HVAC field service software for planned maintenance, breakdowns and compliance records

Keep each heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, its visit cycle and its records in one place, from chiller plant to walk-in cooler.

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Updated 16 Oct 2026

FieldEx scheduling board on desktop with a technician's inspection checklist open on the mobile app, as used by HVAC service teams

FieldEx is a field service and asset management (FSM+CMMS) application for HVAC service teams. Each chiller, air handling unit (AHU), fan coil unit (FCU), cooling tower and cold room has its own record. FieldEx runs planned preventive maintenance (PPM) by date or running hours and schedules leak checks and water-treatment inspections. Technicians see each unit's history, checklist and parts on their phone.

What FieldEx does for HVAC service and maintenance teams

Commercial HVAC work is a cycle of visits to the same units, broken up by breakdowns. The client, the auditor and the regulator all want to see the paper trail. FieldEx runs that cycle on each unit's own record, so planned work, call-outs and proof sit together. Book a demo to see it on your own plant list.

Equipment records down to the component

A record for every chiller, AHU, FCU, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system and split unit.
Records for rooftop units, cooling towers and cold rooms too.
Each record is linked to its customer and site and holds specifications, photos, serial numbers, warranty details and location.
Parent and component levels in Asset Management. A chiller's compressors, pumps and starter each keep their own history, and so do an AHU's fan motor and coils.
QR or barcode labels for each unit. Technicians scan the label to open the record, its history and the right checklist.
Running-hour meter readings with their history, attached drawings and manuals, and a change history showing who edited what and when.

Maintenance plans that run the whole visit cycle

Plans that create the visits automatically, with different checklists and technicians for the monthly check, the quarterly service and the annual overhaul.
Triggers on the calendar, on running hours, or on whichever comes first.
Fixed calendar schedules, or schedules that recalculate from the date the last visit was actually completed. Fixed calendar dates apply to time-based plans.
Missed visits rescheduled automatically after a set overdue period.
Plans applied across many sites, picking up new units automatically when they match the plan's criteria.
Last and next maintenance dates on every plan and unit, in Preventive Maintenance.

Inspections, leak checks and water-treatment records

Asset-linked checklists on web and mobile, grouped into sections, with reference photos.
Checklist questions generated with AI from a description, or from a PDF or PNG of your existing checklist or procedure.
A failed answer can raise a corrective work order and its tasks, schedule a follow-up inspection, and update the unit's status and meter reading.
Recurring inspections and certifications for each unit, such as leak checks, cooling tower water tests and eddy current tests, in Compliance Documentation.
Each one shows as due, overdue or completed and sends reminders. A completed check records the result, who did it and any remarks, with the report attached.

Breakdowns, dispatch and response times

Automatic assignment by skill, availability and service zone. It respects shifts and leave and uses each technician's live location.
A drag-and-drop scheduler for backlog jobs, reassignment and rescheduling. The technician is notified each time.
Service-level agreements timed against business hours for each customer and unit, with several stages and at-risk and violation alerts.
A warning when a unit that had a recent job gets a new one, so callbacks are caught early.
Fault reports from the customer portal, or from a site QR code without logging in. Each report arrives as a work order.

Field work on the mobile app

The day's jobs and each unit's history on the phone, with QR scanning to open units and checklists.
Jobs download to the phone, so technicians can work without a signal and upload when the connection returns.
Parts recorded from the technician's own stock, watermarked photos and video with annotation, and the customer's signature, all on the FieldEx Mobile App.

Spare parts and van stock

Each technician's own stock, visible on the phone.
Transfers between the store, vans and technicians, with barcode scanning and approvals where needed.
A movement history of every transfer, stock adjustment and part used on a job.
Low-stock and reorder alerts for every stock location, vans included, in Spare Parts Inventory.
Parts used recorded on the job and on the unit, with warranty periods kept on each part.

Your own leak detectors, gauges and vans

Your own leak detectors, gauge sets, recovery machines and vacuum pumps on record as company assets, each with its serial number and location.
Calibration and check due dates for each instrument, with reminders before they lapse and the certificate kept on the record.
Service vans on maintenance plans by date or by odometer reading, with each van's service history on its own record.

