Free checklist
VAV terminal unit quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly VAV terminal 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.
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.
Before the climb
Zone trend reviewed before the round
Zone temperature, airflow and damper command trended since the last round, boxes pinned at maximum, minimum or full heat flagged for a closer look.
No photoCeiling access set up and space protected
Ladder on firm footing, tiles lifted clear of sprinkler heads and fixtures, furniture below covered, nothing left resting on the grid, tubing or wiring.
No photoBox tag matched to the BAS and the schedule
Box label matches the BAS point name and the mechanical schedule tag, so every reading and finding lands on the right box.
Damper and actuator
Damper strokes full open to full closed
Actuator driven through its range from the controller, damper blade following without binding or lag, no slipping shaft coupling.
Actuator linkage and end stops checked
Linkage tight on the shaft, actuator reaching both end positions, no chatter or hunting at the stops.
Airflow and reheat
Inlet flow sensor and tubing intact
Flow ring pickup clean, sensing tubing connected at both ports with no kinks or disconnected legs, controller reading a live airflow.
Reheat call produces warm air where fitted
Heat commanded from the controller, hot-water valve opening or electric stages energizing, discharge warming with no nuisance high-limit trip.
No photoAirflow read against the balance schedule
Controller airflow at minimum and maximum compared with the balance schedule or the BAS trend, boxes well off the schedule flagged for the annual calibration.
Discharge air matches supply with no heat call
With no heat call, discharge air reads at supply temperature, so no valve is leaking by or electric stage stuck on. Cooling-only boxes answer the same way.
Box released to auto after the checks
Forced damper, airflow and heat commands cleared at the controller and BAS, no occupant or tech override left, box back on its own schedule.
Casing and supports
Casing seams and duct connections sealed
Inlet and discharge duct joints tight, casing seams and access door gasket sealing, no audible leak or liner insulation hanging loose.
Box hangers and flex connections secure
Box hung level on its rods or straps, no hanger resting on the ceiling grid, flexible duct not kinked or sagging at the outlets.
Filter and enclosure
Inlet filter present and clean where fitted
On fan-powered boxes the filter sits on the plenum inlet, never the primary inlet: media in place, within its change interval, not collapsed or bypassed.
No photoAccess panels and ceiling closed after service
Box access door latched, sensing tubing not pinched by the panel, every lifted ceiling tile replaced.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- 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.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this vav terminal unit quarterly checklist cover?
- 14 items across 5 sections, covering before the climb, damper and actuator, airflow and reheat, casing and supports, and more. 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 controls or mechanical tech on the quarterly zone round, working off the ladder above the ceiling.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, grouped by floor so a tech opens a run of ceiling tiles once and hits every box on the zone.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 11 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 a vav terminal unit quarterly inspection?
- 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.
- 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 11 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.