Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Services
Fresh Air is Critical to Healthy Buildings
The Covid-19 Pandemic forever changed how people view Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. The air inside buildings recirculates through the HVAC system, and without proper design, operation, and maintenance, is a major contributor to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems. It is well established that HVAC systems are critical to maintaining a healthy indoor environment for people to live, work and enjoy life.
Since HVAC systems serve as the lungs of a building (breathing in fresh outside air, and exhausting a percentage of stale recirculated air), occupants depend on the HVAC system for safety, comfort, ventilation, temperature, odor, and humidity control. The system’s effectiveness affects productivity, performance, and, most importantly, health.
Unless the HVAC system is well designed, operated, and maintained, outdoor contaminants can travel into a building and jeopardize the quality of indoor air. Similarly, the system must filter, dilute, and exhaust these pollutants, or contaminant levels will increase. The HVAC system is a controller of IAQ; and when not properly maintained, a polluter is as well. Poorly maintained HVAC systems are a primary source of pollutants, such as biological growth.
Various studies have established that the HVAC system is responsible for 50 to 60 percent of building-generated IAQ problems. The HVAC system can resolve up to 80 percent of indoor air problems. In other words, if a building is “sick” chances are the HVAC system is at fault, or at least a contributor to the problem and can often remedy the problem. [1]
EBCx Services holds certification with AEE as a Certified Indoor Air Quality Professional (CIAQP.) CIAQP certification is recognition for indoor air quality professionals who have demonstrated a high level of competence in their field, and in-depth knowledge of the principles and practices of indoor air quality assessment, design, management, and problem resolution.
EBCx Services utilizes a hands-on approach of isolating IAQ problems through a structured process that includes interviews with people that manage, occupy, and maintain a facility and field inspections with targeted testing to determine the root cause of IAQ problems.
Testing critical variables such as indoor/outdoor CO2 and CO levels, air particle size and concentration, space temperatures/humidity levels, ventilation rates, and building pressure are key factors towards identifying problems and the most appropriate corrective actions.
EBCx Services' multi-disciplinary approach and wide range of HVAC experience allow us to provide our customers with real-world solutions designed for their specific buildings.
[1] Managing Indoor Air Quality, Third Edition, H.E. Burroughs and Shirly Hansen, pg. 163
A serious IAQ problem due to the poor operation of the HVAC system is masked by someone adding a cup of baking soda inside the air handler. This type of action is dangerous for the occupants of the space and places the owner of the building at risk from a legal perspective.
Improper maintenance procedures of HVAC equipment are a common cause of IAQ problems.