Equipment Maintenance Checklist

Pull each return-air filter, note the MERV rating, and replace if loaded or past the 90-day cycle. Loaded filters drive up energy cost and starve the coil — common cause of summer comfort complaints on the sales floor.

Inspect line sets, Schrader valves, and the evaporator coil for oily residue. Suction-line frost or warm supply air at the register diffuser are classic symptoms. EPA Section 608 requires a certified technician to repair or recover refrigerant — escalate, do not top off.

Verify setpoints match the corporate energy schedule (typically 72°F occupied, 78°F unoccupied cooling). Confirm the sensor is not mounted behind a fixture or near a register diffuser — common reason the floor feels off but the thermostat reads normal.

Open the panel and look for tripped breakers, scorch marks, or buzzing. Trip-test GFCI receptacles in restrooms, break room, and any wet-location stockroom outlets — required by NFPA 70B. Do not pull a panel cover unless you are qualified per NFPA 70E; otherwise photograph and escalate.

Check accessible junction-box covers, outlet plates, and POS power strips. Discolored outlets, warm cover plates, or wiggling plugs indicate loose terminations — log these and route to a licensed electrician.

Hold the test button on each exit sign and emergency egress fixture for 30 seconds — required monthly under NFPA 101. Annual 90-minute battery load test is logged separately. Photograph any fixture that fails to illuminate or drops out early.

Vacuum and brush condenser coils on every reach-in and walk-in condensing unit. Dust-clogged coils are the number-one cause of compressor failure and energy waste; budget 10 minutes per case.

Close the door on a dollar bill; if it pulls out with no resistance, the gasket is shot. Look for ice buildup at the hinge corner — a sign of warm-air infiltration that the compressor is fighting 24/7.

Pull the last 30 days of temperature readings from the monitoring system (Cooper-Atkins, Therma, or built-in panel). Coolers should hold 33–38°F, freezers ≤ 0°F. Excursions over 4 hours require a product disposition decision per the food-safety SOP.

Walk the floor with the lighting plan and replace any dark lamp at end-cap, focal wall, and fitting-room fixtures first — these drive conversion. Match color temperature (typically 3000K or 3500K per brand standard); a mixed-temp end-cap reads as "messy" to customers.

Dust on a lens drops output by 20–30%. Wipe lenses with a dry microfiber; never spray solvent directly on a hot LED fixture.

Confirm the kit meets ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 Class A contents. Check expiration on antiseptics and burn gel; replace anything used since the last walk. Required under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151.

Coordinate with the monitoring company before testing — silent test or place the panel on test mode to avoid a false dispatch. NFPA 25 requires quarterly tamper-switch and water-flow tests; the annual full test is contracted separately.

Each extinguisher needs a current annual service tag (NFPA 10) and a needle in the green. Check that each is mounted on the bracket, fully visible, and not blocked by stock — blocked extinguishers are the most common AHJ citation in stockrooms.

Out-of-service extinguishers must be replaced with a loaner of equal class and rating per NFPA 10 — you cannot leave a bracket empty. Confirm the vendor's tech is certified by the state fire marshal's office.