Why should you have an Air Quality test in HVAC?

             In this post we will see the importance of air quality test in HVAC.

Air Quality Test in HVAC

A good air quality test in HVAC should be done at least once a month. This helps us identify any issues early on. A simple visual inspection may indicate some problems but would not necessarily tell us what they are. We need advanced testing methods to determine what exactly is causing the problem. We then know where to focus our efforts to fix the issue.

If you suspect that your home’s air quality is not good enough, consider having a professional conduct an air quality test. Indoor air pollution can be caused by chemical fumes, dust, smoke, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, cooking fumes, cigarette smoke, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, and many other substances.

1. Air quality testing is an essential thing for any HVAC contractor. They help us to ensure our clients safety while using our HVAC services. There are two types of air quality tests, indoor air quality (IAQ) test and outdoor air quality (Oxygen). IAQ check helps us to understand whether our home is safe from harmful gases and dusts. Oxygen check is done to ensure that we are breathing fresh air.

2. IAQ testing: This type of testing monitors the indoor air quality. It checks for hazardous substances including formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, radon, ammonia, mercury, etc. A good IAQ test report contains information regarding the amount of particles, their health risks, and the cause of the contamination.

3. O2 level monitoring: Monitoring the oxygen level provides us with information regarding the amount of pollutants present in the air we breathe in. Oxygen levels should not fall below 18 percent. The recommended optimal level for human beings is 21 percent. Any decrease may lead to several serious medical conditions.

1. Air Quality Test

Most buildings today have air conditioning systems. And they're extremely common in homes. They work well, but sometimes there could be issues. As such, it's very important to check the air quality inside your home periodically. This can be done with simple devices used for that purpose.

2. Carbon Monoxide Detection Devices

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas and a colorless gas. It's odorless and tasteless. When exposed to oxygen, it forms carbon dioxide and water vapor. This happens at concentrations below 16 ppm. However, if it exceeds this concentration, then it leads to health problems. One of the best devices to detect carbon monoxide is the CO detector. It works through the detection of carbon dioxide levels.

3. Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms help you save lives! According to the World Health Organization, over 4.6 million people die from fires annually worldwide. In addition, fire smoke kills 8% of those who inhale it. Smoke alarms are inexpensive, relatively easy to maintain, and effective. All you have to do is install one in every room of your house. Don't forget to test the batteries once in a while.

Air quality testing is mandatory in any HVAC system as it affects human comfort. To understand the importance of air quality check, we should first discuss the basic components of air conditioning. All ACs work using refrigeration cycle. Refrigerants are highly flammable gases which circulate through the entire system. They absorb heat from inside the room and releases it outside. The temperature difference between inside and outside is controlled by changing the flow rate of refrigerants, thus controlling the room temperature.

The unit uses compressors to pull the refrigerant into a closed loop system. As the refrigerant flows, it passes through the condenser coil where it becomes liquid. This is then sent to the evaporator coil. Here, it changes back into gas phase and absorbs heat from the room. When the refrigerant returns to compressor it is again compressed, cooled and passed to the unit’s expansion valve. There, further cooling takes place and finally it reaches the suction side of the evaporator coil where the refrigerant is vaporized. Once it leaves the evaporator coil, it is returned to the compressor to complete the cycle once again.

There are several types of air conditioner units used in homes today. Most common ones are split type and window type. Window type ACs are used mostly for cooling large rooms while split ACs are used to cool small rooms. For larger residential buildings, multi split ACs are employed. Multi split ACs are similar to single split AC but they combine two or multiple compressors to reduce noise level considerably.

In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that its standards for ozone will be exceeded as soon as April 2016. According to the EPA, “the maximum 8-hour average standard is likely to be exceeded in 15 percent of the nation’s largest cities during winter months and all summer months.” As a result, the EPA has proposed new ozone regulations, saying that the current standard “is inadequate because it does not protect against the health impacts associated with ozone exposure." The EPA states that it plans to finalize the revised ozone standard in October 2015.

Air Quality Testing HVAC is an important task that needs to be done periodically to check whether the air quality is good enough for human health. There are various types of tests that are carried out in order to accomplish this task. They include Carbon Monoxide Test, Odour Control Test, Smoke Test, Dust Mite Test, Dust Mite Allergen Test, Water Damage Test, Mold Inspection etc. Each type of test has its own importance and uses.

Carbon Monoxide Test: This is considered to be the most important among all air quality testing. This test helps to determine whether there is any level of carbon monoxide in the air. Even though the concentration is low, but continuous exposure to it can cause severe illness and even death. This test is usually performed once in a month.

Odour Test: This test is used to analyse the smell or odor levels in the air. It can help to determine whether there is something wrong with the ventilator system.

Smoke Test: This is an important test which is conducted only after smoke has entered into the building. This can help to detect the amount of smoke present inside the building. It can detect the size of fire that occurred previously.

Dust Mite Test: This test helps to check the presence of dust mites in the indoor environment. The number of dust mites inside the house depends upon the amount of pet dander available. Therefore, this test helps to reduce the risk of asthma attacks in children.

Dust Mite Allergen Tests: This test is performed when the dust mite allergy symptoms are noticed by the residents of the building. It helps to identify the source of the problem and provides solutions for the problem.

Water Damage Test: This helps to check whether water has damaged the property badly. After conducting this test, the extent of damage can be assessed by taking readings from moisture sensors.

Mold Inspection:This test is generally done in case of mold growth. If the mold infestation occurs due to poor ventilation, then it may lead to hazardous conditions which affect the health of humans. A proper inspection can prevent the spread of mold within the premises.

Air Quality Test in HVAC

Most of us are aware of what air quality testing is but many of us are unaware of the importance of this testing. Whether we realize it or not, our indoor environments affect the quality of the air around us, especially when it comes to airborne particles that travel through the air. We breathe in dust from the ground, pollen from trees and plants, pollutants from outside sources, and more. Airborne particles are known to cause asthma attacks, allergies, lung damage, heart disease, even cancer. There are multiple components to air quality testing, including measuring particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, methane gas, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide.

Testing Particulate Matter

Particulate matter (PM) refers to solid particles suspended in the air. Most PM is visible to the naked eye, although some small aerosols may remain invisible. PM is composed of a variety of different substances, including liquid droplets, fungi, bacteria, metals, and dust. PM pollution contributes significantly to health problems throughout the world.

The two primary types of PM are PM10 and PM2.5. The most harmful type of PM is PM2.5. It penetrates deep into the lungs where it causes respiratory issues. Other adverse effects of PM10 and PM2 are increased risk of cardiovascular disease, aggravation of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, decreased immunity, impaired visibility, and decreased cognitive function.

Air Quality Testing - Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, refer to chemicals that evaporate at low concentrations. They include solvents, cleaning agents, paints, adhesives, pesticides, gasoline vapors, pharmaceutical drugs, and emissions from vehicles. While the EPA regulates VOCs, they are regulated differently depending on their chemical properties. For example, VOCs that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic, flammable, or explosive are all regulated by the EPA under the same rules, while others are regulated based upon their physical characteristics, such as odor, color, and viscosity. The EPA sets maximum levels of allowable exposure to VOCs in blood and urine.