Specifying a maintenance package with DA19

The DA19 user guide is designed to assist building owners and managers in better understanding the steps they need to take to use DA19 to specify their maintenance needs. Steps 1 to 6 outline how to use DA19 to develop a scheduled maintenance specification for your heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) assets, aligning with your maintenance duties and objectives and enabling you to define a building- or facility-specific HVAC&R maintenance package for competitive tendering. Step 7 highlights information on the further journey towards applying performance- or outcomes-based maintenance to your HVAC&R assets.

maintenance
objectives

Define your overall maintenance objectives.

  • Compliance requirements and WHS duties
  • Short-term and long-term financial or organisational objectives
  • Budget allocation to reflect objectives.
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maintenance
objectives

What do you want from maintenance?
Do you have compliance requirements, WHS duties, short- or long-term financial and organisational objectives? Maintenance should be planned, procured and delivered to achieve the owner’s stated objectives.

These can include:

  • Return on maintenance investment/asset protection and enhancement
  • Legal compliance/health and safety
  • Risk management/cost limitations
  • Building sustainability/indoor environment quality
  • Marketing/corporate image.

The budget allocated to funding maintenance should reflect the stated maintenance objectives.

Compliance with the law and associated statutory regulations applying to building or system maintenance is the minimum maintenance requirement that must be satisfied. Legal penalties apply for building owners and operators. Certification may be necessary to verify that maintenance obligations are being met. Specific legal requirements regarding the maintenance of HVAC&R systems can vary from state to state (and territory) in Australia.

Identify and
understand

Identify and understand your HVAC&R assets.

  • What and where are your HVAC&R assets – heating, cooling, refrigeration, fire safety?
  • What assets have compliance, safety, energy or environmental impacts?
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Identify your
HVAC&R assets

What, how many, and where are your HVAC&R assets?
Create an asset register for your systems (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, smoke control) and major components (fans, pumps, boilers, chillers, filters, cooling towers, package air conditioners.)

Identify every piece of HVAC&R plant and equipment on an asset register. Tag plant electronically to keep information up-to-date using bar codes, smart tags or scan codes.

Don’t forget the controls; maintenance of sensors, actuators, and DDC or BMCS controllers is essential.

Typical HVAC&R Assets

Heating – Reverse-cycle air conditioning, heating hot water, ducted heating

Ventilation – Supply, exhaust (bathrooms, kitchens, carparks, garbage)

Air conditioning – Central, distributed, rooftop, split systems, chilled beams

Refrigeration – Cool rooms, cold rooms, refrigerators, freezers, plant rooms

Fire safety – Fire dampers, smoke control systems, fire mode controls

Major components – Chillers, boilers, cooling towers, fans, pumps, control systems

Assign a
criticality

Assign a criticality to each asset.

  • Can your business or building operate successfully without this asset?
  • What happens when it breaks down?
  • Does it consume a lot of energy or water?
  • Are there WHS risks?
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Assign a
criticality

Assign a Criticality Risk Rating to each HVAC&R asset. Can your business or building live without this asset? What happens when it breaks down? Does it consume a lot of energy or water? Does it pose a potential safety risk? Does it affect your business?

This assessment is mostly about organisational and personal risks: financial income risks, WHS risks and public health risks.

Criticality risk rating = criticality/risk of HVAC&R services to the core business of the organisation.

Examples of enterprise critical HVAC&R services include:

  • Cooling and air conditioning systems serving critical data centre and ICT processing functions
  • Mechanical and HVAC plant and systems serving critical or acute care areas in hospitals
  • Cooling systems in commercial building lift motor rooms or PABX/communications rooms.

Ventilation and air conditioning systems may also be designated as critical to continued building operations (ventilation or indoor air temperature), although longer downtimes can often be tolerated.

Refrigeration systems may be designated as critical, based on the nature or value of the service.

Select a
maintenance
strategy

Select a maintenance strategy foreach asset (in light of steps 1 to 3).

  • Assign a strategy for each asset
  • Critical assets should be best practice
  • Other assets will be good or best practice depending on objectives.
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Select a maintenance strategy

Select a maintenance strategy for each HVAC&R asset, in light of the decisions you have made in steps 1 to 3. Because of differing risk and criticality assessments, it is unlikely that a single maintenance strategy will be applicable to all of the HVAC&R assets within your building. DA19 allows for three levels of scheduled maintenance; best practice Level A, good practice Level B or compliance Level C maintenance. All assets should receive a minimum of compliance Level C maintenance. Critical assets should receive best practice Level A. Other assets should receive good practice Level B or best practice Level A, depending on the objectives.

