Take command of your buildings for the heating season: Key steps that will save you time and money

As summer ends, building owners and property managers need to take command and prepare their buildings properly for heating season. Taking a few key steps can save significant time and money. Managers should compare boiler operations against previous activity during similar time periods, weather and circumstances. In addition, they should compare to similar facilities, equipment and size. The key to conservation is benchmarking data and a repository to collect and save it. 1. Be proactive. Don't wait for the first chilly day - start preparing your buildings for heating season now. The first step is to set up a command station using your online monitoring system (if you have one) and plan to monitor for greater efficiency. You might start by reviewing last year's fuel usage data and planning ways to reduce consumption for this coming year. Use square footage, rooms or number of apartments as a rule of thumb to estimate what could be used. For every one degree the desired indoor temperature (DIT) is decreased can yield a 3-5 % reduction in energy consumption. 2. Prepare the burner. During the summer months, your burners were on low fire. In order to prepare for winter, you need to switch them back to automatic high-fire because producing steam for the winter months takes more BTUs than just maintaining hot water, Of course, make sure that you have your service technician come in first and completely service the boilers and burners - oil the circulating pumps and motors, clean the boiler tubes, remove soot, repair leaks, clean tubes and check for signs of water leaks. If you took these steps in each of your buildings at the end of last heating season then hopefully, your burner will not require as much work. Do not skip this step. Keep records! 3. Adjust the aquastat temperature. If you lowered the boiler water temperature for the non-heating season, adjust the aquastat accordingly because steam and hot water systems differ. This will make certain that your water temperature is high enough. If your buildings have Energy Monitoring Systems, you can use the staging feature of the aquastat to help make this transition. Your EMS may be equipped with shadow logic, which optimizes heating and hot water cycles. 4. Lower the water level. Lower the water level in the boiler to just above the coil. As heating season begins, it is important that your boilers have the proper level of water. When your service technicians are servicing the burners, they can typically help bring the water levels down. If the water level is below the coil you will have trouble making domestic hot water. 5. Conduct a stick test. Conduct a "stick test" with a water detection solvent to make sure there isn't any water or sludge in the oil tank. If it wasn't there before the oil deliveries, you know where it came from - and when. It is important to know how much oil is in the tank at all times so you never run out. The most accurate method is using an EMS ultrasound fuel gauge. 6. Gauge comfort. Communicate with residents who typically are uncomfortable in the colder months and check their apartments for air conditioners in the window, blocked radiators or other leaks. 7. Set lighting. Don't forget to set up a schedule for your time clocks so it's not too dark or the lights are on in the daylight. 8. Train your superintendant. Your superintendant is key to the operation of your building. Be sure he is fully trained and has all of the tools needed. Without his cooperation, the building will not run as efficiently as it should. For more tips on preparing your buildings for heating season, visit www.use-group.com. Jerry Pindus is CEO & founder of US Energy Group, Fresh Meadow, N.Y.