Connected Service Identifies HVAC Issue Before Resident Disruption

Overview 

Built in 1926, 1661 Crescent Place is a six-story, 118,000-square-foot cooperative residential building with 55 apartments in Washington, DC. When the building replaced its old steam heating system with a new HVAC system, the lack of existing chases made the design and installation especially challenging. 

The cooperative has worked with Havtech for several years for quarterly inspections and maintenance. The building does not have an on-site building engineer, so the Board relies on Havtech when HVAC questions or concerns come up. The service agreement included equipment monitoring, and Havtech recommended Cool Automation remote monitoring. The Board is currently evaluating the software to supplement regular maintenance and help identify developing equipment problems between scheduled visits. 

Cool Automation equipment was initially connected to three VRV systems with six outdoor units, covering approximately one-quarter of the building’s HVAC systems. During the trial, the platform generated alerts that led Havtech to investigate an abnormal operating condition before residents reported a comfort problem or the equipment went down.

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Challenge 

Quarterly preventive maintenance assesses equipment conditions, but technicians can only see what the system is doing while they are onsite. 

Intermittent problems may develop between scheduled visits and disappear before the next inspection. Without historical operating data, a technician may have no record of how the system was operating when the condition occurred. 

In the past, the cooperative had experienced compressor failures that were costly to its limited budget and inconvenient for residents who lost heating or cooling while equipment was replaced. The Board’s goal is to supplement regular maintenance with better visibility into system operation and potentially identify developing issues before they become failures.

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The Approach 

A CoolMaster EDGE controller from Cool Automation was installed as the on-site hardware supporting the connected service platform. Havtech developed more than twelve custom anomaly detection rules that flag operating conditions outside expected parameters and generate alerts for further review. 

Detecting an issue before a comfort complaint 

The connected system generated multiple alerts indicating an unusually high compressor suction temperature condition. The customer had not reported a comfort problem and was unaware that anything was wrong. 

After receiving the alerts, Havtech reviewed the equipment remotely and determined that an on-site investigation was needed. A service technician was dispatched within twenty-four hours. 

Turning remote data into a targeted service response 

On-site, the technician traced the condition to an electronic expansion valve (EEV) in a branch selector box that was not closing completely. The technician power-cycled the branch selector box, restoring proper operation without replacing the component. 

From initial alert through remote review and field investigation, the response occurred within roughly one to two days. The cooperative experienced no downtime before Havtech intervened. 

If the condition had continued, it could have contributed to premature compressor wear or eventual compressor failure. Havtech estimated that replacing a compressor in this application could cost approximately $10,000 to $20,000, including labor. 

Extending service beyond the scheduled visit 

Connected service also gives Havtech another way to respond when the cooperative has a question about equipment operation. Technicians can review current conditions and historical trends remotely before deciding whether a site visit is necessary.  

That remote access can also save the customer from checking the system locally. They can view system information from a computer or phone, while Havtech technicians can review the same operating data remotely. 

For simpler issues, that visibility can sometimes avoid an unnecessary truck roll and associated service expense. When an onsite visit is required, technicians arrive with more information about what the system has been doing before they reach the property. 

Without an onsite engineer, remote access provides another layer of technical support between scheduled maintenance visits.

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Outcome 

During the trial, historical operating data and remote diagnostics gave Havtech information to investigate a developing condition between quarterly maintenance visits. The condition was corrected before the cooperative experienced equipment downtime. 

The Board has included Cool Automation for the building’s remaining HVAC systems as part of a five-year maintenance agreement while continuing to evaluate the monitoring program. The intent is to augment regular maintenance and potentially reduce the risk of future system failures.