More often than not, it isn’t until an extraction system grinds to a halt and all-but falls to pieces that the respective business owner gives it any real thought or attention. Depending on the actual working environment itself, it may be 100% impossible to operate without operational dust extraction systems or quality ventilation, meaning that any problems with them could result in wholly crippling downtime for the business as a whole.
Suffice to say, this isn’t the kind of scenario any modern business owner would like to face.
This is precisely why it really is of paramount importance to be aware of the kinds of warning signs to watch out for in terms of extraction system health and maintenance. More often than not, you’ll be given plenty of advance warnings that things aren’t quite as amicable as they should be, so if and when the following examples rear their heads, now’s not the time to ignore the problem and hope it goes away:
1 – Overly Loud Operation
A fair few examples of extraction systems are rather on the loud side to begin with, but having been there for some time you should be able to tell the difference between its normal operational volume and when things get a little OTT on the loudness front. When a ventilation system starts running more loudly than it should, this tends to be a sign that for one reason or another it is working too hard or struggling to work at all. There could be a blockage making it difficult for it do its job, one of the motors may not be working or perhaps nothing more than a little lubrication is needed – all such instances calling for the immediate inspection and maintenance of a professional service provider.
2 – Ambient Temperature Changes
When the temperature within the workplace suddenly changes or becomes difficult to control, the usual reaction is one of playing with the air conditioning and general heating systems to try and bring it back to some kind of balance. However, if the problem lies with your extraction systems, you’re not only ignoring what could be a serious problem but also spending more money on energy to counter its effects. Poorly maintained extraction systems are notorious for affecting the temperature within the workplace and until the fault is fixed, you could be fighting a losing battle. In most instances you’ll find that it’s a quickly-fixable problem that won’t cost you a great deal – the proverbial stitch in time that saves nine.
3 – Any Unusual Odours
One of the jobs of the extraction system is to take any unclear or unpleasant air out of the premises in order to ensure there’s plenty of more pleasant and clean air for the workers within to breathe. As such, if at any time you or anyone else becomes aware of any unusual smells, this really can mean only one thing – your extraction systems aren’t doing their job properly. Of course the smell could be originating from a variety of sources, but it could also be that your extraction ducts are clogged, the engines are overheating or perhaps there’s some kind of a build-up that’s preventing fresh air from circulating. This is usually easy enough for the professional to assess and mostly demands little more than a quick fix…assuming of course you act as quickly as possible.
4 – Energy Bill Increases
Another tell-tale sign to be on the lookout for is a sudden or gradual increase in your energy bills that doesn’t seem to have any kind of obvious explanation. When an extraction system isn’t able to do its job as efficiently as it should be able to, chances are it will drink up considerably more electricity in order to ‘power through’ its problems. This will inherently mean not only poorer performance, but also much more expensive monthly energy bills that there’s really no need to be paying.
5 – Employee Lethargy/Sickness
Last but not least, this is perhaps the most worrying and indeed severe warning sign of all to watch out for, but if you’re noticing a raft of employee lethargy or sickness in the workplace, there’s always the chance it could be a problem with the air they’re breathing. Of course it’s really unthinkable to ponder the consequences of this kind of irresponsibility – it could be the end of your brand and your business – which is why for the sake of everyone involved across the board it is of paramount importance to keep your extraction systems in pristine working order, day in and day out.