Contracts, customer portal and reports

Customer contracts linked to the units they cover and the maintenance plans that serve them.
A branded customer portal. Customers see their equipment with last-serviced dates, upcoming maintenance and job status, and download job reports.
A completion PDF for every job, emailed to the customer with a record of when it was sent.
The PDF holds job and equipment details, the fault and its resolution, and parts with quantities and prices. It also shows check-in and check-out times, attachments and the customer's signature.
Reports on each unit's reliability, maintenance cost, utilization and age, exported or emailed on a schedule.

How often should commercial HVAC equipment be serviced?

Under Standard 180, many commercial HVAC tasks fall due quarterly, with others twice a year or once a year. The manufacturer's manual and the contract set the exact tasks. The minimum reference is ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180-2018, the US national standard for maintaining commercial HVAC systems. For air handlers, it sets quarterly checks of filters, drain pans and coils. Belts, sheaves, controls and variable-frequency drives are checked twice a year.

Motor amps and volts
Refrigerant pressures and temperatures
Chilled-water and condenser-water in and out temperatures
The load

Standard 180 also tunes the plan. An item that fails two inspections in a row needs a review, and three good results in a row can justify a longer interval.

What FieldEx does about it

One plan for the whole visit cycle

One maintenance plan can use different checklists and technicians at different points in the cycle. An AHU plan can create a monthly filter check, a quarterly belt-and-coil service and an annual overhaul. Each visit has its own job template, so the technician always opens the right list.

Time, running hours or both

Plans can trigger on the calendar, on the unit's meter reading, or on whichever comes first. The meter can count running hours, cycles or another unit. A heavily used AHU is serviced on hours, while a standby unit still gets its calendar visit.

Schedules that keep their shape when a visit runs late

Each plan can follow a fixed calendar or count from the date the last visit was actually completed. A late quarterly visit then doesn't leave the next one crowding in a few weeks later. FieldEx can also reschedule missed visits automatically after a set overdue period.

Plans that follow your installed base

Plans can cover whole sites and pick up new units that match the plan's criteria. A newly commissioned FCU on a covered floor joins the right PPM cycle without anyone having to remember it.

What are the maintenance tasks for a chiller?

A chiller needs a manufacturer's inspection at least quarterly, an annual shutdown service and a few long-interval tests. The US Department of Energy's Operations and Maintenance Best Practices Guide lists the routine:

Quarterly: inspection to the manufacturer's procedure, including leak checks, pressures, oil levels and motor amps.
Annually: condenser and evaporator tubes cleaned at shutdown, an oil and filter analysis, and electrical connections checked.
Every visit: refrigerant added is recorded, and leaks are dealt with.

Contractors interviewed by ACHR News put eddy current tube testing at every three to five years, and a full teardown at around 10 years or 80,000 running hours.

What FieldEx does about it

The chiller as a parent asset: the compressors, pumps, starter and controls sit under the chiller as components. Each part keeps its own service and replacement history.
Quarterly to annual tasks in one plan: the plan runs the quarterly inspection and the annual shutdown service, each with its own checklist and technician.
Long-interval tests that don't slip: eddy current tests and teardowns run as recurring certifications with their own repeat frequency. Each shows as due or overdue, sends reminders and holds the test report once done.
Running hours on the record: meter readings and their history sit on the unit, and a completed inspection can update the reading. Hour-based triggers and the 80,000-hour mark stay in view.

What should an HVAC preventive maintenance checklist include?

A good checklist follows the manufacturer's manual and the client's scope, and records what the technician found. It typically covers:

Filters, belts and bearings
Coil and drain pan condition, and condensate drainage
Electrical connections, controls and safety devices
For chillers, the refrigerant, oil and pressure checks

Standard 180 adds a documentation rule. Each task is documented and archived, with condition assessments and measurements recorded, and any degradation the technician sees is written down.

