By: RK Service

Managing mechanical systems involves a deep understanding of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the equipment. Asset management relates to the management and enhancement of those mechanical systems.

Importance of Optimal Mechanical Systems

Mechanical systems are comprised of pumps and filters, among other equipment, that are responsible for the efficient flow of liquids and air throughout buildings. They provide water, heating, cooling and ventilation for occupants and remove waste from the building.

The operation and maintenance of mechanical systems are labor intensive and require a technical skill. While mechanical systems can contain components that are hidden inside walls or under floors, most key equipment is located in a utility room that is easily accessible for upkeep. To preserve mechanical assets over their life cycle, regular monitoring of equipment and maintenance needs to be performed, preferably by a certified technician. Large equipment that fails, such as a burst pipe, require urgent repair, as this type of failure could lead to flooding or loss of hot water for tenants.

Asset Management Challenges

Keeping tabs on mechanical assets can be a daunting task as they require extensive record keeping. Because mechanical systems contain many moving parts, they typically have the longest list of assets in the asset inventory, ranging from fans to boilers and pumps. Often, basic supplies are kept on-hand in mechanical rooms, such as replacement filters, but some buildings also have supply rooms for additional spare parts. All of these items, from large equipment to spare parts, need to be accounted for and tracked. Documents must be kept readily available for quick reference in day-to-day operations.

Tracking with Technology

Today, technology has enabled service providers to inventory and track all mechanical assets on a cloud-based platform with easy to use customer interfaces. Warranty status, repair and maintenance history, upcoming scheduled events and end-of-life (EOL) forecasts are all recorded and accessible from a single source.

RK Service offers dedicated account management and a full MEP scope that allows us to be expert advisors for companies looking to transform their current facilities services. Contact us at service@rkindustries.com to discuss your asset management needs and what we can do to help you reach your goals.

By: RK Electrical 

An arc flash is a type of electrical explosion that occurs when electric current travels through the air between two conductors or a conductor and the ground. More specifically, the arc flash is the heat and light created by an electrically energized arc.

What Causes An Arc Flash?

• Accidentally touching the wrong surface or dropping a tool
• Sparks from breaks or gaps
• Equipment failure from faulty installation or normal wear and tear
• Dust, condensation or corrosion

What Are The Dangers?

Arc flash injuries can be violent and often cause serious injury and even death.

FIVE MOST COMMON DANGERS TO WORKERS

• Being thrown to the ground, blown into a wall or off a ladder by large shock waves
• Concussions that cause loss of memory or brain trauma
• Ruptured eardrums due to the deafening blast can cause hearing loss
• Receiving a strong shock by accidentally touching energized conductors
• Skin burns caused by heat from the blast

Because of these dangers, The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed specific approach boundaries designed to protect employees while working on or near energized equipment. The further from a potential blast that a worker is, the lesser chance they have of being severely injured.

Facility managers and safety teams should work together to explain risks to employees.

Qualified employees should always wear appropriate personal protective equipment, use insulated tools and follow safety precautions when performing work on electrical equipment. The overall most effective way to eliminate the risk of an arc flash is to de-energize equipment before working on it.

DANGERS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

It is in the best interest of business owners to regularly maintain their equipment, continue safety training for employees and provide appropriate safety precautions for anyone working with electrical equipment. Some of the most common dangers for business owners resulting from an arc flash are:

• Fire spreading throughout the building/property
• Damage to nearby equipment due to flying objects from the blast
• Extreme heat melting materials and equipment
• Increased costs due to employee injuries and equipment damage

NFPA 70E Electrical Safety Compliance standards require building owners to complete an ARC flash risk assessment on the facility’s electrical distribution system to minimize the risk of arc flash, shock hazards and injuries. RK Electrical can conduct these complex studies and provide the reporting you need for safety compliance. Contact us at rkelectrical@rkindustries.com to schedule a risk assessment.

By: RK Service

Facilities management is the maintenance of buildings and equipment. It’s a complex and difficult job which is necessary to support and help improve the effectiveness of any business. Effective facilities management aids in providing a safe and efficient working environment; and contributes to the delivery of strategic and operational objectives.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT GOALS

Facilities teams often lack the appropriate resources needed in order to meet their facilities management goals. Many times they are overworked and can’t keep up with routine maintenance. They are too busy handling day to day duties and emergencies, requiring outside assistance in order to get back on track.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP

When companies need assistance reaching their facilities goals, they create a facilities management partnership. A strong partnership can formulate and realize the overall facilities management strategy. While there are many benefits to utilizing a facilities management partnership, these are the top five.

1. ASSET MANAGEMENT
   Keeping tabs on each mechanical asset is a daunting task. Today, technology has enabled service providers to inventory and track all mechanical assets on a cloud-based platform with easy to use customer Warranty status, repair and maintenance history, upcoming scheduled events and EOL forecasts are all recorded and accessible from a single source.

2. LONG-TERM CAPEX/OPEX BUDGET PLANNING
   Are you haunted by budget planning season? Eliminate the element of surprise with your CFO by creating a ten-year budget plan based on asset life expectancy. The cost of repairs and replacement are inevitable, the surprise doesn’t need to be.

3. STAFFING AUGMENTATION
   Hiring additional full-time employees can be very time consuming and expensive. A facilities management partnership reduces your staffing needs by allowing you access to licensed engineers and technicians when you need them for significantly less money and headache.

