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January 2026
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Inside the January Issue |
The Maintenance Spectrum
Rethinking HVAC Maintenance Strategies
BY DAYTON PALEN
In the HVAC industry, maintenance is no longer just about
fixing what’s broken — it's about predicting what will break
before it does. As buildings become smarter and more reliant
on digital systems, maintenance strategies are evolving
too.
We’re seeing a major shift from traditional reactive maintenance
toward predictive and condition-based maintenance
models that leverage data and analytics to increase reliability and
reduce costs.
Let’s explore how these strategies differ, why the shift matters,
and what it really takes to implement predictive/proactive maintenance in today’s buildings.
HVAC maintenance strategies can be visualized along a
spectrum, ranging from purely reactive to highly prescriptive.
Reactive maintenance is the most traditional form — systems
are left to run until failure occurs, at which point emergency
service is required.
Preventive maintenance takes a slightly more proactive approach
by servicing equipment at regular intervals, such as every
six months, regardless of actual wear or performance.
Condition-based maintenance (CBM) introduces real-time
monitoring into the equation. By using sensors to assess equipment condition, maintenance is only performed when
data indicates it’s necessary.
Predictive maintenance builds on this by using historical data
and analytics to forecast potential failures, allowing action before
a problem even manifests. The most advanced strategy, prescriptive
maintenance, not only predicts issues but also recommends
specific actions based on the likely outcomes.
These approaches reflect an evolution in maintenance thinking
— one that shifts from reacting to problems to preventing
them in the most efficient, data-informed possible way. Full story »
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