What FieldEx does about it

Checklists matched to the unit: technicians open the checklist for the asset in front of them. It is grouped into sections, with reference photos that show what "good" looks like.
Checklists built from your procedure: FieldEx can generate inspection questions with AI from a description, or from a PDF or PNG of your existing checklist or procedure.
Defects turn into work: a failed answer can create a corrective work order and its tasks straight away, and schedule a follow-up inspection.
Exact readings on every visit: forms on the job add number fields for suction and discharge pressures, amps and water temperatures. Each value the technician enters on site is saved against the job.
Readings update the asset: completing an inspection can update the unit's status and its meter reading.

How do you keep service history for each chiller, AHU and FCU, down to its components?

Keep a record for each unit and each major component, not one file for the building. On a chiller, that means the compressors, starter, pumps and controls. On an AHU, it means the fan motor, coils and filter banks. Standard 180 expects completed tasks to be archived, condition assessments documented and plan changes recorded. When a component is swapped, its history stays with it.

What FieldEx does about it

Parent and component levels: each unit can be a parent asset with its components underneath. A chiller and its compressors each keep their own record, and so do an AHU and its fan motor.
QR labels for every unit: print QR or barcode labels in several sizes and layouts. A technician scans the label to open the unit's history and start the right checklist.
Everything tied to the unit: work orders, parts used and meter readings sit on the asset record, along with contracts, attachments and warranty details. A change history shows who edited what and when.
Lifecycle reporting: Reporting and Analytics shows each unit's reliability, maintenance cost, utilization and age. Use it in repair-or-replace conversations with the client.

What refrigerant leak-check records do HVAC contractors need to keep?

Keep a leak-check and refrigerant record for each unit, sized to its charge. The two main rule sets:

United States: from 1 January 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency's leak repair rule (40 CFR 84.106) covers appliances with 15 pounds or more of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant. Above a 10% leak rate for comfort cooling, or 20% for commercial refrigeration, leaks are repaired within 30 days and verified twice.
European Union: the F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 sets leak checks by the charge in CO2 equivalent. They are due every 12 months from 5 tonnes, every 6 months from 50 tonnes and every 3 months from 500 tonnes.

What FieldEx does about it

A check frequency per unit: each unit's leak check is a recurring inspection at the frequency that unit needs. A 12-month unit and a 6-month unit each get their own due date.
Due, overdue and reminders: each check shows its status, and reminders go out by email, in-app notification or both.
The result and who did it: each completed check records the date, the technician, the result and remarks, with the leak-test report attached.
Refrigerant by the kilogram: set refrigerant up as a spare part measured in kg. The quantity added is logged against the job, deducted from stock and shown on the completion PDF. Refrigerant recovered goes in the job's resolution details.
The re-test after a repair: a failed check can raise the repair work order and schedule the follow-up inspection. The re-test inside the month is already on the calendar.

How should you track cooling tower water treatment and legionella records?

Track each tower's weekly and monthly water checks, a Legionella sample at least every quarter, and a full clean at least twice a year for comfort cooling systems. The UK Health and Safety Executive's HSG274 Part 1 (2024) sets weekly dip slides with pH, conductivity and biocide checks, and monthly inhibitor checks. Records are kept for at least 5 years and show who did the work and when.

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) sets a similar rhythm for registered towers. Its rules ask for a monthly bacteria count, kept for 12 months, and a quarterly Legionella count reported to NEA.

What FieldEx does about it

Each check on its own schedule: set the tower's weekly, monthly and quarterly checks as recurring inspections, each with its due date.
Results with proof attached: record the result and remarks for each check, and attach lab results and disinfection certificates to the completed record.
The tower as its own asset: tower work stays on the tower's record, separate from the chiller it serves, with the full history in one place.
The client sees it too: in the Customer Portal, the client sees upcoming maintenance and downloads completed job reports.

How often should commercial refrigeration and walk-in coolers be serviced?

Have a technician service walk-in coolers and freezers every quarter, and clean the condenser coil every six months. Those are the manufacturers' intervals: Norlake and Heatcraft recommend quarterly service and a six-monthly coil and blade clean. Between visits, site staff log temperatures every shift, check door seals daily and clear drains weekly. The target is a food-safety limit: the US Food and Drug Administration's Food Code requires cold-held food at 5°C (41°F) or less.

