
HVAC Indoor Air Quality
- HVAC Indoor Air Quality - CO2 – humans and pets naturally produce CO2. ASHRAE sets the limitations of CO2 in the air at 1000 PPM. If the CO2 level exceeds this amount, then we can become uncomfortable, and the air can be unhealthy for us. Typically CO2 levels can exceed this amount in an office building where there are a lot of people and in classrooms. Modern building controls can monitor CO2 and open outside air dampers to exhaust the CO2 and introduce fresh air into the building to reduce CO2 levels.
- HVAC Indoor Air Quality - Ozone – Ozone is produced by nature in the way of lightning strikes the roiling waves of the ocean. Photocopiers can also produce ozone in offices. Too much ozone is hazardous to our health and needs to be vented.
- Mold and Mildew – Mold and mildew can be found in places where water accumulates and in dark places. Leaking pipes or leaking roofs can cause terrible moisture problems that lead to mold and mildew. HVAC systems often produce moisture when the humidity is high. Things like drain pans and un-insulated ductwork can cause mold and mildew to grow inside the ductwork. Legionnaires’ disease happened in a large hotel in Philadelphia, where the HVAC system leaked and spread the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. That is rare, but things like this occur when proper maintenance isn’t addressed.
- Carbon Monoxide – Carbon monoxide is the result of combustible materials not completely burning up in the combustion process. Carbon monoxide detectors are highly recommended in any building that has fossil fuel-burning appliances.
- Volatile Organic Compounds – Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s as they are referred to can be very hazardous to our health. A good example of VOC’s is formaldehyde which is used to manufacture carpet and some furniture products.
- Other things in the air can be pet dander, cigarette smoke, and cooking odors. These things can affect the health of someone with asthma or other breathing problems by increasing indoor air pollution.
For an additional reference on alternatives to simple air filters see our article about Free Air Conditioning - Cooling
HVAC Indoor Air Quality
Your Resource for Indoor Air Quality Information