Spring Is Here: Perfect Time for Roof Fan Maintenance

It’s finally here! March, the glorious month that comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. With the onset of warmer weather in New York City, it’s the ideal time for property owners and managers to schedule rooftop exhaust fan maintenance. Here’s an overview of why you want to take care of this service in spring, along with other essential advice about rooftop exhaust fans and proper ventilation.

Why Is Spring the Perfect Time for Rooftop Exhaust Fan Maintenance?

Clean up for summer use

It’s been our experience at Antler Pumps that spring is the best time to perform rooftop exhaust fan maintenance. You may use your rooftop exhaust fans year-round as part of your building’s ventilation system, but they’re likely to go into overdrive once summer arrives. This is especially true if you own a property where windows don’t open. So, you want to be ready when the demand for exhaust increases.

Also, we find that fans take a lot of unseen abuse over the fall and winter. If you have not had your rooftop exhaust fan serviced recently, you’re likely to find that wind has blown leaves, twigs, trash, and other detritus into the unit. That needs to be cleaned out to prevent the airflow from becoming blocked and to ensure those items don’t impair the mechanics of the fan.

Additionally, the operation of the unit may have been affected by fall and winter weather. Wind and months-long accumulation of snow and ice can make a fan run poorly or cause damage. We can inspect it for corrosion, worn belts, bent blades, rust, loose wires, and lack of lubrication, all of which decrease performance.

Why Is Maintaining Your Rooftop Exhaust Fans So Important?

Proper ventilation is vital for tenants

While rooftop exhaust fans may be “out of sight, out of mind” for many property owners and superintendents, they shouldn’t be. The optimal functioning of your rooftop fans is integral to providing proper airflow within your building.

Fresh, clean air should be drawn into your building through your ventilation system, and stale air is exhausted through the rooftop fan. When the rooftop exhaust isn’t functioning properly, the right airflow does not occur. Inadequate airflow can result in:

  • Higher rates of illness, especially during cold and flu season
  • Increased incidents of asthma and allergies
  • Greater risk of carbon monoxide and radon poisoning
  • More mold and mildew growing in damp areas
  • Tenants complaining about smoke, food, and other unpleasant odors
  • Potential renters being turned off by bad smells and fear of health issues

Poor airflow is not just a recent concern with COVID-19. Outbreaks of contagious diseases due to poor interior air quality have been documented since the 1970s. In extreme cases, bad airflow can result in citations and fines from the New York City authorities.

How Do You Know If a Rooftop Exhaust Fan Is Not Working Properly?

Heed these warning signs

Your rooftop exhaust fan may not be working, or it could be functioning sub-optimally, if you notice any of these signs:

  • Moisture, mildew, or mold collecting in dark places or between walls and floors
  • Carbon monoxide or radon monitors signaling safe thresholds have been exceeded
  • Undesirable odors in hallways, stairwells, elevators, lobbies, rest rooms, and other public spaces
  • Tenants complaining about smells from public areas or other units coming into their personal spaces
  • Tenants reporting respiratory troubles, such as sudden allergy or asthma attacks in their homes
  • Unusual noise coming from the rooftop fan area
  • Electrical panel breakers serving rooftop exhaust fans tripping repeatedly
  • In tall buildings, worse air quality on the lower levels than upper floors

If you observe any of these negative things, take care of the problem right away, before it could potentially morph into a more serious concern. Once you have your rooftop exhaust fans serviced by Antler Pumps, if you are still experiencing these issues, you should reach out to your HVAC specialist for further assistance.

What Are Some Other Ways to Improve Ventilation in Your Building?

Use these tips in addition to roof fan maintenance

In addition to making sure your rooftop exhaust fans work properly, there are a few other things you can do to improve ventilation in your property. The first is to use good old-fashioned fresh air, also known as natural ventilation. Of course, this only works when you can open the windows. And in some instances, it may allow other unwanted substances inside, like soot, vehicle exhaust, dust, smoke, and noxious odors.

Garages and industrial areas, especially in mixed-use buildings, tend to be sources of poor-quality air. To reduce airflow from these spaces, make sure seals are in place and doors remain shut to living, office, or retail areas. Fixing air leakage problems may also help with your utility bills, as it’s likely leaks aren’t only letting in unpleasant odors; they’re also probably causing you to lose heat in winter and air conditioning in summer.