Chilled food between −1°C and 10°C, and frozen food at −18°C
A temperature-recording device accurate to within ±1°C
Defrosting whenever necessary
Storage records kept for inspection

For a cold-room contractor, that means servicing coils, defrost, door seals and the temperature device on a schedule.

What FieldEx does about it

Each cold room and condensing unit on record: walk-in coolers, freezers, cold stores and display cases each get an asset record and history. So do their condensing units.
Temperatures with a history: each cold room's temperature is saved as a meter reading on its asset record, which builds a timestamped history. Technicians enter a reading from the asset record, or FieldEx prompts them when they complete the checklist.
Quarterly and six-monthly visits in one plan: the plan schedules the quarterly technician service and the six-monthly condenser clean, each with its own checklist.
A fault becomes a job: a failed door seal or blocked drain on the checklist raises the corrective work order there and then.
Out-of-hours calls tracked: service-level agreements send at-risk and violation alerts. A cold-room breakdown stays inside the response time the client signed up to.

What should a walk-in cooler maintenance checklist cover?

Cover the door, the coils and the drain on every quarterly visit:

Door gaskets, door sweeps and heated vents
Evaporator and condenser coils
Drain lines and defrost operation

A yearly visit adds electrical connections, refrigerant leak checks, and controls and alarms. The technician also reviews the temperature logs to plan replacements, and writes every finding against the unit it belongs to.

What FieldEx does about it

A cold-room checklist in sections: doors, coils, drains and defrost. Reference photos show what a good gasket or a clear drain looks like.
Follow-up work from the answers: a "fail" on defrost or coil condition creates the work order and its tasks, and can schedule a follow-up inspection.
The history is one tap away: scanning the cold room's QR label shows previous visits, parts replaced and photos on the technician's phone.
Contracts tied to units: each contract links to the units and PPM plans it covers.

How do HVAC companies stop missing PPM visits and callbacks on maintenance contracts?

Create every contract visit ahead of its due date, and flag a unit the moment it calls out again. Visits get missed when schedules live in spreadsheets, and callbacks often surface only when the customer complains. Standard 180 adds a rule worth building in: a unit that fails two inspections in a row gets its plan reviewed.

What FieldEx does about it

Visits created automatically: maintenance plans create the work orders ahead of the due date. Missed visits can be rescheduled after a set overdue period.
Callback warning: when a unit with a recent job gets a new one, FieldEx alerts the team by email or in-app notification. Repeat breakdowns are spotted and checked.
Response time targets: service-level agreements track response and fix times against business hours for each customer and unit, with at-risk and violation alerts.
Contracts tied to units and plans: each customer contract links to the units it covers and the maintenance plans that serve them.

How do you send the right technician to an HVAC breakdown?

Match the call to a technician with the right skills who is free and in the right zone, then choose the nearest and least busy. Refrigerant work also needs a certified technician under the rules above.

What FieldEx does about it

Automatic assignment: assignment rules pick a technician by skill, availability and service zone. They respect shifts and leave and use each technician's live location.
A scheduler for the exceptions: in Scheduling and Dispatch, dispatchers drag backlog jobs onto technician calendars, reassign them and reschedule. The technician is notified each time.
Faults reported at the unit: customers report a fault with photos or video, through the customer portal or by scanning a site QR code without logging in. The request arrives as a work order.
Parts on the van: technicians check their own stock on the phone and request a transfer from the store before they set off.

What should an HVAC service report include?

An HVAC service report shows the unit, the fault and the work done. It also lists the parts used and time on site, with photos and a signature. Compliance records set the same bar. HSG274 asks for records that show who did the work and when, and the EU F-gas rules ask for the dates and results of every leak check.

What FieldEx does about it

The report writes itself: when the job is done, FieldEx generates a completion PDF. It holds the job and equipment details, addresses, the fault and its resolution, and the work carried out. It also lists spare parts with quantities and prices, check-in and check-out times, attachments and the customer's signature.
Your own layout if you need it: admins can build custom PDF layouts to match a client's report format.
Sent and tracked: FieldEx sends the PDF automatically to the customer or anyone else, and records when it was sent. The PDF can be regenerated if the job changes.
Available later: the client can download the job report from the customer portal whenever an auditor asks.

