If the only thing that passes through air ducts is air, why do they need cleaning?
It’s a fair enough question, especially as air introduced from the outside passes through the filters in the building’s air handling unit (AHU) before being circulated through the building. If the air from outside is filtered, that must mean the air that’s being circulated is clean, surely?
Well, not always. And since indoor air quality can have a profound impact on health, it matters.
Pathogens and bacteria can be introduced into a building, bypassing the filtration of the AHU. Building work can cause an accumulation of dust and dirt. Just operating standard office equipment can introduce pollutants. And there are pollutants introduced by people – fluff and pet hair may come from clothing, and there’s natural elements too. A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology states we shed between 0.03 and 0.09g of skin every hour. That’s very little in isolation, but when your building has hundreds or thousands of occupants it will soon add up.
If it’s in the building, it will be in the air, and it will be in the HVAC system. Once it’s in the HVAC system it can be spread throughout the building, and it will keep on circulating until the system is cleaned.
Contaminants build up in ductwork. As air passes over the debris it picks up the bacteria and carries it around the building. Ductwork cleaning reduces unwanted contaminants and is a fast way to improve air quality. So, what kinds of things cause problems that can be eradicated by cleaning? Let’s take a look.
Pollutants and allergens
Pollen, dust mites, human skin and hair, and more can all accumulate in ductwork and be spread from there to all floors, where they can cause misery to allergy sufferers and others.
Mould and mildew
If moisture should get into the system it can encourage the growth of mould and mildew. At the very least, that’s likely to cause a bad smell. It’s also possible that mould spores can be released and distributed throughout the building. This can affect the human respiratory system and also cause ‘brain fog’.
Dust
Dust and dirt in the air ducts will be circulated until the ducts are cleaned. This can affect the air quality, and also the efficient operation of the system.
Cleaning pays dividends
A simple deposit thickness test will show you if your ductwork requires cleaning. Clean ductwork can eliminate a lot of the issues with poor quality air in buildings. As an added bonus, a clean and well-maintained HVAC system is cheaper to run, as it runs more efficiently.
To find out more about how Indepth can help you test the cleanliness of your ductwork as part of our damper inspection services, give us a call.
