Preventive vs Corrective vs Condition Based Maintenance: Which Does Your Site Need?
Planned Maintenance · Electrical and HVAC · Facilities
The three main types of maintenance are preventive (done on a schedule regardless of condition), corrective (fixing a fault that has already happened) and condition based (triggered by measured signs of deterioration). A well run site uses all three, with preventive and condition based work keeping corrective call outs to a minimum. Indigi Power and Cooling delivers electrical and HVAC maintenance programs across Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast under one agreement.
Facilities teams hear these terms constantly, often used loosely. The difference matters, because the mix of maintenance types on a site decides whether the budget is predictable or a string of emergency invoices.
| Type | Triggered by | Electrical examples | HVAC examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preventive | The calendar | RCD tests, emergency lighting discharge tests, torque checks, test and tag | Filter changes, coil cleans, condensate drain clearing |
| Corrective | A fault or failure | Replacing a failed breaker, repairing a burnt termination | Replacing a failed compressor or fan motor |
| Condition based | Measured deterioration | Thermal imaging findings, insulation resistance trends | Refrigerant pressure logging, vibration on fans and motors |
Preventive maintenance
Preventive, or planned preventative maintenance (PPM), is work done on a fixed schedule whether or not a fault exists. It is the cheapest category of work and much of it is also how a site proves compliance, such as six monthly emergency lighting tests and RCD tests.
Corrective maintenance
Corrective maintenance repairs something that has already failed or been found faulty. Some is unavoidable, but the volume of corrective work is a direct measure of how well the preventive program is working. A site with constant reactive call outs usually has no real maintenance plan.
Condition based maintenance
Condition based maintenance acts on evidence. A thermal scan showing a hot joint, insulation resistance falling year on year, or a refrigerant circuit losing pressure all say an asset needs attention before it fails. This is where a program starts forecasting capital spend instead of reacting to it.
Why electrical and HVAC belong in one program
Many faults sit on the boundary between trades. A distribution board runs hot because the air conditioning it feeds is short cycling; the electrician does not know about the air conditioning and the mechanical contractor does not know about the board. With one contractor holding both an electrical licence and ARC refrigerant authorisation, one asset register and one report cover both, and boundary faults get found. That is the approach behind our commercial and industrial electrical and HVAC maintenance programs.
Where we work
Indigi Power and Cooling delivers this work across South East Queensland from our Tingalpa head office, covering Brisbane, Ipswich and the Western Corridor, the Gold Coast and Yatala, Logan, Redlands and Bayside, Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three main types of maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is done on a fixed schedule regardless of condition. Corrective maintenance repairs faults that have already happened. Condition based maintenance is triggered by measured evidence of deterioration, such as a hot joint on a thermal scan. A good program uses all three.
What is planned preventative maintenance?
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) is scheduled servicing of assets at set intervals, such as quarterly air conditioning filter changes, six monthly RCD and emergency lighting tests and annual switchboard thermal imaging, to prevent failures and keep compliance records current.
Is preventive maintenance cheaper than corrective maintenance?
Generally yes. Preventive work is planned, done in business hours where possible and stops small problems becoming failures, while corrective work is often urgent, after hours and includes collateral damage and downtime.
What is condition based maintenance?
Condition based maintenance is work triggered by measurements that show an asset is deteriorating, such as thermal imaging, insulation resistance trends, vibration analysis or refrigerant pressure logging, rather than by the calendar or a breakdown.
Related services
- Commercial and industrial electrical and HVAC maintenance
- Commercial electrical maintenance
- Commercial air conditioning maintenance
- Industrial electrical maintenance
- UPS maintenance plans
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One contractor for electrical and HVAC maintenance Tell us the site address, roughly what is installed and which trades you have on contract. We will build the asset register and quote a fixed annual program. Indigi Power and Cooling is an Indigenous and Veteran owned business, Supply Nation and ICN Gateway registered. Call 1800 046 344. Request a maintenance proposal |
