Moving from Reactive to Predictive Maintenance in BAS Systems

Too many buildings still wait for something to break before anyone acts. That is reactive maintenance, and it is costing organizations more than time. It’s costing money, trust, and long-term performance.

Predictive maintenance, by contrast, is not just a buzzword. It is a shift in mindset. It is about using your Building Automation System (BAS) as a proactive tool, not just a passive dashboard.

But what does that actually look like in the real world?

Let me walk you through how I approach this shift in my own work on the ground, with real teams, and real buildings.

Most BAS platforms already collect trend data. The issue is that teams often ignore it until something fails.

Example: We had a building where VAV boxes kept overheating zones by 2 to 4 degrees daily. No one acted on it because alarms never triggered. But by reviewing daily trend charts, we spotted erratic damper movement and diagnosed a failing actuator before it broke down.

What to do: Build a habit around reviewing trends weekly. Focus on simple, high-value charts like temperature vs. damper position or static pressure vs. fan speed. Look for slow drift, that’s where predictive wins.

Involve Technicians in Diagnostics

Your techs are the most valuable sensors in the building.

Example: During a PM visit, one of our techs heard a hot water valve straining. No alarms, no complaints. We checked it manually and found mineral buildup beginning to restrict flow. Had we waited, it would’ve failed mid-season.

What to do: Train your team to observe, not just follow checklists. Add “What seems off?” as a standing question in your PM reports. Small hunches often lead to big savings.

Integrate FDD to Catch What Trends Alone Can’t

Trend logs tell a story, but Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) gives it structure.

FDD systems go beyond alarms. They analyze real-time behavior and apply rules or logic to catch inefficiencies before they cause complaints or equipment failure.

Example: At one commercial site, we noticed occasional spikes in chilled water flow, even though loop temperature looked normal. Once we activated FDD, it flagged a valve that was short cycling. No alarm had triggered, but it was already degrading actuator life and wasting energy.

The FDD engine not only detected the issue — it suggested a root cause and recommended we investigate that valve sequence across other properties.

What to do: Pick one system and define just three FDD rules:

• One to catch energy waste

• One to protect comfort

• One to extend equipment life

Act on what you learn, then refine the logic. FDD works best when it evolves with your building.

Use Predictive Logic in the BAS

You don’t need advanced AI to be predictive. Just use what your BAS already offers.

Example: We added a simple rule: if fan speed increases more than 10% while static pressure stays constant for more than three days, flag a filter inspection. We caught clogged filters before they affected performance.

What to do: Think like a system: where is your BAS working harder than it should to achieve the same outcome? That’s your first predictive logic opportunity.

Schedule Time for Deep Dives

Predictive maintenance requires time. If your team is always in fire-fighting mode, they will never see the early signs.

Example: I began reserving one half-day per month just for system reviews, no service calls, no emergencies. I just review trend logs, FDD summaries, and recent work orders. From that, I flagged three issues before they became complaints.

What to do: Make predictive work a scheduled task, not a “when we have time” item. You will be amazed at what you catch when you finally slow down and look.

Lead the Mindset Shift

Changing tools is easy. Changing behavior takes effort.

I spend real time with techs, engineers, and ops leads to move from reaction mode to proactive thinking. That’s how the shift sticks.

Example: One tech once said to me, “If it doesn’t alarm, I don’t touch it.” I showed him a trend log of a pump slowly drifting out of spec. Two weeks later, he spotted the same pattern at another building, and fixed it early. That is leadership development, built into the job.

Final Thought

While reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, I thought of this quote:

“If you don’t schedule time for maintenance, your equipment will schedule it for you.”

It is not from the book, but it perfectly reflects the mindset Covey teaches: be proactive, not reactive.

If you work in building operations, energy, or facility management, this shift is no longer optional. It is essential.

So let me ask you: What is one small step you can take this week to make your BAS more predictive?