There are several steps building or facility managers can take to keep their HVAC system in top operating condition. They include the following:

Create a Plan	Establishing a schedule of regular maintenance goes a long way to enhancing the health of your HVAC system, minimizing breakdowns, and ensuring occupant safety and satisfaction.
Conduct Routine Audits	Ask your staff to regularly audit the system. A daily check of major components will spot problems when they are still minor and less costly to solve. An annual assessment by an independent third party provides important oversight and additional expert review.
Educate Occupants	Everyone in a building, in a sense, is part of the building maintenance team. Asking occupants to be alert to problems and to report them promptly greatly multiplies the eyes and ears of building maintenance personnel.

Before hiring an HVAC cleaning service, it’s best to do the following:

Determine Need	Before hiring anyone, identify your HVAC cleaning needs. Doing so will help minimize change orders later. Also, you may learn that what was thought to be a problem isn't one.
Create Specifications	This step translates needs into cleaning requirements. It defines what needs to be done, including the scope of the job, cleaning methods to be used, quantifiable results to be achieved, and post-cleaning verification standards.
Prepare the Area	Hiring an outside cleaning service always bring with it some disruption to your daily routine. Moving furniture and equipment located near system controls and providing access to critical ducts before the work is performed will minimize the disruption.
Inform Occupants	Informing occupants of your facility that HVAC cleaning work will be done by an outside firm. Tell them which areas will be worked on, for how long, and if these areas will be off limits to them during that time.
Educate the Service Provider	The first time you bring an outside HVAC cleaning service to your facility: Explain how your system works under normal conditions. Describe any peculiarities or unique conditions. Provide contact information so the provider can reach you quickly and easily.