Rusty Hennessey – Manager, Facility Management Solutions
The car door slams shut. You tuck your chin further into your scarf and make a mad dash for the office doors. A cold front blew in last night and the early morning wind is simply brutal. The air hurts your face, your fingers feel like they are about to fall off, and you already lost the feeling in your toes. Unfortunately for you, the weather hasn’t just waged war on your fingers – it’s also attacked your building’s plumbing and sprinkler systems.
Frozen pipes are the bane of property owners, but they don’t have to be. In many cases, frozen pipes are covered by insurance providers. However, it is important to take careful note of coverage stipulations. To mitigate effects on insurance policies, some carriers wish to see you implement control efforts. According to Tutwiler & Associates Inc., “some policies require the insured to maintain a certain temperature in buildings and homes [while] others require homeowners to have a working alarm system so in the event the heat is off, it sends an alarm to a central monitoring location … Failing to maintain policy requirements with these types of clauses in them can trigger a claim denial…” In cases like these, prevention is key.
Building Automation Systems (BAS) are one of the best prevention investments a property owner can make. Generally, building automation is associated with energy conservation. However, a BAS encompasses a variety of centrally-controlled systems that monitor other potential weather-related issues such as humidity, flooding and significant temperature changes.
Accidents happen, and many of us have had to deal with water damage or mold abatement due to a catastrophic HVAC system failure. Conexus Facilities Management Solutions (CFMS) was specifically created to limit and contain damages through ongoing monitoring, security, maintenance and updates. We offer our customers pipe and room monitoring; automation system alerts; notifications of trouble areas or symptoms; and water leakage sensors. Whether you partner with Conexus or another BAS expert, it may be time to assess your systems and ensure that you are covered for seasonal changes and insurance compliance.