Free checklist
Makeup air unit (MAU) quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly makeup air unit 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 IMC, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 9
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The HVAC or kitchen-exhaust service tech on the quarterly rooftop round.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, run on the same visit as the kitchen exhaust fan so the supply-and-exhaust pair is checked together, not separately.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Air side and filters
- 2 photos
Filters pulled and checked against the hood's demand
Filter faces checked for grease loading and gaps at the racks, replaced when blinded, no air bypassing around a short filter.
- 1 photo
Intake hood and screen clear
Outdoor intake screen free of leaves, lint and grease film, no exhaust discharge recirculating back into the intake.
Fan and drive
- 2 photos
Belt tension and condition checked
Belt free of glazing and cracking, correct deflection, sheaves aligned, no belt dust piled under the drive.
- 1 photo
Motor and fan run observed
Motor runs without overheating or odd bearing noise, fan wheel free of grease buildup and turning true.
Dampers and interlock
- 2 photos
Outside-air damper cycled through full travel
Blades driven fully open and closed, linkage tight, actuator following the command with no stall.
- 1 photo
Exhaust interlock proven by switching the hood on
MAU proves and starts when the kitchen exhaust fan is energized and stops when it stops, watched at the unit and not assumed.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Filters loaded solid with cooking grease and street dust, so the unit can't deliver the air the hood is pulling and the kitchen goes negative.
- Interlock never actually watched — the tech assumes the MAU starts with the hood instead of standing at the unit while the exhaust fan is switched on.
- Outside-air damper stuck part-closed on a seized linkage and logged as 'operating' because nobody watched the blades move.
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 9 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this makeup air unit (mau) quarterly checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering air side and filters, fan and drive, dampers and interlock. 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 HVAC or kitchen-exhaust service tech on the quarterly rooftop round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, run on the same visit as the kitchen exhaust fan so the supply-and-exhaust pair is checked together, not separately.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 9 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. 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 a makeup air unit (mau) quarterly inspection?
- Filters loaded solid with cooking grease and street dust, so the unit can't deliver the air the hood is pulling and the kitchen goes negative. Interlock never actually watched — the tech assumes the MAU starts with the hood instead of standing at the unit while the exhaust fan is switched on. Outside-air damper stuck part-closed on a seized linkage and logged as 'operating' because nobody watched the blades move.
- 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.
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