The seasonal work that gets remembered too late

Seasonal work is the easiest maintenance to plan and the most commonly missed, because it only comes round once and there is nobody in the habit of doing it. The fix is dull: put every seasonal item on the schedule six weeks before it is needed, not in the month it is needed.

Late winter, before cooling season

• •Cooling coils cleaned and condensate drains cleared
• •Cooling tower cleaned, disinfected and the treatment programme restarted
• •Chiller service completed and readings logged
• •Roof drains and gutters cleared before the first heavy rain
• •Shading, blinds and window seals checked

Late spring

• •Irrigation started up and checked for leaks, which run all summer unnoticed
• •External paint, sealant and roof inspection while the weather allows
• •Car park and path surfaces inspected after the freeze and thaw
• •Air conditioning proved under load before the first hot week

Late summer, before heating season

• •Boiler service and combustion readings, done now rather than in October
• •Heating system proved at full output for an afternoon
• •Generator load test and fuel sample
• •Gutters, downpipes and drainage cleared of summer growth
• •Door closers, seals and draught proofing checked

Autumn, before the weather turns

• •Winter stock in place: salt, grit, shovels, spare pumps, heater hire numbers
• •Frost protection and trace heating proved, not assumed
• •Emergency lighting full duration test before the dark months
• •Snow and ice plan confirmed with whoever clears the site
• •Roof plant secured and access routes made safe for ice

Why a date in the calendar is not enough

Seasonal jobs are big, so they get moved. A schedule that lets a six-week job slip quietly to two weeks before the season is a schedule that will produce an emergency. Put an owner and a review date on each one, and check the list in the month before, not the month of.

Write next year’s list this year

At the end of each season, spend twenty minutes writing down what you wished you had done in advance. That note, attached to next year’s schedule, is worth more than any generic calendar including this one.