No matter what type of commercial HVAC systems your building hosts, it should be optimized to improve indoor air quality.
No matter what type of commercial HVAC systems your building hosts, it should be optimized to improve indoor air quality. Indoor air quality is one of the most vital aspects to consider when maintaining these critical systems. A clean and healthy environment is essential for your business’s success and your staff’s morale, as employees who feel more comfortable are happier and more productive. Here are some simple ways to bolster the IAQ of your building, and ensure that your commercial HVAC systems are running at their most efficient levels.
What Can Affect Indoor Air Quality?
Many factors influence the overall indoor air quality of a building. Especially in a busy commercial building, people coming in and out can cause a lot of dust and dirt buildup. These buildups also contribute to the proliferation of other buildups that can make the air unpleasant. These unpleasant buildups include:
- Particles from the walls, floors, and ceilings of the building
- Pollen and other allergy-inducing irritants
- Mist from air freshening sprays
- Lingering fumes from smoke residue or chemicals used for cleaning
Allergies are not the only conditions that can be aggravated by the presence of these buildups. Many respiratory problems that affect the ability to breathe can begin to worsen without presenting any symptoms. Even if someone in the building did not previously have a respiratory condition, they could develop one without being aware of it happening.
Volatile organic compounds, also called VOCs, can also affect indoor air quality. These compounds are quite literally everywhere in our lives, and we probably are not even aware of it. In office buildings and other commercial locations, these compounds can give off poisonous fumes that go otherwise undetected, unless they are determined to be the cause of allergies, headaches, fatigue, and even serious diseases such as cancer. Such dangerous compounds lurk in carpeting and insulation materials, as well as:
- Certain types of wood
- Glues derived from petroleum
- Products made of laminated plastic
Although minimizing these products in your commercial building, or eliminating them altogether is preferable, sometimes that measure is impractical. If you cannot remove these items, there is another solution – maintaining your commercial HVAC systems and keeping them in excellent operating condition. Regularly cleaned and well-maintained commercial HVAC systems can also reduce the risk of mold infestations. Mold can also cause IAQ to suffer. Mold that grows inside the HVAC system can easily spread to other parts of the system, such as the ductwork, or even to other parts of the building.
What Can Improve Indoor Air Quality?
In order to improve IAQ, here are some possible steps to undertake:
- Use UV lights to kill mold and germs
- Conduct preventative maintenance on a regular basis
You might be wondering, what constitutes a rigorous preventative maintenance routine?
- The evaporator coils are well cared for and are kept sanitized
- Ductwork is regularly inspected and repaired, if necessary
- Blower motors are regularly decontaminated
- Water drains are inspected, cleaned, unclogged, and sanitized
Crockett Facilities 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.
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.