Tag: HVAC

Back to Basics: Understanding Building Codes

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. As the International Code Council (ICC) celebrates Building Safety Month in May, facilities professionals should understand the importance of constructing and maintaining safe and sustainable structures that follow constantly updated applicable building codes.   These changes […]

Survey Finds Mass Adoption of Smart Building Tech, Gap in Data Analytics

A new survey reveals that while many U.S. businesses are embracing smart building technology to increase energy efficiency and lower costs, they may fall short of their goals due to an inability to master the data. Toggled, a building management solutions company and wholly owned subsidiary of Altair, recently surveyed more than 500 U.S. facility decision-makers throughout […]

CDC: Aim for 5 Air Changes Per Hour in Buildings

On May 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its “Ventilation in Buildings” guidelines to include a discussion on “How much ventilation is enough?” to help prevent airborne disease transmission. “When possible, aim for 5 or more air changes per hour (ACH) of clean air to help reduce the number of germs […]

Springtime Cleaning Tips for HVAC Coils

With warmer weather on its way, now is the ideal time for facilities to add coil cleaning to the spring-cleaning checklist. Conducting maintenance helps to ensure that HVAC systems are operating efficiently, and clean coils are a large contributor to keeping equipment running smoothly. “Effectively cleaning your coils can have a big impact on reducing […]

It’s Time to Tackle Building Efficiency 

We’ve seen emissions rebound after dropping during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Transport has the highest reliance on fossil fuels, accounting for 37% of CO2 emissions from end-use sectors in 2021, while building operations accounted for 27% of total energy sector emissions (8% direct emissions and 19% indirect emissions from electricity production and heat use). […]

How the CSU Facilities Management Team Is Handling Supply Chain Issues

Remember the shortage of toilet paper during the pandemic and, more recently, the shortage of eggs in grocery stores? Facilities Management leaders at Colorado State University (CSU) say they are still feeling those same effects—but for different products. They are seeing supply chain issues and worker shortages causing longer wait times when trying to acquire […]

7 Steps for Troubleshooting Commercial Pumps

There’s a wide variety of possible scenarios that may require a service technician, facilities manager, or manufacturer’s rep to troubleshoot a commercial pump. Regardless of the circumstances, using a methodical approach is best when diagnosing a pumping problem. At Taco Comfort Solutions, we’ve found that 80% to 90% of the calls we receive about commercial “pump […]

Faces of Facilities: Darin Rose from the Credit Union of Colorado

Darin Rose, a 30-year facilities management veteran and esteemed IFMA Fellow, has a lot of advice to offer industry professionals. Like many leaders, he has overcome career challenges and found success. And like any great leader, he wants to help others succeed. Rose currently serves as the director of facility services for the Credit Union […]

The Surprising Connection Between Cholesterol and Electricity—and What It Means for Facilities

For many people, the term “cholesterol” is associated with serious health issues such as heart problems, clogging of the arteries, and stroke. But doctors will tell you that not all cholesterol is created equal. HDL, high-density lipoprotein, is considered by doctors today to be “good” cholesterol, while LDL, low-density lipoprotein, is “bad.” It took doctors […]

Maximizing Indoor Air Quality: A Guide to Effective Air Conditioning

With many of us now choosing to work from home, the onus has been placed on businesses to improve working environments if they want staff to come into the workplace more often than not. Companies of all sizes need to think about the little things that they can do to have a positive impact on […]