MAINTENANCE MINDSETS
Proactive or Reactive?

MAINTENANCE MINDSETS
Reactive or Proactive?

EXAMPLE – ASSIGNING MAINTENANCE STRATEGY TO HVAC&R SYSTEMS

HVAC&R asset Criticality Reason Maintenance strategy
Refrigerant chiller Critical Serves critical process
Contains > practical limit flammable refrigerant
Energy use > X kJ
PdM
Kitchen exhaust High risk Potential fire risk
Potential odour complaints
PM – Level A
Air conditioning system Critical Outdoor air ventilation
(for occupation)
Energy use > Y kJ
PM – Level A PdM
Toilet exhaust Standard Non-critical, natural alternative PM – Level B
Split air conditioner Standard Non-critical, natural alternative PM – Level B

LAYOUT OF A TYPICAL DA19 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Action Frequency (m) Explanation
Maintenance level
A B C

DA19 scheduled maintenance tender documentation needs to define the maintenance level to be applied to each system or item of plant – best practice Level A, good practice Level B, or minimum compliance practice Level C. From this, DA19 provides detailed maintenance schedules with instructions and specified maintenance task frequencies.

GOOD PRACTICE VERSUS BEST PRACTICE MAINTENANCE

Compliance Level Maintenance

  • Scheduled compliance maintenance
  • Breakdown maintenance
  • Systems are maintained to protect health and safety of the community health and safety risks are controlled
  • Owner’s liabilities are managed
  • High probability of insurance conditions being met
  • Poor NABERS Energy rating
  • Frequent breakdowns, occupants significantly disrupted
  • Accelerated deterioration of equipment leads to high CapEx
  • Maintenance costs are elevated without up-to-date system documentation and knowledge bank
  • Asset condition in accelerated decline
  • Asset value in decline; high lifecycle cost
Good Practice
Maintenance

  • Scheduled compliance maintenance

  • Scheduled preventative maintenance

  • Limited condition-based maintenance

  • Infrequent diagnostic review

  • Breakdown maintenance

  • Health and safety risks controlled, owner’s liabilities are managed, high probability of insurance conditions being met

  • NABERS rating competitive, but declines as equipment ages

  • Infrequent breakdowns, occupants generally satisfied

  • CapEx managed via lifecycle audits

  • Drawings and equipment records are kept up-to-date, in owner’s control, costly recurrent audits required to identify system condition and status

  • Asset condition commensurate with system age

  • Asset value decline in line with age of equipment; moderate lifecycle cost

Best Practice
Maintenance

  • Team-based maintenance

  • Scheduled compliance maintenance

  • Risk-based scheduled
    preventative maintenance

  • Scheduled performance maintenance, system recommissioning

  • Condition-based maintenance

  • High-frequency diagnostics

  • Team-based continuous improvement

  • Breakdown maintenance (low risk only)

  • Health and safety risks controlled, owner’s liabilities are managed, high probability of insurance conditions being met

  • NABERS rating maintained or improved

  • Breakdowns are rare, occupants informed and forgiving

  • CapEx optimised on extended equipment life

  • Drawings and equipment records are kept up-to-date, in owner’s control

  • Audits unnecessary

  • Asset condition improves through the duration of the maintenance agreement

  • Asset value maintained/enhanced; lowest total lifecycle cost

tender
package

Put a tender package together.

  • Document your maintenance
    requirement using DA19
  • Identify each system, the objective,
    and the strategy.
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tender
package

Document your maintenance requirement using DA19.

  • (bullet) Put a tender package together, listing the system or HVAC&R asset, with the objective and the selected scheduled maintenance level
  • Talk to service providers in terms of systems; they will break scheduled maintenance tasking down into component level in accordance with DA19 procedures.

EXAMPLE
Documenting DA19 scheduled maintenance requirements for HVAC&R systems

HVAC&R asset Objective Criticality rating DA19 maintenance level
Air cooled chiller Asset protection, risk and compliance, energy and NABERS Reliability – serves critical process
Health and safety – refrigerant compliance
Efficiency – high energy use > X kJ
Level A and C
Kitchen exhaust Risk and compliance Health and safety – potential fire risk
Health and safety – potential odour complaints
Level A and C
Air conditioning system Asset protection
and compliance
Reliability – serves operational staff area Health – outdoor air ventilation

Safety – fire dampers and smoke controls

Efficiency – medium energy use > Y kJ

Level B and C
Toilet exhaust Standard Non-critical, natural alternative, no compliance Level B

Split-system air conditioner

Standard Non-critical, natural alternative, no compliance Level B

tender
quote

Seek a tender quote.

