Hardly a week goes by without hearing or seeing something concerning "Indoor Air Quality" (IAQ) or "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS). What was once thought to be imagined maladies are now known to be attributed to the air we breath indoors. 28% of all humans suffer from allergies, 1 in 6 of whom do so as a direct result of dirty duct systems. In fact, as many as half of all illnesses are either caused or aggravated by indoor air pollution. According to the EPA, indoor air can be up to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air.
What causes IAQ problems?
Almost 80% of IAQ problems are caused by either inadequate ventilation, a source of pollution or both. Inadequate ventilation is usually pretty straightforward to fix. A pollution source can be external to the building or within the building itself (including the ventilation system duct work). Building operations personnel have little or no control over external pollution sources and usually must resort to special filters or other solutions. Internal pollution is a little easier to deal with, especially a contaminated duct system. |  |
Building operations personnel have three choices when a contaminated duct system is discovered:
- Ignore the problem.
- Hire a duct cleaning contractor at considerable expense.
- Acquire the necessary equipment and training to perform duct cleaning in-house.
Ignoring the problem is foolish given the litigious nature of the times in which we live. No educational or health care facility wants a lawsuit over a situation that could have been addressed and corrected.
Another area for in-house ventilation system maintenance is educational facilities. Colleges, universities and school districts. Canadian's students are her future and every precaution should be taken to contribute to a healthy learning environment.
In all cases, outdoor air quality has to be taken into consideration when planning ventilation system maintenance. Remember, the dirtier the air is outside, the faster the duct system can become contaminated and require cleaning.
In addition to normal contaminants such as dust, lint, mold spores and fungi, health care facilities have the added problem of viral and bacterial contamination. Areas of particular concern are operating rooms, intensive care units, pediatric wards and geriatric wards. Elderly people often suffer with breathing problems and polluted indoor air only intensifies their problems. The same holds true for asthmatics.
Children are particularly affected by indoor air pollution because they breathe more air than adults. The average adult breathes 16,000 quarts of air a day. Because children breathe faster, they breathe more air after taking body weight into account. Where is there a higher concentration of children than in our nation's schools? In addition to health concerns, poor indoor air quality can contribute to fatigue or restlessness that can effect student productivity in class.
Other Benefits of Clean Ducts
Besides the obvious health benefits derived from cleaning HVAC systems, here are some other benefits:
- Increased Employee Productivity - healthier people make better workers and lose less time to sickness.
- Reduced Housekeeping Costs - the HVAC system is not pumping dirty air into the occupied space.
- Increased Airflow - because air moves unobstructed by debris build up, blowers and fans do not need to cycle as long or as often.
- Energy Savings - because motors and drives do not work as hard, less energy is consumed by the system.
Some Other Areas to Consider Duct Cleaning
In addition to ventilation system cleaning, here are some other areas to consider for regular inspections and cleaning:
Dryer vents in laundry areas.
Cleaning dryer vents reduces fire risk.
Ventilation vents of all kinds. 
