first call to the office. Check with your company guidelines and how the procedures are first but if you can’t find them, here is a general guideline of mold remediation and what it is.

What is Mold?

Mold is a type of fungus that grows on plants and fibers and is most often associated with damp, musty locations such as bathrooms, basements and attics. Mold travels through the air as tiny spores which like to make their home in wet areas, where they will breed. If mold is spotted, it’s best to nip it in the bud immediately lest it spread to other areas. It’s also a good indication of a moisture problem, which should be dealt with as soon as possible.

In addition to its unsightly appearance, mold can present a hazard to one’s health. It’s an allergen and an irritant. Someone who suffers from household allergies will no doubt have trouble breathing in homes with mold infestations. Eyes, ears, noses and throats can become irritated as well.

To eliminate mold, you’ll first need to eliminate the source. Find out how and where moisture is seeping into your home and deal with it accordingly. If the area where mold is found isn’t too large, the moisture problem can probably be tackled by the maintenance staff. If it’s a large area, covering ten square feet or more, the management company is well advised to contact his local environmental protection group for a recommendation. A professional who deals with mold regular basis will most likely need to be called in.

Signs of Mold

1. High Humidity
   If you live in an area with high humidity, then you should always be on the lookout for potential mold problems. Naturally, the outdoor humidity affects indoor humidity levels, creating a perfect environment for toxic mold growth.A relative humidity (RH) level of greater than 55% promotes the growth of mold and other fungi. Although relative humidity remains fairly consistent outdoors, it fluctuates drastically insideas a result of being altered by the artificial heating and cooling (i.e. climate control by the HVAC system).In which case, it is critical to closely monitor the relative humidity level in various parts of your home or building, since relative humidity can also vary from room to room.

   In addition to using humidity sensors to monitor the moisture level, you can also run dehumidifiers and employ other products and methods to control humidity in the home or building.

2. Water/Pipe Leaks
   Mold needs moisture in order to grow and thrive. Many mold problems originate as a result of some kind of water intrusion, especially those that are not resolved quickly. In which case, water and pipe leaks are common culprits, since they provide plenty of moisture, and are often undetectedfor days, months, or even years if minor enough.When leaks are discovered, appropriate steps are not normally takento minimize potential mold growth problems. It is advised to not take any shortcuts!!By the time they are discovered, it is often too late, since the mold will have had ample opportunity to grow in the same hard-to-find places where water leaks occur, such as in wall cavities and under sinks.
3. Flooding
   Mold problems are very common after flooding for obvious reasons (plenty of moisture which is conducive for mold growth). Plus, it usually requires several days or weeks to fully dry out the apartment or building once flooding occurs, giving colonies of black mold more than adequate time to become fully ingrained in these sections. It is extremely important to not only fix the leak, but to make sure it is dry to the bone.
4. Discoloration of Walls (Water Stains)
   Yellowish stains on walls and ceilings are a sign of excessive moisture. In more obvious cases, where mold growth may already be in full swing, the wall or ceiling may have a greenish, brownish, or blackishdiscoloration to it.You may also notice places where the paint is coming off due to moisture, or where it is “bowing” out.One way to check for mold growth is to move a medical grade, fluorescent tube (“black light”) around walls, ceilings, and even carpets while it is dark. A yellow glow is a sign of mold growth.

Correcting a Mold Problem

The first step when it comes to how to get rid of mold is to locate the source (or origin) of the mold. You will then need to prepare the area for the cleaning. Since mold spores can become airborne when they are dry, you will want to start by sealing off the area with plastic sheets and duct tape. This will prevent the spores form entering other areas of your home or office. You should also use a box fan to pull the air away from the mold infested area and direct it outdoors.

Once you have sealed the area, you will want to put on your goggles, gloves and respirator. Mix 1.25 – 1.5 cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water and place in a spray bottle. To begin black mold removal, spray the moldy area with a light mist of the bleach solution. This will moisten the mold and start killing the spores. This will also help prevent the mold form becoming airborne.

You should wait about 10 minutes, then proceed to remove black mold with brushes, simple detergent and water. Be careful not to mix the bleach solution with other caustic solutions. A regular dish detergent will do the trick. Once you’ve completed cleaning the area, make sure you allow the area to dry completely. The box fan will help do the trick. Dispose of the gloves, brushes and rags in heavy duty trash bags.

Always adhere to your companies specific policies and procedures they have in place when addressing a mold problem. Also remember to never say the word mold but use “moisture related problem”. This will help control the situation until it can be determined if mold really exists.

Let’s assume you are a new business owner with no employees, but are tired of never having any free time. (After all, isn’t that one of the reasons why you went into business for yourself?) So what do you do first? Are you sure you really need someone? Are you sure you are performing the duties you would like to hire someone else to do as efficiently as you could be? Perhaps all you need is some computer training to help automate some things that will cut some of your hours. Take some time to fully assess your needs. Here is a list of things to consider before placing that first Help Wanted ad.