  • Hand the tender package over to
    HVAC&R maintenance companies
    for a competitive tender quote.
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tender
quote

Issue maintenance tender package for a competitive tender – you now have enough information to hand over to a HVAC&R maintenance company for a competitive tender or quote on your specific maintenance specification.

In any maintenance program, detailed maintenance instructions for all HVAC&R assets need to be compiled. DA19 provides detailed maintenance schedules with instructions and specified maintenance frequencies (Level A, B or C). The scheduled maintenance program for HVAC&R assets is developed from an amalgamation of all the individual DA19 maintenance schedules and task instructions to create a facility-wide systems approach to maintenance delivery.

Maintenance Budget

Lowest price is not the best criteria on which to assess competitive maintenance tenders.

The best way for owners and managers to optimise maintenance outcomes and expenditure is to enter into a long-term partnership with a maintenance service company and agree on a best-practice approach to maintenance – including agreed maintenance performance standards.

THE MAINTENANCE PARTNERSHIP

Role of FM in maintenance

The facility manager acts on behalf of the owner or demand organisation to ensure
that the building and its systems are functioning optimally.

Managers need to respond to complaints quickly and efficiently and drive the maintenance process. They may also:

  • Provide the link between system maintainers and building tenants and occupants
  • Often act in a supervisory role for maintenance staff and contractors
  • Maintain documentation such as the asset register and operating and maintenance manuals

  • Monitor, meter, record and report system performance, ensuring that performance data is available to relevant maintenance team participants

  • Communicate maintenance issues and resolve access issues
  • Report on the maintenance effectiveness and arrange for the periodic review of maintenance plans and procedures.

Successful maintenance management relies on the ongoing commitment of managers to maintenance planning, maintenance funding and user education.

 

Selecting a maintenance provider

The selection of the maintenance service provider is the key to satisfactory maintenance, which will result in reliable plant performance, good plant life and reasonable expenditure.

Lowest tender price is the least appropriate way to select a service provider. Value for money should be the determining factor.

The ideal situation is where the demand organisation (client) and maintenance service provider establish a partnering relationship, recognising that the service provider needs to make a profit and the client needs to contain the costs.

A potential service provider should have the following attributes:

  • Competent, committed and well-trained technicians
  • Appropriate licences, insurances and accreditation
  • Appropriate level of resources
  • Efficient and accurate maintenance management system
  • Informative reporting system
  • Accurate and timely invoicing
  • Economical and reliable after-hours service
  • Quality, environmental and safety management systems

performance-based
maintenance

Secure a performance-based maintenance arrangement.

  • Now you know what you want from maintenance, you have the opportunity to enter into a performance-based maintenance arrangement with your maintenance provider.
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performance-based
maintenance

Moving to performance-based maintenance

A performance-based maintenance regime applies an optimum mix of different maintenance approaches (preventative and predictive), based on risk, costs and consequences. Establishing the appropriate mix and focusing on continuous improvement are equally important in a performance-based maintenance strategy.

A performance-based maintenance delivery model requires a longer-term commitment from both parties as significant effort is required to get the processes matched to the outcomes.

Prescriptive or performance maintenance mindset – task versus outcome focus

It is best practice for owners to recognise the partnership and teamwork that must exist with HVAC&R maintainers (and possibly other specialist trades such as BMCS specialists) in order for the objectives of the maintenance program to be met. This requires clear communication of the objectives, how they will be measured and the frequency of measurement. Ideally, a series of lead and lag indicators will be used to guide the performance of maintenance, so that there is a high probability of the objectives being achieved.

See the suggested examples of potential lead and lag indicator measures that owners could use to target the outcomes that meet their objectives for the maintenance performance standards of HVAC&R asset maintenance in a commercial building. Please note: measures and frequencies are suggestions only.

Maintenance, performance and digitisation

Another issue to consider is how digital information technology can be leveraged to generate improved maintenance outcomes in a performance-based approach. Applying digital solutions to maintenance planning, delivery and assessment is called smart maintenance in DA19.

