| By :
Alison Withers
Copyright (c) 2010 Alison Withers Not all organisations work from new, purpose built buildings, which can be a challenge for their facilities managers. The records show that the duct systems were installed in some of the buildings many years ago, that access is difficult and that they will not be straightforward to maintain. However, it's part of your role to ensure a high level of hygiene and air quality in the buildings, not only for the employees who work in them, but also for the members of the public who use it, to both of whom your organisation has a duty of care. In addition any cleaning cannot be allowed to disrupt operations in a busy environment. Funds are in short supply and replacing antiquated systems is too expensive so is there any way you can improve the situation? With the help of an experienced professional duct cleaning company you can do several things. First is to have the system thoroughly appraised to find out how dirty it is and then look at affordable ways of improving access to clean them. Then you will be in a better position to install a regular schedule of inspection, maintenance and cleaning. The UK's HVCA (Heating and Ventilation Contractors Association) has a number of guidance publications that may help and it's a good idea to check whether any company you are considering using is a member and follows its best practice guidance. Often the problem with old duct systems is the access to see inside the ducts to assess how dirty they really are. There is useful guidance for this particular situation in the HVCA's paper TM26: Hygiene Maintenance of Office Ductwork. This publication provides guidance for managers of buildings that are air conditioned, or otherwise mechanically ventilated, on the issues of assessment and maintenance of the microbiological cleanliness of ductwork systems. The Association recommends that systems should be tested regularly at intervals not exceeding 12 months. In its publication TR19 section 7: it advises that deposits within systems pose hygiene, odour, vermin and mechanical efficiency hazards. Poorly designed and installed or damaged ductwork can leak grease, thus extending the fire risk, hygiene, odour and vermin hazards. It advises that ideally access panels should be suitable for the purpose for which they are intended. The panels and frames should be constructed of the same material as the ductwork. As a minimum they should incorporate quick release catches, sealing gaskets and thermal, acoustic and fire rated insulation properties equal to that of the duct to which they are fitted. They should be as large as the duct size permits without weakening the structure of the system. Openings should not be obstructed by other building services, stored equipment or by the fabric of the building. The panel and aperture should be free of any sharp edges. The frequency of duct cleaning suggested by the specialist cleaning company on initial inspectiion can be altered if subsequent pre-clean testing shows whether the initial schedule is correct or needs amending. Duct cleaning improves the safety and efficiency of an installation. As vents become filled with debris, the duct system has to work harder. This increases energy consumption and can also cause fires in the duct system so the advantage of putting in place a regular maintenance, inspection and cleaning regime could also result in a reduced energy bill as well as a healthier, safer environment.
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