Preventing mold growth will keep your HVAC system running smoothly.
While central heating and air conditioning systems are important for employee comfort, mold growth within them is a serious problem which many facility managers face. Understanding how, mechanically, your facility’s HVAC system works, which intricate components are likely to house spores, and actively taking measures to prevent their growth will keep your business running smoothly. Once mold growth begins in your heating and cooling system, it will quickly spread throughout while it pumps contaminated air into every room. Mold is extremely detrimental to your employees’ health! Some spores are toxic enough to make people extremely sick. Proper HVAC maintenance will protect you and your employees from the harmful effects of mold growth and thus, serious law intervention or permanent health damage.
How HVAC Maintenance Keeps Spores At Bay
Mold often grows in areas of high moisture and abundant food sources. Feeding off of drywall, carpeting, paper, fabric, wood, and building furnishings. Spores will also thrive in environments with mid-high temperatures, so your facility’s HVAC systems are the perfect breeding ground for that aspergillus to get comfortable. The smartest thing you can do to prevent mold growth is reduce indoor moisture. Once you’ve solved this problem, killing the mold is tricky. Using antifungal sprays will not prevent mold from coming back. In order to ensure no further mold growth, you must make its preferred environment uninhabitable. You don’t want to be tangled up in a lawsuit because you gave your staff respiratory problems!
Assess HVAC Systems Often
There are key components of your HVAC system that must be assessed often in order to prevent mold growth. Follows is a checklist of these complex interior structures.
- Coils and drain pans- Coils dehumidify the air. This process causes condensate water to drip into an underlying pan which, if not drained often will cause moisture to accumulate, and therefore mold growth will significantly increase.
- Air dampers, filters-Filters should be replaced regularly. High-efficiency filters will improve internal air quality while minimizing energy use.
- Air Intakes- Pay attention to areas where outdoor air enters your facility. Areas near dumpsters, boxes, papers, stagnant bodies of water, or disturbed earth or vegetation have air filtration systems that are more prone to mold growth.
- Cooling towers- Monitor water quality and chemical treatment. Indoor air quality will improve, and mold growth prevented with the postponing of sediment accumulation.
- Ducts – never allow duct linings to become moist from water spray caused by condensation.
Do You Suspect Mold Growth In Your HVAC System? Outsourcing HVAC Maintenance Can Help!
Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI) is committed to helping building owners, property managers, engineers, and facility professionals lower their operating expenses through HVAC preventive maintenance. We can develop a cost-effective, customized preventive maintenance plan for your commercial building that will provide you with peace of mind, improved comfort, and energy savings.
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To learn more about the importance of HVAC Preventive Maintenance, please contact us at 202.600.2787 or sales@crockett-facilities.com. Our PM contract customers receive priority service with 24/7 emergency service in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.