Smart maintenance is a digital transformation strategy based on new technologies that capture data, automate tasks and free up human resources. Not all maintenance functions can be digitised, so smart maintenance uses digital intelligence to reduce the number of technician site visits while delivering superior service.

OUTCOME COMPLIANCE HEALTH AND SAFETY
LEAD INDICATOR MEASURE Monthly – compliance tasks completed to schedule Monthly – owners safety inductions up-to-date for all personnel; safe work management plan up-to-date

Tool box talks held to schedule

LAG INDICATOR MEASURE Annual – compliance statement Monthly – lost time injury frequency and lost time register
COMFORT CONDITIONS ENERGY PERFORMANCE WATER PERFORMANCE

Daily zone DB temp within 21.5°C to 23.5°C during occupied hours

Daily energy monitoring
< benchmark

Daily energy optimisation
routines enabled

Daily water monitoring
< benchmark

Monthly customer
complaint frequency

Monthly base building rolling annual energy/m2 < 375 MJ/m2

Annual base building NABERS energy rating > 4 stars

Monthly base building rolling annual water/m2 < 600 L/m2

Annual base building NABERS water rating > 3.5 stars

INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT

Daily CO2 in the
occupied space is:

100% < 1000ppm

90% < 800ppm

Monthly filters cleaned
to schedule

Quarterly plant noise measured

Quarterly ventilation system settings checked to schedule

Quarterly particulates in air monitoring PM2.5 < 25 µg/m3
PM10 < 50 µg/m3

Annual compliance
with regulations

RELIABILITY SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION MAINTENANCE PERFORMANCE

Monthly preventative
maintenance tasks
complete to schedule

Monthly change register; records any changes to the physical system or operating parameters

Monthly performance meetings are held with maintenance team; performance objectives achieved

Monthly system reliability KPI, availability hours

Monthly changes are reflected in asset register, system drawings, functional specifications, maintenance documents

Annual Review with maintenance team; performance objectives reviewed

OUTCOME
LEAD INDICATOR MEASURE
LAG INDICATOR MEASURE
COMPLIANCE
Monthly – compliance tasks completed to schedule
Annual – compliance statement
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Monthly – owners safety inductions up to date for all personnel Safe work management plan up to date Tool box talks held to schedule
Monthly – lost time injury frequency and lost time register
COMFORT CONDITIONS
Daily Zone DB temp within 21.5°C to 23.5°C during occupied hours
Monthly customer complaint frequency
ENERGY PERFORMANCE

Daily energy monitoring < benchmark

Daily energy optimisation routines enabled

Monthly base building rolling annual energy/m2 < 375 MJ/m2

Annual base building NABERS energy rating > 4 stars

WATER PERFORMANCE
Daily water monitoring < benchmark

Monthly base building rolling annual water/m2 < 600 L/m2

Annual base building NABERS water rating > 3.5 stars

INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY

Daily CO2 in the
occupied space is:

100% < 1000ppm

90% < 800ppm

Quarterly ventilation system settings checked to schedule
INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY

Monthly Filters cleaned
to schedule

Quarterly particulates in air monitoring PM2.5 < 25 µg/m3 PM10 < 50 µg/m3

OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT
Quarterly plant noise measured

Annual compliance
with regulations

RELIABILITY

Monthly Preventative
maintenance tasks
complete to schedule

Monthly system reliability KPI, availability hours
SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION

Monthly change register; records any changes to the physical system or operating parameters

Monthly changes are reflected in asset register, system drawings, functional specifications, maintenance documents

MAINTENANCE PERFORMANCE
Monthly performance meetings are held with maintenance team; performance objectives achieved

Annual Review with maintenance team; performance objectives reviewed

performance-based
maintenance

A lot of maintenance procedure is about information – generating data, comparing and analysing information, recording results. Managing information flows lends itself well to digitisation, and advances in digital technologies are providing new opportunities for more advanced maintenance services and solutions.

Time analytics pulled from big data, relayed by wireless sensor networks, analysed by cloud-based algorithms and visualised on mobile computing devices, are changing maintenance, disrupting traditional practices and creating new value opportunities.

Smart maintenance can deliver customer value by providing a real-time view of their maintenance needs, so they can make informed decisions. Collected data is used effectively to improve plant and system efficiency and guarantee user satisfaction.

For smart maintenance, it is essential that every item of plant/equipment be identified on the asset register.

