4 Reasons To Run HVAC Maintenance Ahead Of Winter Weather
Regardless of location or how the thermometer swings, building owners and managers need to prepare their HVAC systems to weather an unpredictable winter season. Winter is the peak time for heating emergencies due to fluctuating temperatures, and it’s imperative for leaders to prepare their systems ahead of time to avoid costly repairs, critical downtime, and other major disruptions.
According to Parts Town’s 2025 “Downtime Survey,” the top causes of HVAC downtime includes aging equipment, improper operation, malfunctioning OEM parts and, notably, a lack of preventative maintenance. Across all institutions surveyed, including education, healthcare, hospitality, and business entities, HVAC systems are listed as critical equipment and over half of institutions use nine types of HVAC equipment in their daily operations.
To anticipate any potential issues before they strike during this critical time of year, facilities teams need to get ahead of HVAC maintenance.
Four Reasons To Prepare HVAC Systems
1. Maintenance Prevents Critical Future Downtime
Scheduling seasonal HVAC evaluations before the winter helps lower the risk of mid-winter emergencies and prevents future downtime that could be detrimental for critical institutions. Even a brief outage can bring operations to a standstill, from hospital wing closures that require accommodating patients, disrupted school days, or tenant compliance issues.
Many institutions run on fixed schedules, making consistent heating system checkups necessary to keeping operations running. For example, hospitals rely on strict scheduling blocks to manage operating rooms, and an HVAC outage can halt critical surgeries and procedures, a factor that can be especially dangerous during the winter months. According to the Downtime Survey, preventative HVAC maintenance is performed far more often than other systems in healthcare, highlighting how important functioning heating and cooling is in these facilities.
Early maintenance protects mission-critical timing, and scheduling a skilled technician check-up prior to the start of the season can help mitigate any fallout.
2. Early Check Ups Maintain Air Safety & Health of Residents
Facilities rely on well-managed HVAC systems for healthy ventilation, especially during the winter months when windows are sealed and poor airflow can cause dust and allergens to recirculate. Poor indoor air quality and faulty heating during severe winter weather is a major health risk for building occupants, from hospital patients to university students.
Additionally, facilities must meet specific air safety and heating regulations, making early maintenance critical for compliance. Frequent checkups ensure that ventilation systems are operating smoothly, temperatures are stable, humidity is under control, filters are clean, and safety controls like CO detectors and emergency shutoffs are in place. These measures can help technicians ensure a healthy, code-compliant environment is in place.
3. Institutions Can Save Costs in the Long Run
Routine maintenance ahead of the peak season can save institutions big in the long run. The winter season is prime time for HVAC systems to break down, meaning higher costs to fix or replace broken systems and greater demand for available parts. In the middle of heating season when techs are overwhelmed, unexpected winter premiums can also impact budgets. According to the Downtime Survey, respondents across education, healthcare, and hotels say that 22% of all HVAC downtime can cause over $1,000 in lost revenue.
For older institutions with aging systems, a heating failure can result in costly repairs and significant downtime. Pre-winter maintenance can reduce strain on older heating systems, alleviate wear-and-tear issues, and even add more time to the system’s lifespan.
As more facilities teams look toward repair over replace to save on costs, early maintenance helps avoid premature replacements, mitigate costs, and better plan investments for modernized HVAC models.
4. Pre-Season Checks Offer Lower Costs & More Tech Availability
With peak heating season also comes a massive influx of repair requests and longer technician wait times. With the HVAC industry facing a significant labor shortage due to retiring and aging-out workers, there’s a higher chance that systems in need of repair may experience longer periods of downtime this winter.
This is why it’s imperative to schedule maintenance orders and check on systems before the long-term cold front settles in. Early maintenance means faster technician availability, lower labor costs, and more flexibility to schedule repairs or replacements without disrupting daily building operations.
The Importance Of Strong HVAC Partner Relationships
Once temperatures drop, even routine HVAC issues can escalate quickly. Facility executives need a dependable HVAC strategy and strong service partnerships to stay ahead of any potential issues. Finding reputable technicians with extensive knowledge is not only important for emergencies, but also to educate facilities teams, ensuring that all parties understand what it takes to keep systems running smoothly and maintenance schedules are maintained.
Facility managers must maintain service-provider relationships and have technicians to call who can quickly supply what they need with expedited delivery. Trusted institutions, technicians and parts partners understand that time is critical, and getting the right parts to the right place fast helps minimize downtime and maintain client trust not just during the winter but all year round.
By Jeff Audette
Jeff Audette is the Senior Vice President of HVAC at Parts Town, bringing over 18 years of leadership experience to the fast-growing segment. He is responsible for driving growth through strong manufacturer relationships, strategic partnerships, and new business development across the HVAC space.