• Review the job description of the position and duties you are hiring for.
• Estimate the time spent doing those duties. Could you hire a part-time employee?
• Analyze all of the costs and compare to your budget.
• Do you need a permanent employee or could you hire temporary help?
• Can you hire an independent contractor to do the work on project basis or for set number of hours?
• Finally, don’t forget to account for your time spent recruiting, interviewing, training, and supervising an employee. Make sure you really will have some spare time left over!

Advertising the position

There are many avenues in which you can advertise jobs. The Internet now offers a great opportunity to reach an otherwise inaccessible labor pool. The type of job will once again have some impact on where you place your ad.
Craigslist is usually the first place people start, but don’t forget about regional papers, and even statewide publications. And, what many employers do, put the position on the company web site. You can also use our web site (mymaintenanceshop.com) to post your open positions for free. We offer a unique matching process by using key words to match companies up with the right candidate. Another place to check is your local apartment association. Many associations have a jobs section as part of their web site.

Writing the ad

Always title the job ad with a descriptive title that will catch attention. You have to put the position in a good light, while at the same time remaining very honest about the company, the working environment, benefits, perks, etc. Focus the beginning of your ad on the highlights of the job that will be most attractive to candidates.

When writing the ad, use active, exciting words that are relative to the job. Make sure you don’t exaggerate! If there are any specific skills that are mandatory, list those clearly. To help “sell” the position, as well as the company, include information about the quality of the company, the work ethics, reward programs, opportunities for growth, challenge, fun, etc. Make it an ad for a job you would want to apply for yourself.

Broad descriptions versus detailed descriptions

This really depends on the type of position you are filling. Using broad descriptions may give you a greater selection and even help pull in some hidden pearls, but it will also be more time consuming to sort through the higher number of responses.

If you are hiring a technical person for a technical position then you’ll probably need to write a more detailed description. More specific skills such as 410-A certified, or CPO certified should be bulleted or otherwise highlighted.

If you are hiring a managerial person to oversee those technical positions then you’ll probably need to write a more general description that includes the types of problem-solving needed, the creativity involved, and the necessary people skills. In either case you need to focus the description on the functions the position includes.

Other professional services

If you really need to hire a top notch executive to help run part of your business then you may want to enlist the help of a professional headhunter. Corporate headhunters do all of the legwork and only bring the top candidates to you for interviews. Rather than waiting for candidates to come to them, they actively pursue the people they think would best suit their clients’ needs. These may be from competing companies, or completely different industries. It’s the active pursuit that makes headhunters so effective, but also expensive. Look for a firm that specializes in the type of position you need or industry you are in.

Employment agencies also can help you find good employees. While the majority of these agencies focus on clerical and support staff, there are some more specialized agencies that deal with technical positions, and management positions. Their fees are usually paid either by the employee, the hiring company, or both. The benefit of using this type of agency is the screening of employees before they are sent to you. You save time by interviewing only those applicants who are pre-qualified for the job.

Temporary agencies should not be confused with employment agencies. They work in a similar manner, but they pay the employee rather than your company paying the employee. Since temporary agencies are usually used for positions that are, well, temporary, it is often a smart step to take. You are relieved of the need to pay employee taxes and offer benefits. You simply pay an invoice sent by the temporary agency.

Screening applicants

Once you’ve advertised the position and have started getting some response, are you going to be reviewing resumes or asking applicants to fill out an application? You can do either, or both, just remember that the resume you are presented with includes only the information the applicant wants you to have. An application you ask them to fill out includes the information you want to have.
How do you really evaluate someone based on their resume or an application? Often, hirers find themselves comparing educational backgrounds and where the applicant grew up with their own experiences. Finding someone who went to the same high school or university you went to doesn’t mean you should give them greater consideration than someone who didn’t. Train yourself to be impartial to these types of things and you’ll be much more successful at hiring the right person for the job.

Reviewing resumes and experience

While an applicant’s educational background is important, it may not be the best barometer for their actual skills. Take, for example, someone with a CAMT certificate. Does that tell you anything about their skills? Probably not. Other certificates can also be misleading. For example, if a technician is CFC certified, it is just that-a certificate that says they are allowed to charge a/c units. Does this mean they can troubleshoot correctly?

