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Spring in New York City: The Ideal Time for Rooftop Exhaust Fan Maintenance and Cleaning

With the long-awaited arrival of springtime in New York City, your thoughts may turn to setting out patio furniture, barbecues, and baseball home openers. Don’t forget about your rooftop! If you own or manage a property with rooftop equipment, now is the time to tend to it. Here’s what you need to know about why spring is the perfect time for rooftop exhaust fan maintenance.

Why Springtime?

Winter storms and getting ready for summer heat

You likely use your rooftop exhaust fans all year long to exhaust stale air from the building. These fans are an essential part of your ventilation system. With the air conditioning season right around the corner in New York, your exhaust fans will see more use than they do the rest of the year.

So, why is spring the best time to give them maintenance? Why not wait until fall, after they’ve seen their heaviest use?

Your rooftop has certainly taken a ton of abuse over the last seven months or so. From blowing autumn leaves and twigs to detritus and trash carried on the winds of winter storms, rooftop fans get clogged with a lot of unwanted material. Blowing dust and particulate matter can add to this, causing fans to malfunction or fail. We’ve also seen heavy snow and ice accumulation cause rusting, corrosion, and need for lubrication come spring.

The Importance of Rooftop Maintenance

Extending equipment lifespan and more

Cleaning your rooftop exhaust fans and giving them a maintenance once-over in spring is essential. This gets rid of any undesirable matter that has accumulated there, plus it allows professionals to check for any little problems that could cause breakdowns later. When you do this regularly, it extends the life of your equipment, which saves you money over time. It also reduces headaches from unplanned service calls when something goes wrong.

Furthermore, your ventilation system is a vital part of your building’s healthy environment. Air quality is something we’re all paying more attention to lately, so why not give your tenants the freshest air possible? Poor air quality is associated with:

• Higher rates of illness, allergies, and asthma
• Growth of mold and mildew in damp areas
• Unpleasant odors, like smoke and stale food, in public building spaces
• Increased risk of carbon monoxide and radon poisoning
• Tenant complaints, city citations, fines, and legal issues
• Difficulty renting open units

If you have commercial tenants in your property, such as a restaurant, proper exhaust fan operation is important for their everyday function, too.

Signs of Rooftop Fan Problems

Warning signs maintenance is overdue

If you get a few warm days in March or April, you may already be using your rooftop fans and can see if they are running at 100 percent. If you notice any of these problems, it’s better to schedule a maintenance call right away, rather than waiting until later in the season:

• Tenants or building visitors complaining about the issues listed above
• Carbon monoxide monitors being triggered
• Poor air quality on lower floors compared to upper stories
• Fans not running or only running intermittently when you turn the air exhaust system on
• Loud or strange noises coming from the fans when operating
• Fan use triggering circuit breakers to cut power
• Visual signs of wear and tear, such as rust, pitting, loose parts, etc.

Year-Round Protection for Rooftop Equipment

Reduce service calls and malfunctions

In addition to being meticulous about your rooftop exhaust equipment maintenance schedule, there are other things you can do to protect your fans. This will reduce or eliminate the need for unexpected and costly service calls and avoid malfunctions that result in angry tenants on hot summer nights.

First, develop a plan for rooftop maintenance throughout the year. Even though it’s no fun to add to your snow removal chores, clearing the rooftop around exhaust fans can help prevent damage from ice and snow.

Second, there are screening systems available today that serve several purposes. Not only do they hide ugly rooftop equipment, which is a bonus if you have a rooftop terrace, but they also protect the equipment itself. These screens still allow air to vent out of the top, but the sides around your fans will block blowing leaves, trash, and snow as well as prevent animals from getting near the equipment. Look for these features when seeking rooftop equipment screens:

• Easy access to fans via sliding panels
• Compliance with local building codes
• Resistance to wind, rust, and mold
• Mounting systems that avoid rooftop penetration
• Coatings to prevent UV degradation

When was the last time you had your property’s rooftop exhaust fans serviced? Don’t let summer arrive without a professional maintenance call. Reach out to Antler Pumps at 212-534-2500 or schedule an appointment today online.