The office preventive maintenance checklist
Every task below prevents a specific failure documented in our verified guides — the links show exactly what each one saves you from. Work the monthly list in about 30 minutes. Progress saves in your browser; the print button makes a clean paper copy for the wall.
Monthly (~30 minutes)
Hold every exit sign / emergency light test button for a full 30 seconds
NFPA 101 monthly requirement; dimming during the hold = failing battery · guide
Pour a gallon of water (+ spoonful of mineral oil) down floor drains and unused fixtures
Dry P-traps let sewer gas in — the classic mystery smell · guide
Oil the shredder (and every time the bin is emptied in heavy use)
Unoiled cutters jam, overheat, and die young — shredder oil only, never WD-40 · guide
Check HVAC/furnace filters; replace if grey
Clogged filters trigger limit-switch shutdowns on every furnace brand · guide
Log the exit-sign test (location, date, pass/fail, name)
The written record is what the fire marshal actually asks for · guide
Quarterly
Descale the coffee brewers (Keurig: use the proper descale mode)
Scale is the #1 brewer killer; Keurig's light won't clear without the mode · guide
Run the BUNN deliming spring through the sprayhead tube
One minute of sawing prevents the weak-coffee complaints · guide
Sweep the office: tighten chair bolts, check casters, silicone any squeaks
Ten minutes prevents the slow death of every task chair · guide
Watch every door close: slamming or hanging open = 1/8-turn valve adjustment
Slamming doors are a 90-second screwdriver fix · guide
Confirm the rooftop unit PM visit happened (belts, coils, drains, economizer test)
60–80% of RTU economizers are silently broken; a $40 belt saves a $5,000 compressor · guide
Audit UPS units: nothing but computers/network gear on battery outlets
Laser printers and heaters on UPS outlets kill batteries — per APC's own docs · guide
Audit door keypad codes: remove departed staff; confirm defaults were changed
Schlage defaults are printed on a sticker behind the keypad · guide
Annual
Run the 90-minute full-duration emergency lighting test
The NFPA 101 annual requirement — units must stay lit the entire time · guide
Check UPS battery ages; replace any pack over 4 years old
APC documents 3–5 year battery life — less in hot closets · guide
Check exit-sign battery install dates; replace at ~4 years
Sealed lead-acid packs last 3–5 years; the sign outlives many batteries · guide
Check projector lamp hours and filter; clean or plan replacement
Filters cause overheat shutdowns; lamps announce their end in advance · guide
Stock one flushometer diaphragm kit per GPF type in the building
The $25 part that turns a flooding restroom into a 15-minute fix · guide
Benchmark next year's R&M budget against your square footage
Know whether vendor contracts and CAM charges are in the fair band · guide
Every task links to the verified guide documenting what it prevents. Progress is saved in this browser only.