Check to make sure all kitchen range hood and bathroom exhausts are functioning correctly. This is especially important if you have a mixed-use property that contains both restaurants or industrial kitchens and residential units. Likewise, dry cleaners, photo labs, and the like should be well ventilated and sealed off from people who live in the building.

You can also try ventilating public spaces separately from residential ones. This will help prevent food odors, tobacco smoke, and other smells in the halls and lobbies from reaching private residential areas.

Schedule Your Rooftop Exhaust Fan Maintenance Call Today

Get ahead of the crowd

Don’t wait until spring is yielding to summer before checking your rooftop exhaust fans. Call Antler Pumps today at 212-534-2500, or schedule your service call via our online form. You’ll get the pick of appointments and can book the time that’s most convenient for you.


Our Privacy Policy

Omnia Mechanical Group(the “Company”) strives to ensure the highest standards for property listings and customer information privacy. Please review the following statement to learn about our company practices and policies. Please be aware that our Privacy Policy is subject to change at any time.

1. Purpose.

This Privacy Policy (“the Policy”) provides information on how the Company uses your personal information. By agreeing to the Policy, you agree to our collection and use of your personal information as described in the Policy. This Privacy Policy is effective for all new users of Sanitaryplumbing.com.

2. Personal Information.

You can browse some areas of omniagroup.nyc (“the Website”) without being a registered user. However, certain activities do require registration. (You consent to the transfer and storage of your information by registering with omniagroup.nyc).

3. Use of Information.

Our primary purpose in collecting personal information is to provide you with a safe and user-friendly experience. For example, the Company may use your personal information to:

  • Improve our services and the Website’s content and layout;
  • Provide the services and necessary customer support you request;
  • Resolve disputes, collect fees, and troubleshoot problems;
  • Track and record customer satisfaction with our services;
  • Protect the Company against error and fraud;
  • Inform you of special promotions and announcements;
  • Enforce our agreements, terms, conditions, and policies; and
  • As otherwise described to you at the time of collection.

We may occasionally ask you to complete optional surveys. These surveys are used to improve and customize your experience with Sanitaryplumbing.com.

The Company always provides you the ability to opt-out of further communication such as promotions and surveys; see the Opt-Out section below.

The Company does not share any of your personal information with outside organizations, companies, individuals, etc. The only exception to this standard is if such a disclosure is reasonably necessary to respond to any and all legal processes.

4. Links to Other Sites.

The Website may have links to other websites that may collect personally identifiable information about you. The Company is not responsible for the privacy practices of the content of those linked websites.

5. Safety & Security Precautions.

The Website has strict security measures in place to protect you and your information from fraud. Once your information is provided to Omnia Mechanical Group, we strive to ensure the confidentiality of your identity and information.

6. Opt-Out.

The Company provides you with the opportunity to opt-out of receiving promotional and other non-essential, marketing-related communications from Omnia Mechanical Group. If you would like to opt-out of these select communications, please see any of the Company’s email communications and follow the directions indicated.

7. Account Protection.

Your password ensures the security of your account. When choosing a password, the Company suggests using various characters. It is highly recommended that you do not disclose your Sanitaryplumbing.com password to anyone. (If you do disclose your password or your personal information with others, you are responsible for all actions taken in the name of your account.) If the security of your password is compromised for any reason, please contact the Company immediately.

8. Accuracy of Information

The Company does not guarantee the accuracy of information for any and all of its properties on the Website, and is not responsible for any errors or misrepresentations (made by Renters, the Client, or otherwise).

9. Cookies

The Company may place a small cookie on your computer’s hard drive. This allows us to personalize your use on the Website. In order to maximize the functionality and usability of the Website, you must set your browser’s preferences to allow both permanent and temporary cookies.

10. Changing Your Personal Information.

Should your personal information change, please immediately update your information on the Website. This will ensure the accuracy of our records. The Company does retain personal information from closed accounts in order to comply with law and collect and disburse any fees owed.

11. Third Parties

This Privacy Policy addresses only the use of information we collect from you. Since omniagroup.nyc does not control the privacy policies of third parties, you are subject to the privacy policies of those third parties. It is advisable that you consult with the management of third parties before you disclose your personal information to others.

12. General

We may amend this Privacy Policy at any time by posting the amended terms on the Website. All amended terms are immediately effective after they are initially posted on the Website.

13. Privacy Policy Questions & Concerns

Questions and/or concerns regarding the Policy should be emailed to the following email address: info@omniagroup.nyc.