4. SCHEDULED SERVICES
   A facilities management partner will manage your ongoing maintenance schedule. Technicians will perform the maintenance tasks and supply you with a report of their findings, along with advice as to what should be done next.

5. ON-CALL SERVICES
   Find a trusted advisor who will be there when you need them. When situations arise that are outside of your skill set or you simply don’t have the coverage, a strong service partner will quickly mobilize for critical repairs and replacement.

RK Service is dedicated to maintaining an outstanding partnership in support of our clients. With our team of 80 technicians and 24-hour on-call emergency services, we are there for you when you need us the most. Utilizing our GPS-located vehicles, we’ll dispatch the nearest technician to assist you. Our diverse experience, dedicated account management and full MEP scope allow us to offer expert advice to companies looking to transform their current facilities services. A close and strategic partnership with us can limit risk and increase opportunities to add value. RK Service is backed by the power of RK, drawing on the knowledge of over 1,600 employees in a variety of trades. Contact us at servicesales@rkindustries.com to discuss your facilities management partnership needs and what we can do to help you reach your goals.

By: RK Service

Colorado is known for its severe spring and summer storms, and they typically include large hailstones. Hail forms when updrafts in thunderstorms pull rain up into frigid areas of the atmosphere where they freeze into ice pellets. When the storm can no longer support the weight of the hailstones or the updraft weakens, the hail falls to the ground. The larger the hailstones, the more damage they can do.

Hail can cause serious damage to a building’s roof or ground-mounted machinery and equipment. It often damages the facility’s condenser unit, reducing its ability to dissipate heat. This excess heat not only greatly reduces building efficiency and creates unhappy occupants, it is likely to cause the compressor and condenser fans to fail, resulting in much higher repair costs.

An RTU damaged in a major hail storm.

AFTER A BIG STORM YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR EQUIPMENT CHECKED!

• Assess equipment exposure:
  Conduct an on-site inspection to alert you of potential problems and possible solutions.
• Repair or replace equipment:
  Hire a qualified technician to perform necessary repairs or replace your damaged equipment, if necessary.
• Prevent damage from the next storm:
  Install hail guards to protect the longevity and energy efficiency of your equipment.
• Prolong asset life and reduce your operating costs: 
  Keeping up with planned maintenance is the most efficient way to keep your equipment up and running.

Contact RK Service at servicesales@rkindustries.com to conduct a free inspection of your rooftop or ground-mounted equipment, make any emergency repairs or replacements and help you prevent damage from the next storm. If you experienced additional hail damage to your roof or windows, our team can also connect you with other experienced and reputable contractors, getting you back in business as soon as possible.

By: RK Electrical 

When you compare light-emitting diode (LED) lights to conventional lighting methods, you’ll find that LEDs are the smartest solution. LED light bulbs bring together positive and negative charges to create energy which is then released in the form of light. The result is a fast source of light that is instantaneous and reliable.

Top 10 Benefits of LED Lights:

1. Long Life: LED lights have an exceptional life expectation. They can last up to 11 years with continuous operation, or 22 years with part-time operation. In other words, if you leave a LED light on for eight hours per day, it would take twenty years before needing replacement.
2. Energy Efficient: LEDs are estimated to be up to 90% energy efficient when compared with traditional lighting sources. This means that nearly all of the electrical energy is converted to light, while a minimal amount is converted into other forms of energy, such as heat.
3. Eco-Friendly: LED lights are free of toxic chemicals and are completely recyclable. Most conventional fluorescent light bulbs contain materials that are dangerous for the environment and are not recyclable.
4. Minimal Emissions: LED lights produce little infrared light and close to no UV emissions, which makes them highly suitable for materials that are sensitive to heat. They are also great for UV-sensitive objects, such as those in museums, for example.
5. Design Flexibility: LEDs can be combined in any shape to produce efficient lighting. They can be dimmed–resulting in a dynamic control of light, color and distribution–which can be used to affect mood.
6. Focus: LEDs can be designed to focus their light to a specific location, but can also be used for multi-directional ambient lighting.
7. Instant Light: Once turned on, LED lights come to full brightness without requiring time to warm-up. This is particularly helpful with traffic and signal lights.
8. Unlimited Switching: LED lights can be switched on and off frequently without affecting their lifespan, emissions or instant brightness. Traditional lighting can take several seconds to reach full brightness and switching them off and on frequently reduces their life expectancy.
9. Low-Voltage: A low-voltage power supply is sufficient for LED illumination, which makes them easy to use in outdoor settings with a solar-energy source. This is very useful in remote or rural areas.
10. Durable: LEDs are extremely durable rugged and resistant to shock, vibrations, external impacts and extreme temperatures.

LED lights are available in a variety of colors, which makes them adaptable for use in almost any environment or lighting situation. They are offered in base colors such as red, green, blue and amber and can be blended together to produce millions of other color options as well.

RK Electrical can perform LED lighting retrofits on nearly any type of facility that will lower your energy usage and save on utility costs. Retrofits often yield utility company rebates and tax deduction incentives for building owners. Lighting upgrades in commercial facilities average a project payback period of a little over two years, with up to a 45% return on investment.

RK’s Energy Audit and Savings Program can also significantly decrease operating and equipment costs while increasing facility value. Our program includes:

• Project assessment including energy and facility audits
• Recommendations regarding equipment and utility improvements
• Evaluation of cost savings to validate our service plan
• Off-balance sheet financing options available
• Performance agreements with guaranteed savings

Visit our web site for more information or contact us at rkelectrical@rkindustries.com to discuss your electrical needs.