When reviewing the applicant’s past work experience, look for information that will answer questions about:

• Their actual responsibilities, as opposed to what is implied by their title. (Does it fit that they were the Maintenance Supervisor, but didn’t have to take call?)
• Their duties, as opposed to what they state they were responsible for. (Do these jive with each other? Perhaps they supervised the person who performed the function, but haven’t had the experience of doing it themselves. For example, someone may manage a print shop without having ever run a printing press before.)
• Specific accomplishments such as goals met or exceeded, awards won, or special projects spearheaded.
• The length of time they held positions or titles. (Were they in a position long enough to have the experience under their belt that you need? Why did they leave that position?)
• The progression of their work experience. (Does their experience show increasing levels of skill and/or responsibility? Is there significant backtracking? Or, is there no real change in the level of the responsibility or job duties? This may indicate a lack of ambition or desire to achieve.)
• Unexplained gaps in the work history.

There are, of course, other questions you may be specifically trying to answer when you review resumes and applications, but these will get you started and lead you to those more specific questions and answers. Remember to make notes about any questions you have particularly about job changes, lack of advancement, etc.

Most importantly, make sure you stay within fair housing laws. Check them before hand to make sure you don’t break any. Good Luck !!

First, let’s clear the air and get to the bottom of why this change is happening. But more importantly, let’s take the necessary steps to prevent premature replacement of units. Here is the information you need to understand the new refrigerant, why the changes are being made, and what tools you will need to tackle replacement efficiently.

History of R-410A

Since 1985 it’s been well documented that the ozone layer surrounding the earth has been diminishing. Scientific evidence suggests man-made chemicals are responsible for creating the hole in the ozone layer and that they’re likely to add to global ozone depletion.

Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) have been used in many products which take advantages of their physical properties. For example, Chloro Fluoro Carbons (CFC’s), have commonly been used as aerosol propellants and refrigerants.

However, since highlighting that the chlorine in CFC’s attributes to the demise of the ozone layer, the ‘Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer’ was negotiated and signed by 24 countries and the European Union in 1987. The protocol calls for all parties to scale down the use of CFC’s, halons and other man-made ODS.

Why R410A?

R410A is a type of refrigerant – a liquid coolant that makes air conditioning possible. R410A was developed as an alternative to R22 (Freon), which will be phased out over the coming years in response to international environmental concerns.

R410A contains no chlorine, so it’s not damaging to the atmosphere’s ozone layer. As an added benefit, independent testing have shown that R410A allows higher heat transfer than R22, resulting in more efficient operation. So choosing an air conditioner with R410A not only makes sense environmentally – it also makes sense from an economic standpoint.

The Essentials of R-410A

Technicians with R-22 experience will need to become familiar with working with high and low side pressures that are much higher when using R-410A. A typical R-22 system operating normally with a head pressure of 260 psig at a 120-degree condensing temperature and a low side pressure of 76 psig at a 45-degree evaporator saturation temperature will find the equivalent pressures in an R-410A system to be much higher.

A normally operating R-410A system with the same condensing temperature of 120 degrees and a 45 degree evaporator saturation temperature will have a high side pressure of 418 psig and a low side pressure of 130 psig.

Although refrigerant 410A is a near-azeotrope and has a slight temperature glide, there is no need to correct for refrigerant dew point and bubble point differences. Superheat and sub cooling calculations can be calculated the same way we have always done with R-22 refrigerant. The only difference will be the higher pressure-temperature relationship when reading the temperature-pressure chart. The temperature glide for R-410A is only .3 degrees Fahrenheit and can be ignored and fractionation is not a concern.

Compression Ratio & System Efficiency

At first glance, one might ask the question, with 410A operating at higher pressures are the compression ratio higher and the efficiency less? The answer is no, the compression ratio is about the same or slightly lower than that of R-22 and the efficiency is higher. Compression ratio is the absolute high side pressure divided by the absolute low side pressure. The compression ratio is affected by the pressure differential between the high and low sides of the system not how high both pressures are. Using the previous examples comparing the operating pressures of an R-22 system to an R-410A system, the R-22 system would have a compression ratio of 3.02:1, while the R-410A system would have a compression ratio of 2.98:1. The actual efficiency gains from R-410A are due to its superior thermodynamic values over R-22. Under identical operating conditions the discharge temperature on a 410A system may actually be lower than on an R-22 system.

With all else being equal, it is possible to manufacture an R-410A air conditioning system that is physically smaller using less refrigerant and a smaller compressor than an R-22 system of the same capacity and SEER rating.

Compressors

Compressors used on 410A air conditioners use thicker metals to withstand the higher operating pressures. Therefore, only a compressor designed for 410A should be used with 410A. The ideal compressor type for use with 410A is a scroll built to withstand the higher pressures. The scroll compressor has the advantage over the reciprocating compressor when comparing volumetric efficiencies and internal heat transfer losses between the suction and discharge ports. Scroll compressors compress the refrigerant in stages through the use of up to six individual pockets in its scroll assembly while reciprocating compressors raise the pressure from the suction pressure to the high side pressure in a single stroke. In addition, the scroll compressor’s suction and discharge openings are farther apart than those in a reciprocating compressor thus decreasing heat transfer losses between the suction and discharge ports.

