Beyond the Breakdown: How HVAC Gap Assessments Safeguard Operations and Brand Trust

The Problem: Operational Failure & Brand Risk

Few scenarios are more disruptive for healthcare facility management teams than a mechanical failure that halts the clinical mission. At a New England hospital, a catastrophic motor failure in an air handling unit (AHU) did exactly that, triggering a shutdown of operating rooms and generating negative media coverage. The event is an important reminder that mechanical system performance is not a secondary concern, it is a critical dependency for patient care, financial stability, and the protection of the hospital’s brand.

This crisis was the result of a common dilemma faced by healthcare facility management. Day-to-day demands and constant troubleshooting often leave little capacity to address hidden risks before they become emergencies. As this case demonstrates, catastrophic events rarely come without warning, the signals are often there, buried in system deficiencies that only surface through proactive review.

Read on to see how this proactive gap assessment paid for itself by uncovering energy-saving opportunities and reducing future operational risks.

The Solution: Comprehensive HVAC Gap Assessment

The hospital viewed this incident as a catalyst to assess whether there were any other potential performance risks hidden within their mechanical systems. They partnered with EH&E to perform a comprehensive gap assessment of representative air handling units across the facility to avoid any potential risks that could jeopardize operations or patient safety.

A diagnostic review was conducted that began with onsite walk-throughs with the facilities management team to understand their concerns and pain points with HVAC performance. That input was built into the assessment, allowing EH&E to serve as an advocate and help the facilities group make the business case for the resources and support needed to ensure system performance.

EH&E’s review focused on targeted functional performance testing of the ten AHUs, along with a review of the building automation system (BAS) integration, and verification of key safety devices including freeze protection, high-static cutouts, damper operation, and fan- motor operating temperatures.

The assessment found no immediate conditions that pointed to imminent fan or motor failures in the HVAC system, but it did reveal a range of underlying deficiencies that included freeze-protection issues, static-pressure control and safety concerns, and code and compliance gaps. These latent problems had the potential to cascade into major system failures, unplanned shutdowns, and significant operational disruption.

Key Findings

• Freeze Protection Deficiencies: Although freeze protection was installed and provided a sense of security, functional testing found widespread deficiencies across nearly all units, including failed or damaged devices, low setpoints, and incomplete or missing capillary coverage. These issues can quickly cascade into serious operational disruptions, unplanned repair costs, and risks to patient care if left unaddressed.
• Static Pressure Control and Safety Issues: These are high-risk deficiencies because they directly affect airflow stability, space pressurization, and overall system reliability in environments where control is critical.
• Operating Room Code and Compliance Concerns: Among the highest-risk findings, these issues directly impact patient safety, clinical outcomes, and the hospital’s ability to legally and safely perform procedures.
• Humidification and Steam System Deficiencies: These concerns are particularly serious in healthcare facilities, where precise humidity control is essential for patient safety, infection prevention, and equipment performance.
• Economizer and Damper Failures: Often overlooked, these failures can quietly undermine system performance or trigger broader operational impacts across energy use, reliability, patient safety, and regulatory compliance. Improper damper operation can undermine air flow control, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance. In healthcare environments, this can directly impact operating room pressurization issues and infection prevention protocols.
• Valve Leakage and Improper Sequencing: While subtle, these problems steadily erode system efficiency, reliability, and operating budgets over time, contributing to long-term reliability concerns within hospital HVAC systems.
• BAS Integration and Point Mapping Errors: Errors within the building automation system hospital platform limit visibility and system coordination. These BAS integration errors in hospital environments can mask developing equipment failures and delay corrective action.

The Impact: Greater Reliability, Improved Safety & ROI

The assessment identified several hidden, high-risk deficiencies that likely would not have been uncovered until another failure occurred. By addressing these key findings, the hospital would significantly improve its operational reliability, safety, and control stability across their air handling system. EH&E’s gap assessment report gave the hospital a clear, prioritized list of the risks, allowing them to focus resources where they are needed most.

In EH&E’s experience with similar existing building commissioning and energy optimization projects for hospitals, these types of corrective actions typically reduce total HVAC energy consumption by five to fifteen percent, along with improved freeze protection and regulatory compliance for critical environments.

Analysis is only valuable if it leads to action. Recognizing that many healthcare facility teams are already operating at full capacity, EH&E offers end-to-end support that extends through the implementation phase. In this engagement, we are assisting the hospital by coordinating the recommended high-priority mechanical corrections. This hands-on approach ensures that the hospital’s investment in the initial assessment results in a verified increase in system reliability.

Bottom Line

Industry benchmarks conservatively value a single eight-hour operating room shift at $50,000. By this metric, the cost of the initial hospital gap assessment for this project is recovered by the prevention of just one shift of downtime in a single operating room.

Contact us to learn how EH&E can help your facility achieve similar results.