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.

Submit a work order through ServiceChannel, Corrigo, or the facilities portal your chain uses. Include unit tag, photos, and the symptom — vague tickets ("AC not working") get triaged last.

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.

Record fixture location, battery serial, and failure mode. AHJ inspectors check the NFPA 101 monthly log first — a missing entry is a faster citation than a failed fixture you've already documented for repair.

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.

Capture the date, duration, peak temperature, and affected SKUs. Excursions on TCS (time/temperature control for safety) products may require disposal under the local health code; the food-safety lead authorizes destroy-out and credits.

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.

Open the lighting-control panel (Lutron, Wattstopper, or local time clock) and confirm on/off times match current store hours. After daylight-saving changes the schedule is the single most common drift point — stores end up lit at 6 a.m. on a closed Sunday, burning labor-budget energy.

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.

The store manager signs the completed walk. File the record for three years; AHJ inspectors and corporate facilities audits both ask for the trailing 12 months.