Free checklist
Air curtain quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly air curtain round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Access and lockout
Ladder or lift set with foot traffic kept out from under it
Access set up per the site's plan, the doorway coned off or a spotter posted, and people routed through another entrance while work goes on overhead.
No photoFan and heater feeds locked and tagged before the guard comes off
Fan feed and any heater circuit locked, tagged and tried at the door switch. Running checks: guard on, tools clear, locks off by their owner, re-lock before hands go back in.
Intake and airflow
Intake screen and grille clear of lint and debris
Guard pulled and the intake looked at directly, no matted lint on the screen, no bags or signage leaning against the inlet.
Filters checked on units built with them
Filtered units only: filter pulled, loading checked, cleaned or swapped for the manufacturer's type. Units without filters marked not applicable.
No photoDischarge nozzle clean and at its commissioned angle
Vanes free of lint and tape, none bent, angle still at its mark or the commissioning record rather than knocked outward by carts or ladders.
Guard refitted and locks removed before the running checks
Intake guard and covers fastened, tools off the unit, each lock taken off by the person who hung it, unit powered back up on its door switch.
Air stream covers the full width of the opening
Stream checked at both jambs and the center with the hand or a tell-tale, reaching the floor across the whole doorway with no dead side.
Controls and interlock
Door switch or sensor mounting and cable secured
Switch or sensor fastened to the frame and lined up with the door, cable clipped clear of the door's travel, not pinched, chafed or hanging loose.
Door switch starts and stops the unit
Door opened and closed, unit ramps up on open and drops out on close, no jumper or tape defeating the switch.
Speed and heat settings match the owner's season setting
Controller dial or display at the speed and heat mode the owner set for the season, no override left at high, schedule or occupied mode correct.
Noise and mounting
No new rattle, buzz or vibration at the mount
Unit run and listened to, no bearing whine or blade knock, mounting brackets tight with no walking at the wall or lintel.
Nothing stored on the unit and its intake space kept open
No boxes, signs or decorations on or hung from the unit, intake clearance above it kept to the manufacturer's figure, unit still at its installed height.
Round findings and door switch condition recorded
Coverage, noise, switch operation and any tampering found entered against the unit, with deferred repairs flagged for the owner.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Unit assumed working because it's loud, while the stream only covers half the opening and the other side lets cold air pour in.
- Intake screen packed with lint and dust behind the grille, so airflow is down but nobody pulled the guard to look.
- Door switch taped or jumpered by staff who got tired of the unit cycling, so it now runs with the door shut all day.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this air curtain quarterly checklist cover?
- 13 items across 4 sections, covering access and lockout, intake and airflow, controls and interlock, noise and mounting. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The maintenance or HVAC tech on the quarterly round at the entry doors.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, best done in the season the unit runs hardest since a weak stream shows up as drafts and door swings.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails an air curtain quarterly inspection?
- Unit assumed working because it's loud, while the stream only covers half the opening and the other side lets cold air pour in. Intake screen packed with lint and dust behind the grille, so airflow is down but nobody pulled the guard to look. Door switch taped or jumpered by staff who got tired of the unit cycling, so it now runs with the door shut all day.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 12 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.