Checklists by Category
VAV terminal unit maintenance checklists
VAV terminal unit maintenance checklists for the quarterly and annual rounds: 2 free lists, 29 items and 22 photo requirements, each item naming what to look for and the photo evidence it needs. Work is commonly verified against IMC (mechanical code); the edition in force is the AHJ's call on each project.
The VAV terminal unit rounds
Where each walk sits in the schedule
01quarterly
VAV terminal unit quarterly maintenance checklist
Every quarter, grouped by floor so a tech opens a run of ceiling tiles once and hits every box on the zone.
Run by: The controls or mechanical tech on the quarterly zone round, working off the ladder above the ceiling.
02annual
VAV terminal unit annual maintenance checklist
Once a year, tied to the air-side service so the box calibration is verified against a known supply pressure at the air handler.
Run by: The balancing or controls tech on the annual, coordinating with the building automation system.
What most often fails on a VAV terminal unit
- Box called good from the thermostat while the damper is actually stuck and the zone is riding on the neighboring box's air.
- A box swapped to full heat by an occupant complaint and never returned to auto, so it fights the system all season.
- Ceiling tiles left out or filters found missing at the inlet after the last tech never came back to close up.
- Minimum and maximum airflow left at the manufacturer default because no one cross-checked the box against a balancing reading.
- Reheat coil quietly fouled or an air-bound hot-water valve, so the zone under-heats and gets 'fixed' by raising the whole floor's setpoint.
- A box roaring at high flow written up as a diffuser problem when it's the damper hunting on a mis-tuned controller.
Verified against
Families only, never clause numbers. Adoption varies by jurisdiction; confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction enforces before you run a walk against it.
Common questions
5 answers
- Which VAV terminal unit maintenance rounds do these checklists cover?
- VAV terminal unit quarterly maintenance checklist (quarterly): Every quarter, grouped by floor so a tech opens a run of ceiling tiles once and hits every box on the zone. VAV terminal unit annual maintenance checklist (annual): Once a year, tied to the air-side service so the box calibration is verified against a known supply pressure at the air handler.
- Who runs the VAV terminal unit maintenance round?
- The controls or mechanical tech on the quarterly zone round, working off the ladder above the ceiling. The balancing or controls tech on the annual, coordinating with the building automation system.
- What most often fails on a VAV terminal unit?
- Box called good from the thermostat while the damper is actually stuck and the zone is riding on the neighboring box's air. A box swapped to full heat by an occupant complaint and never returned to auto, so it fights the system all season. Ceiling tiles left out or filters found missing at the inlet after the last tech never came back to close up. Minimum and maximum airflow left at the manufacturer default because no one cross-checked the box against a balancing reading.
- Which standards is VAV terminal unit work verified against?
- IMC (mechanical code), published by the International Code Council. Adoption varies by jurisdiction. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction enforces before you run a walk against it.
- Can I run these checklists in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace and load any of the 2 lists (29 items in total). The Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached, and approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run these lists with the Photo Gate.
Tag one area, scan it, and the submit stays locked until the photos exist.
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