ACMO Blog

7 Off-Season Pro Tips to Prep for Heating Season

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Now’s the time to prep your building for a more efficient heating season, says long-time Enbridge Gas Energy Solutions Advisor, Carmine Faiella. Use these pro tips as your checklist for reducing energy use and costs, heating more efficiently and keeping residents cosy for less. 

1. Get a walkthrough or energy assessment 
The off-season is a great time to do a building walkthrough, and/or have an energy assessment completed by a service provider. These are effective ways to hone in on areas of concern or opportunities to improve energy efficiency. The report can inform you of the state of your boiler plant and help you determine what can be done to maintain a stable, efficient working boiler plant for this heating season and beyond. 

2. Boost boiler performance 
Preventative maintenance is crucial to commercial boiler optimization and it’s easier to service this equipment before the heating season starts. Maintenance helps boilers last longer and reduces the likelihood of a breakdown when heating is critical in colder months, giving you peace of mind. Routine maintenance includes venting, combustion air, gas supply piping and/or filtration, water quality and piping, controls and more.

3. Address last season’s issues
Last winter, did you notice heating issues such as irregular temperatures or boilers running extended periods to provide necessary heat? If so, the off-season is the best time to execute any necessary upgrades to mechanical systems—once the heat has to come on, it can be more challenging to implement improvements. 

4. Clean rooftop make-up air units and air handling units  
The best time to do this is when it’s not snowing! This includes cleaning of filters, evaporator coils and condenser coils to ensure optimal performance and that good indoor air quality is maintained. Some buildings actually do this two or three times a year, especially if there’s lots of construction in the area because these units are sucking up everything and that’s going to affect the air quality in your lobbies, hallways and so on.

5. Decalcify heat exchangers 
In the off-season, have heat exchangers inspected for calcification and sediment buildup: too much of these substances will compromise the heat exchangers’ performance and cost you more in higher energy use.   

6. Calibrate set points 
Ensure temperature set points and control strategies are ideal, so you’re not heating areas that don’t need to be heated. I’ve seen overheated hallways, fans running at near-capacity (even overnight) and other energy-wasters. We offer incentives for sensors, controls and other technologies that allow you to set more precise operating schedules that save natural gas.

7. Check your neutralizer 
For high-efficiency boilers, it’s important to ensure the neutralizers are working correctly and determine if they need to be replaced. They don’t last forever! If they’re maintained, they provide longevity to the boiler. Neutralizers also prevent acidic condensate from going down the drain, which helps the environment. Twice a year would be ideal for this, but even once a year is good.

BONUS TIP! 
Planning heating upgrades this year? Take Carmine’s advice: If you’re considering a retrofit, it’s best to schedule it now, as greater lead times are required for projects because of COVID-19. Don’t wait until boilers burn out—take a proactive approach. If you have an ageing boiler plant, we recommend looking at high-efficiency or condensing boilers for energy and bill savings, improved comfort and lower GHG emissions. We can help you get it done.

Get expert advice to lower your natural gas costs.

Contact an Energy Solutions Advisor to see how we can help you reach your goals.