Asset register to record plant data

An HVAC&R asset register is a record of all assets associated with the building or facility HVAC&R systems; components of a system are sub-assets. HVAC&R plant is a sub-asset of the whole building asset list. Each asset and sub-asset is given a unique identifier on the register which then provides a structure for recording and retrieving maintenance information. Each item listed should be included in the HVAC&R maintenance program.

Digitising asset information

Asset lists should be provided in an electronic format to facilitate the construction of digital maintenance schedules and building logbooks, and to support the operation of maintenance management systems and field data capture and reporting devices. Plant can be electronically tagged with the asset register information and identified using bar codes, smart tags or similar. BIM data is leveraged into facilities management data.

Asset register to record plant data

An HVAC&R asset register is a record of all assets associated with the building or facility HVAC&R systems; components of a system are sub-assets. HVAC&R plant is a sub-asset of the whole building asset list. Each asset and sub-asset is given a unique identifier on the register which then provides a structure for recording and retrieving maintenance information. Each item listed should be included in the HVAC&R maintenance program.

Digitising asset information

Asset lists should be provided in an electronic format to facilitate the construction of digital maintenance schedules and building logbooks, and to support the operation of maintenance management systems and field data capture and reporting devices. Plant can be electronically tagged with the asset register information and identified using bar codes, smart tags or similar. BIM data is leveraged into facilities management data.

Condition monitoring uses several advanced digital techniques to assess the condition and performance of components so that optimum equipment performance can be sustained.

When applying condition monitoring:

  • Always obtain base readings early in the life of the equipment
  • Undertake monitoring on a regular basis and plot trends
  • Always attempt to get a high signal to noise ratio for the
    measured variable
  • Always measure at fixed reference points
  • Remove all other variables.

Once the results have been reviewed, maintenance actions are initiated by the trends highlighted.

In data-driven analytics, the physical condition, performance, or efficiency of a system is evaluated by monitoring selected digital input/output data and comparing the actual data received against a defined baseline. Any variance in the two datasets is used to identify the appropriate maintenance intervention. Using a combination of digital monitoring and analytical software algorithms, this process can be automated to a large extent, providing both continuous monitoring and alarm, as well as automated fault detection and diagnosis.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software licencing model where the software platform is hosted in a remote centralised location (cloud servers). The SaaS model is becoming more prevalent in HVAC&R for energy management and fault detection and diagnostics.

  • Data redundancy is provided
  • No server maintenance is required
  • Updates are rolled out automatically
  • Leverages offsite expertise and algorithms.
  • Requires reliable access to the internet
  • Licencing model typically requires a monthly/yearly fee
  • Requires external access to the building IT networks.

Digitised asset registers and digital platforms (BIM, BMCS and CMMS) are going to play a huge part in the near future of data driven maintenance.

Protecting maintenance information and data

We all know about the threats of cybersecurity around data acquisition and storage. It is essential to have an Information Management Plan, with security management at its core. Security strategies should be part software or computational, and part user awareness with access control and threat protection.

Targeted
maintenance

Make maintenance work for you and make energy, water and refrigerants a focus for your maintenance provider. Monitor what you are using; manage your consumption; apply continuous improvement to your systems. Always review what you are doing. Are your maintenance objectives being met? Are you getting return on your investment?

REMEMBER that maintenance delivers on the triple bottom line – your people, your planet and your profit.

DA19 is used throughout the Australian property, facility management and HVAC&R maintenance industries as the authoritative guideline for HVAC&R maintenance. It is a document that can be used by an owner, operator or manager, as well as the service technician who does the technical work in the plant room. Further comprehensive information on all of these topics is provided in AIRAH’s DA19 HVAC&R Maintenance.

This DA19 user guide is endorsed by the Property Council of Australia (PCA), the Facility Management Association (FMA) and the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association (AMCA).

Property owners – all property owners are interested in retaining and enhancing the value of their assets. This means investing in the maintenance of the building services and being specific about the objectives and expectations of that investment. Maintenance objectives have to reflect the asset owners’ objectives for health and safety compliance, asset performance and financial resources (both Operational and CapEx).

Facility managers – it is not sufficient for a facility manager to specify maintenance “in accordance with DA19”. DA19 is not a maintenance specification and a range of decisions must be made to define the scope and extent of the maintenance program required. Maintenance investment must reflect the risk to the business and the performance level required of the asset. Assets with high performance expectations require performance oriented outcomes-based maintenance approaches.