ALL electronic equipment has a shelf life, so a good maintenance programme, although essential in prolonging optimum efficiency in products, should also weigh up when it is time to call it a day.
“Manufacturers and distributors need to take responsibility for their products and provide maintenance advice, while bearing in mind the 2007 WEEE directive for appropriate recycling,” says air conditioning manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric.

 To help those involved in the industry to find their way around the certification process and likely future legislation, Mitsubishi Electric has produced a free, CPD-accredited guide to maintenance, replacement and the WEEE Directive.

 “No building services equipment will operate forever. There comes a time when replacement has to be considered,” said Donald Daw, Mitsubishi Electric commercial director. “Clearly there are cost implications to this decision, which can be discouraging. However, it is important to identify the tipping point between repairing or replacing an air conditioning system.”

 The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires that from January 2009, regular checks are carried out on all air conditioning systems over 250kW of cooling, and from January 2011 the same rule will apply to systems of 12kW and above.

 “A great deal of effort goes into the design and installation of ac systems and rightly so since they are key factors in energy efficient and trouble-free operation,” said Mr Daw. “But, given the financial investment made in these systems, a long term view of the equipment and a proper maintenance programme is essential. Recent legislation is creating a greater need for closer monitoring of ac systems.”

Old equipment

Most owners of ac equipment do not consider replacing older systems until there are major problems, or it stops operating altogether. However, according to Mr Daw, older equipment could be adding substantially to the running costs of the building.

“It is not just that older equipment doesn’t run well, but also that more modern equipment has been designed for greater energy efficiency. Establishing a simple but effective programme of maintenance and keeping clear records will help to make transition into the legally required checks much easier, and also help to save time and effort,” he said. 

AC systems should have regular inspections, following three key principles: to encourage good maintenance; to encourage efficient use of controls; and to identify opportunities to reduce cooling loads or operating times.

 The guide gives advice on how to reduce energy use, through the use of devices such as hand-held ac controls. 

“Where possible, in-house teams should store records and any plant-related documentation for easy access; establish a clear format for maintenance records, initiate a regular cleaning programme, and show where low energy technology such as free cooling or variable speed fan drives have been used,” explains Mr Daw.

The UK Government introduced the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations in January 2007. This refers to equipment with a voltage of up to 1000V AC or up to 1500V DC.  The WEEE Regulations affect manufacturers and distributors of electronic and electric equipment. 

The regulations also cover heating regulators, smoke detectors, thermostats and ‘other monitoring and control instruments’ such as can be found in control panels. Both manufacturers and distributors must be registered with a relevant compliance scheme according to their industry.

Mitsubishi Electric 01707 282880