Ongoing building maintenance is a vital component of facilities management. Many building systems, such as fire alarms, pose danger to life if they are faulty.
Conducting regular building maintenance checks helps to ensure all electrical and mechanical systems within a building are operating to the expected standards (which in many instances, may also be a legal requirement too). External contractors and M&E engineers can offer this service to help ensure the checks meet regulatory standards and that all systems don’t present serious issues or ramifications for building owners or businesses.
Finding faults early can also save significant money by avoiding costly repair bills down the line. For example, signs of corrosion on a pipe may not sound urgent, but if this leads to the pipe bursting, it could cause all sorts of damage within a building, with much higher repair bills than just replacing the pipe in the first place.
In this article, we delve into some common systems that are likely to feature in any building maintenance checklist. For help creating a bespoke and thorough process for checking your electrical and mechanical systems, get in touch with our expert team here at MFM. We carry out a wide range of heating, air conditioning, ventilation, electrical and plumbing services and maintenance on a wide range of properties.
Building Maintenance Services Checklist
HVAC
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems help to create comfortable working environments. They maintain the desired temperature, whilst reducing impurities in the air. If these systems break or become faulty, it can lead to buildings being unusable and even dangerous.
Throughout the year, debris and dirt can sometimes clog these systems and filters may need cleaning. Components may come with recommendations on how often they should be replaced too. Sometimes just a quick clean is all that’s required, but there could also be issues with the electrical parts of the system or the pipework which could be more serious. It’s common to check the HVAC system in Spring and Autumn, ensuring if any repairs are required, it happens in milder conditions and avoids potential closure to the building. The last thing you want to discover is that the heating is broken in the middle of winter!
Plumbing
Proactively inspecting plumbing systems can help avoid disruptive blockages and burst pipes.
Plumbing checks will often include visual assessments of pipes to ensure there is no corrosion, cracks or leaks, as well as checking for tell-tale signs of problems, such as low pressure.
Fire
Fire systems need to meet specific safety standards to ensure they are fit for purpose. For any sort of commercial building, facilities managers need to feel confident that these systems are operating as they should.
Regular checks and ongoing maintenance services help to keep these systems compliant and aligned with regulations such as British Standard BS 5839.
Here at MFM, we can provide specialist BAFE SP203 accredited management of your systems via our sub-contractor specialists. As well as system maintenance, our solutions include system design, installation, commissioning, and handover.
Security
From access control, to CCTV, these systems play an integral role in keeping people and assets safe.
Ongoing maintenance helps you get the most out of these systems and regular checks can ensure there are no issues that could pose a security threat to the building or business. For large commercial premises, a technical glitch with an access control system, for example, would likely lead to operational disruption.
Roofing
Roofing that is exposed to the elements can often experience wear and tear over a year. For example, tiles may become loose, or fascia boards could crack, which if left ignored for long periods can create significant issues internally. At the very least, such concerns can create moisture problems, which could lead to damp or even damage to equipment/systems within the building.
Regular checks can help identify if any issues are present. Fixing them as soon as possible can also help avoid more serious structural repairs being necessary.
Power Installations
Any sort of power installation, regardless of size, will need regular inspection and maintenance. From boilers to larger power generators, these systems can pose serious risks if faulty or damaged.
Here at MFM, all our accredited engineers can provide installations and maintenance work that meets required standards.
Building Maintenance Services from MFM Group
In order for your electrical installations to comply with the current issue of BS7671, your premises are required to be periodically inspected and tested at regular intervals. MFM is an ECA registered and NICEIC accredited company able to provide a complete electrical service.
Alongside a whole host of facilities management services, the team here at MFM can advise and assist in testing your electrical distribution system without the need to de-energise and without the need to carry out costly ‘out of hours’ testing.
All our tests and ongoing checks help highlight the working efficiency of any system, including any potential issues that need addressing. From large commercial units to unique listed building, our experience and expertise means we can ensure you get the most from your M&E systems.
Planned maintenance schedules enable us to regularly use our expertise to identify potential future issues and prevent them from occurring, significantly reducing the chances of mechanical or electrical breakdown. In the rare event that installations have suffered a sudden fault or complete breakdowns, our team of highly skilled engineers react quickly to find the issue and implement both short and long-term solutions.
Our team can also help direct facilities management strategy and provide consultancy on how to make the most out of existing systems and recommendations on new designs/systems. Our experience in the industry means we are perfectly positioned to help you take advantage of the very best M&E technology to meet your requirements. We work closely with you to ensure any systems meet your budget and solve your challenges, helping to provide an encompassing facilities management service.
To learn more about all our services, simply get in touch with our team today.