With all the “green” talk going around about reducing electrical consumption, one major energy user is rarely discussed—hotel PTAC/VTAC units. A dirty PTAC must often work twice as hard and consume twice the electricity to reach the desired room temperatures of demanding guests. Simply cleaning the filter on a regular basis is not enough. PTACs should be removed and thoroughly cleaned a minimum of once per year. Removing the dirt will increase efficiency significantly, and improve air quality immediately. Hoteliers that put an HVAC deep-cleaning plan into action for the first time can realize huge savings on their electric bills.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) conducted a study and found that the energy savings on running clean HVAC equipment verses that with dirty coils can be as high as 25 percent. That is a lot when you consider that 40 percent to 60 percent of a hotel’s electric bill is made up of heating and cooling costs. And the benefits don’t stop there.
In addition to producing a rotten smell when turned on, the next sign of a dirty PTAC is the noise factor. Granted, some of the older AC units still in service are just plain loud, but when the operation of a PTAC that’s just a few years old results in calls to the front desk from guests complaining that they can’t sleep because of the excessive clatter, it’s time for a deep cleaning.
Breeding Ground for Pollen, Bacteria
A dirty PTAC serves as a breeding ground for pollen, bacteria, mold spores, viruses and disease. Filters should be changed on a regular basis and the units should be removed, taken outside and steam cleaned at a minimum once per year. Some of the immediate benefits include: better air quality (units become odor free), mold and bacteria are killed on contact, electricity usage is reduced significantly, damaging water overflow events are minimized/eliminated, and there are fewer maintenance calls and repair bills. Regular cleaning of PTACS can also delay replacement costs of new PTACs, reduce room deodorizing costs, shrink exposure to bad air/chemical use litigation and work comp claims, increase guest satisfaction, and add potential to maximize REVPAR. In addition, clean PTACs run quieter and they last longer too because the compressor runs cooler and less often because the coils can breathe again.
PTACs cleaned with chemicals leave an odor behind along with toxic waste water that is bad for the environment. Despite the advertising of some coil cleaner manufacturers who claim that their products are acid free, rinse free, odor free or water soluble, nothing beats steam cleaning, which uses pure water. Purchasing a good steam cleaner (about $4,000) is one of the best investments you can make because it can pay for itself the first time you deep clean your units, in comparison to the cost of having a contractor do the work. Cleaned by a professional, you’ll probably spend $75 to $100 per unit. But whether done in-house or hired out, the savings and benefits are significant. In the end your guests will appreciate the fact that you’ve rid their indoor air of that rotten smell associated with dirty PTACs, which can contain mold and a host of other airborne particles.
When counting your PTACs, be sure to include all units in guestrooms, hallways, back room, office, laundry, and spares in storage. Also consider the other HVAC equipment on property that should be cleaned regularly.
Create a Cleaning Schedule
Realistically, two maintenance staff should be able to remove and clean four to five units per day, before lunch time. With a 100-room property, you could expect to complete a project of this size in about 20 days, or one calendar month. Granted, it’s possible to clean more units per day but it’s likely that your staff will have other maintenance issues to deal with. In addition, it’s important to create a room schedule in advance to maximize labor efficiency. In situations where the hotel is running at full occupancy, a plan should be used where an already cleaned PTAC can be swapped out for the dirty one to minimize disruption for guests.
PTACs have numerous electronic devices and delicate parts. Great care must be given to protect circuit boards and fan motors from water or extreme heat used in the steam cleaning process. A dish towel (slightly damp for weight) can be placed over the control panel to protect from heat and moisture, while fan motors and other components can be wrapped in plastic. Be careful of the opening where wires enter the metal fan housing as these must be sealed off or a blast of steam can leave enough water behind to cook a motor when its plugged in and turned on again. Always use two people to lift PTACs and transport outside laying flat on a four-wheel cart. Cover the dirty units to keep from view of guests while in elevators and common areas. Take precaution not to bounce units around while loading or bringing outside. Check units for working order/missing parts prior to and after reinstallation. Make note of any problems, recording make, model, serial number and room number for future reference.
The components of a PTAC that you’ll be steam cleaning include: front cover and filter, evaporator and condenser coils, heating element, fan and shroud, blower wheel, compressor, and condensate pan. Some parts, which vary with each unit, can be removed to simplify the cleaning process and should be taken off before you begin. The cleaning equipment you’ll want to use will be a low pressure wet steam washer, not to exceed 50 psi, with a fan type spray nozzle. Never use a hot or cold water power washer because they will cause almost certain damage, and they lack the heat of steam that’s needed to kill mold and viruses. In addition, dry vapor steam cleaners work good on small surface areas but are a waste of time when it comes to cleaning PTACs. You’ll also need a wet/dry vacuum with HEPA filter to clean the interior sleeve and grill, and a small air compressor to blow off excess moisture before removing plastic/protective coverings.
When you begin the actual cleaning process, keep the fan type spray nozzle at least 12 inches away from any surface and slowly work your way in closer to deep clean. Make sure that when cleaning the coils you spray straight onto surface in a vertical pattern and never from an angle or you’ll bend the delicate fins over and defeat the entire cleaning process, and ruin the unit. Always keep the spray nozzle in motion so as to not overheat and bend the fins. When finished cleaning, tilt the unit slightly back toward the drain hole and allow excess water to run out of the condensate pan. Never allow units to be left standing on end. Doing so can damage the compressor and mounting flanges which are designed to create an air-tight seal when secured inside the sleeve. Use compressed air and a towel to dry the unit.
Deap Clean at Least Annually
All PTACs should be deep cleaned at least once per year. In coastal areas they should be cleaned twice per year. If your hotel is located near a construction site, heavily traveled commercial area or a busy interstate highway, you’ll want to consider cleaning your units more often as needed. As for cleaning your filters, this should be done every 30 days. If you don’t clean your filters on a monthly basis, your PTAC coils become your filter, which soon leads to higher energy bills, equipment failure, noise and air qualit