The internal pressure relief valves inside the compressor opens at a pressure between 550 & 625 psig on compressors designed for R-410A service. Compressors designed for R-22 service have internal pressure relief valve settings that open between 375 & 450 psig. So only compressors rated to work with R-22 should be used with R-22 and those rated for use with R-410A used with R-410A.

Metering Devices

The metering device used in a 410A system must be about 15% smaller in capacity as opposed to a metering device used in an R-22 system of the same capacity. It is imperative that only a metering device designed and properly sized for R-410A be used on an R-410A system. In fact, no parts designed for R-22 use should be used on a 410A system.

Refrigerant Lines

Refrigerant lines used for R-410A must be properly sized for R-410A systems. It is possible to use existing refrigerant lines from an R-22 system in an R-410A system installation if they are of the correct size however, they must be cleaned of all debris and oil. This process is done with nitrogen and a flush kit. The minimum size lines that can be used are 5/8 suction and 3/8 liquid. The best practice is to replace the lines with new copper liquid and suction lines to ensure they are clean and do not have any weak areas that could be a problem at the higher operating pressures of 410A. Once lines are brazed in, a vacuum must be pulled down to 500 microns. This is a much deeper vacuum requirement then R-22 and must be measured with a micron gauge.

Driers & System Accessories

The desiccants used in R-410A systems are the same as those used for most other refrigerants. Zeolites, molecular sieve type desiccants work on the principle of a material with small pockets or areas that adsorb moisture by the process of capillary action. This type of desiccant seems to work well with all modern refrigerants including R-410A. The metal shell containing the filter-drier however, must be thicker to withstand the higher pressures of 410A. Therefore, only use filter-driers rated for use on R-410A. R-410A filter-driers are those rated for pressures no less than 600 psig.

R410A- The Refrigerant of Tomorrow

Many of new heat pump and air conditioners today use the EPA recognized, chlorine free R410A refrigerant. Because of R410A contains no chlorine, its ozone responsible. R410A is better for use in higher efficiency equipment because of the greater heat transfer rate than R22. Using R410A refrigerant in your next systems not only makes sense environmentally, it can also help you with energy cost savings.

The Current Standard of R22 Freon

Acting in accordance with an international treaty called the Montreal Protocol; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated the eventual phase out of R22 through the Clean Air Act. By January 1st, 2010, the manufacturing of heating and cooling equipment using R22 will be prohibited. By 2015, a 90% decrease in production of R22 refrigerant will occur and by 2020 the production of R22 Freon itself must cease. The main reason for this regulatory action is that R22 is a hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) compound, which contains ozone-depleting chlorine.

Preventative Maintenance

It seems that the industry has focused a lot on what to do about the replacement instead of how to efficiently take care of existing equipment. Filter changes and cleaning evaporator coils are common items to take care of but what is being done about the outdoor unit? We are bogged down with tasks that take us away from completing a full tune up but take these steps in March/April and you will cut down your work orders and after hours calls by 50% !

1. Clean the condenser coils all at once. Take a day and go around to each building and spray coil cleaner on all units and then rinse them off with a water hose. What this does:Keeps your head pressure down and allow the outdoor coil to absorb more heat from inside and keeps heat transfer efficient. It also makes the amp draw go down on the condenser motor keeping the fan from burning up.
2. Check all mechanical parts inside the unit. Check the contactor to make sure it is not burned up. Check the capacitor by testing the microfared reading to ensure it is not weak and will quit on you soon. What this does:The contactor allow the voltage to pass through to the unit and make it run. The capacitor alternates current through the fan and the compressor. Think of a battery on a car. Without it-the unit doesn’t run.
3. Check amp draw on the fan and the compressor. On the data plate, there are specific readings for each part. The compressor will have a running load amps (RLA) and a lock rotor amps (LRA). The running load amps are the amps that are being pulled while the compressor is running. You should never exceed the number on the data plate. The lock rotor amps are the amps it takes to start the compressor. This rating will be extremely higher than the running load amps. Try not to get them mixed up or you can drive yourself crazy. What this does:This will enable the technician to be proactive and catch a bad part before it actually goes bad.
4. Check the charge. This is a common task done and a property can go through quite a bit of Freon in a summer. Add the correct amount needed to get the resident cooling. If you notice a leak, make a note of it. Once you get caught up, go back and try to find the leak. What this does:By finding and fixing the leak, you are not only saving yourself time on a call back for Freon, but you are saving the compressor. When a system is low on Freon, the amp draw goes up on the compressor and wears out the windings. Low refrigerant is the number one cause of compressor failure!