Air Conditioning Inspections Part 4: What will be in the report?

As seen in part 3 of our air conditioning inspection series, property owners may often expect more from an air conditioning inspection that it actually provides. Following EU directives and initiatives related to sustainability and efficiency; regulations focusing on the future of Europe and the newer generations. What an air conditioning inspection will not do is inspect the safety and installation; that will require a separate inspection. However the primary inspection is required by law.

What will I see in my air conditioning inspection report?

• The name of your inspector
• The date of the inspection
• The name of the accreditation that the inspector has
• The name and address of the company the inspector works for, such as BPM Maintenance.
• The address of the building containing the air conditioning system inspected.
• Areas of the building served by the air conditioning system.
• Specification of the air conditioning system.

What will the report assess?

• Temperature control
• Time control
• Maintenance regime
• Controls & sensors
• Metering
• Loads

How will it assess these features?

The air conditioning inspection report will provide assessments detailing the effectiveness of the system and how it could be improved in cost effectiveness and energy efficiency. Methods to achieve this may include changing how the controls are used, times the system is on for, cleaning and repairs that may improve efficiency.

 The inspector will not carry out any of the recommendations that he gives, such as cleaning or changes to controls as this may pose some form of risk to his safety. If the inspector has the competence, skills and qualifications to do the work, and offers the service, then the inspector may carry out this work. However this would not be in any way connected to the inspection and must be arranged as a separate job.

As the inspection does not cover the actual maintenance or installation of the air conditioning system; it is often the case that the changes are simple, especially for issues such as the controls or time the system is active for. Therefore the building manager or administrator may be able to make the changes personally, during the inspection.

BPM Maintenance is a property maintenance company located in Bath that offers air conditioning installation and maintenance, as well as roofing, plumbing, electrical and many other services.

Plymouth Student Union Letting Agency

Quite an interesting piece of news from the Plymouth Herald; the University of Plymouth Student Union has set up their own letting agency in response to the high number of problems their students have had with accommodation. The service is designed to focus on maintaining good conditions in the properties and improving student quality of life. The student formed agency also has its own property maintenance programme to promptly solve any problems that do arise.

Personally, I think this is a great idea and it takes straight after organisations such as the Cardiff Student Union letting agency which recently won an award from the London Times.

Here are some of the advantages we at BPM Maintenance can see in the scheme:

• The student union agency offers a very reasonable service to students with no agency fees, which can run into hundreds of pounds with an independent agency. 
• The strong links with the university give students peace of mind; knowing that their accommodation is in the hands of people who have their best interests at heart, rather than pursuing profit.
• Offers an alternative to existing organisations such as Unite, which provide pseudo halls of residence that may not appeal to all types of student.
• Material and information supplied is tailored for the students of that university rather than students or clients in general.
• Student union services such as this provide excellent work experience for then university students organising it.

Some possible downsides:

• The service may provide excellent experience for the students, as they will likely have very little relevant existing experience in the field. This may lead to mistakes and error which are part of the natural learning process, but could be detrimental to an already vulnerable sector (finance wise).
• High staff turnover due to the organisation being run by students; unable for individuals to build long standing relationships with landlords in the area and gain associated knowledge of properties for long.
• Students combining letting work with studies could lead to low quality.