Preparing Site Reports and Documentations: Chapter 1
Importance of Reports and Documentation
In this module, we will learn about the importance of reports and documentation. We’ll also learn about logical approach in preparing reports and recording data. Skip to quiz!
Reports and Documentation
A report is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience and purpose. Reports are usually structured using subheadings, numbered sections, and subsections.
We record helpful information in a report. These records act as evidence that the process owner or organization has performed work on the machine.
For example, it is difficult to remember exactly when we changed the oil or replaced our tires. A report of these maintenance records tells us what work has been done to the vehicle and when.
Unlike reports, all the written information in the organization is comprised of documents. These includes:
Contractor agreements,
Employment agreements, and
Partnership agreements.
We use a document before the action. On the other hand, a record is done in a report after the action.
For example, inspector Gadget wants to perform an outgoing quality check (QC) on several items. He reads through the outgoing QC procedure in a document. He then takes into action the outgoing QC inspection. He fills in the appropriate records in a report.
Reports Preparation
A lot of times, technicians on the site execute maintenance or installation of an HVAC system. Building owners or operators don’t know what fixes have been done or what installation is being carried out.
The reports serve as a reference to indicate deficiencies and remarks. These reports are prepared by a field technician and assessed by facility managers or contractors. Earth resistance is the “natural” resistance of a motor. We can measure this resistance using a multimeter.
As building owners are not thorough with HVAC systems, the report should be written such that anyone can understand. The facility managers won't approve reports if they are improper. So, we need to follow a logical approach in preparing reports and recording data.
The report should contain the following pages and information:
Title page,
Field summary,
Inspection or maintenance checklist, and
Compulsory documentation
Let us discuss each of them.
The title page should have the following information:
Name and address of contracting firm,
Project name,
Location of site,
Architect name,
Engineer name,
Contractor name, and
Report date.
The field summary section is the written story of what the technician did at our facility during the site visit. It gives a breakdown of:
Who the technician talked with,
What kind of equipment was used for the testing and balancing,
Inspections and adjustments that were made, and other important observations.
For example, the report will include information about job site arrival and initial inspection. Melink arrived on site and met with James, the site superintendent. James showed Melink the latest drawing to use for the test and inspection.
During the inspection, Melink found the following:
The exhaust fan is rotating backward, and
Several diffusers were installed in the wrong orientation on RTU.
If applicable, the summary should be followed by an itemized list of items that remain to be corrected.
We should also include pictures of deficiencies to provide a better perspective for the owner and manager. The photos are listed in order of importance, with the highest-level deficiencies listed first.
Another great use of a report is using the unit inspection checklists to see what should be monitored by our HVAC contractor. The equipment manufacturer or contractor provides the checklist. We need to add that checklist to the report.
There is some compulsory documentation that has to be included in the report. These include:
Symbol sheet,
Test instruments,
Building and rooftop layout, and
EPA records.
If we are preparing a test and balance report, we have to add instrumentation used for testing. The image to the right shows the test and instrumentation page from the report. The instrument name, its model, and manufacturer are explicitly mentioned in the test instrument.
Building and rooftop layout is a key that shows where our building’s HVAC-related equipment is located. The image to the right shows an example of the building and rooftop layout of the HVAC site.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has obligated records to be kept in a report while handling refrigerants. For example, records must be kept by the technician or company employing the technician when disposing of an appliance with 5-50 pounds of refrigerant.
A report is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience and purpose. Unlike reports, all the written information in the organization is comprised of documents. These includes:
Contractor agreements,
Employment agreements, and
Partnership agreements.
The report should contain the following pages and information:
Title page,
Field summary,
Inspection or maintenance checklist, and
Compulsory documentation.
Question #1: What is the need to prepare reports in an organization or industry?
It can reduce the cost of the machine
It acts as a record for future work
It reduces machine failures
It improves machine’s life
Scroll down for the answer...
Answer: It acts as a record for future work
We record helpful information in a report. These records act as evidence for future work.
Question #2: Which among the following is an example of a document used in an organization? (Select all that apply)
Contractor agreements
Employment agreements
Partnership agreements
None of the above
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Answer: Contractor agreements
Employment agreements
Partnership agreements
All the written information in the organization is comprised of documents. These includes:
Contractor agreements
Employment agreements
Partnership agreements
Question #3: Who prepares reports on an HVAC system present on the site?
Architect
HVAC field technician
General contractor
Engineer
Scroll down for the answer...
Answer: HVAC field technician
The reports on the HVAC system are prepared by a field technician and assessed by facility managers or contractors.
Question #4: What information is included in an HVAC site report? (Select all that apply)
Certification requirements by a technician
Field summary
Salary of HVAC technician
Inspection or maintenance checklist
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Answer: Field summary
Inspection or maintenance checklist
The inspection report has project-specific information. These include:
Project name,
Inspector and coworkers name,
Date of inspection, and
Purpose of inspection.
Question #5: What information should be present on the title page of an HVAC report? (Select all that apply)
Location of site
Project name
Contractor name
Report date
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Answer: Location of site
Project name
Contractor name
Report date
The title page should have following information:
Project name,
Location of site,
Contractor name, and
Report date.
Question #6: What documentation is compulsorily present in an HVAC report? (Select all that apply)
Symbol sheet
Test instruments
Building and rooftop layout
EPA records
Scroll down for the answer...
Answer: Symbol sheet
Test instruments
Building and rooftop layout
EPA records
Some compulsory documentation that has to be included in the report are:
Symbol sheet,
Test instruments,
Building and rooftop layout, and
EPA records.