How often should HVAC leak detectors and test instruments be checked?

Check electronic leak detectors at least every 12 months. Under the EU's leak-checking rules, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1516/2007, portable gas detectors are checked every 12 months. Each must pick up a leak of 5 grams a year. Gauges, thermometers and other test instruments follow the manufacturer's calibration interval.

What FieldEx does about it

Your tools as assets: each leak detector, gauge set, recovery machine and vacuum pump can have its own record, with serial number and location.
Check dates that don't lapse: each instrument's yearly check runs as a recurring certification. FieldEx marks each detector or gauge set due or overdue, sends reminders and keeps its certificate on the instrument's record.
Vans on their own plans: each HVAC service van follows a maintenance plan by date or odometer reading, and its record keeps the service history.

Customer story

Royal Facilities Management runs facilities maintenance for properties in Oman on FieldEx. It's a different trade, but the same job: planned maintenance and breakdowns on every site's equipment. QR codes at each site take work requests and equipment faults, and maintenance work orders are created automatically by time and equipment. "A lean team of three can now manage multiple sites smoothly."

Read the Royal Facilities Management Story

DKSM is a mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and fire safety contractor in Malaysia. It uses FieldEx to automate compliance scheduling and inventory tracking across 300+ client sites. Maintenance reminders and work orders follow each account's schedule, and team leads log parts on their phones.

Read the DKSM Story

Questions HVAC contractors ask about FieldEx

What is the best HVAC field service software for commercial work?

Commercial HVAC software has to handle the equipment as well as the jobs. FieldEx keeps service jobs and planned maintenance on the same unit record, so the history the client asks for builds up from the work itself. Compare approaches in our guide to Field Service Management Software.

What is the best app for HVAC technicians?

The best app opens the unit from a QR scan and shows the right checklist. It records parts from the technician's own stock, takes watermarked photos and captures the customer's signature. The FieldEx mobile app does each of these, and the office sees the completed job and its PDF report as soon as the technician syncs.

Can FieldEx run chiller PPM on running hours as well as dates?

Yes. Maintenance plans can trigger on the calendar, on the unit's meter reading, or on whichever comes first. Each unit can use its own meter interval, or the plan can apply one interval to every unit it covers. Completing an inspection can update the reading.

How do HVAC contractors keep track of PPM schedules across many sites?

Put every site's units on maintenance plans instead of a spreadsheet. One FieldEx plan can cover many sites, and new units that match its criteria join it automatically, with each unit's next visit date on the plan.

Can FieldEx schedule refrigerant leak checks for each unit?

Yes. Leak checks run as recurring inspections on each unit, at the frequency its charge requires. Each check shows as due, overdue or completed and sends reminders. The completed check records the result and the technician, with the test report attached.

Can FieldEx track walk-in cooler and cold-room service history?

Yes. Each cold room, freezer and condensing unit is an asset with its own record. Every visit, checklist, photo and replaced part is kept against it, with a timestamped history of temperature readings. Scan its QR label on site to see the history on the phone.

Can FieldEx replace our HVAC service report template?

Yes. Instead of filling in a Word or Excel template, the technician completes the job on the app and FieldEx generates the report, as described above. Admins can build custom PDF layouts, so the report can follow the format your clients already know.

Can our customers report a fault and see their equipment's service history?

Yes. In a branded customer portal, customers see their equipment with its last-serviced date, upcoming maintenance and job status. They submit service requests with photos or video and download job reports. Building staff can also report a fault by scanning a QR code on the unit, without logging in.

Can FieldEx track equipment and parts warranties?

Yes. Warranty details sit on each unit's record and warranty periods on each spare part, so the office can check cover before charging for a repair.

Can technicians complete work orders without a signal?

Yes. Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later. That covers plant rooms and basements with no signal.

How does setup, implementation and training work?

There's no setup fee. Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. Units can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included. See Setup and Training.

See your chiller and AHU visit cycle running in FieldEx

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