As a manufacturing facility, a university, school, hospital, or office building, air purification help improve your facility’s indoor air quality (IAQ) as well as fight against the spread of bacteria and viruses throughout your facility.
The spread of bacteria and viruses is a major topic these days. Many forms of these illnesses are transmitted via airborne and can stay viable for many hours on surfaces. So, how do you keep the air you breathe as clean as possible? Of course, routine HVAC duct cleaning is the first step in removing bacteria from a building’s air system. However, one of the best ways to making sure the air you breathe is clean and healthy is through the use of air purification as well as UVC Light Disinfection.
Cleaning your facility's ductwork is the first step in removing airborne contaminants and allergens out of the air you breathe. Regular duct cleaning also improves airflow, allowing your facility’s HVAC system to run more efficiently. According to the EPA, a buildup of just 0.42″ of dirt on a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease of efficiency of 21%. Dirty ductwork can load filters quickly and lead to more stress on the air handler and potentially higher energy costs. Blockages in reheat coils, mixing boxes, VAV boxes and other terminal boxes found in commercial HVAC systems can also restrict airflow. Components of HVAC duct cleaning include:
Air Purification Systems are a helpful way to improve IAQ and combat the spread or contaminates within a building.
Air Filters – only filter out particulate matter before it has time to spread into the air.
Air Purifiers – captures and kills contaminants within the purifier itself. Air purifiers use one or more filtration and air treatment methods to remove pollutants from the air. Air purifiers that use HEPA filtration can filter air particles down to 0.3 microns in size with a 99.97%.
Air Scrubbers – utilizes a sear and retrieve method to eliminate contaminants in the indoor air. Air scrubbers are also available with HEPA filtration, allowing you to filter air particles down to 0.3 microns in size at 99.97% efficiency rating.
In addition, they can work alongside a variety of three-stage HEPA negative air machines, which feature replaceable forest, second, and third filters. Air scrubbers are excellent for construction and healthcare organizations as they are highly effective at removing both airborne and settled dust and bacteria.
UVC Lighting is a disinfection method that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill or inactivate microorganisms by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions. UVC refers to ultraviolet light with wavelengths between 200 – 280 nanometers (nm). Light in the UVC wavelength can be used for disinfecting hospitals, sterilizing surfaces, destroying harmful micro-organisms in food products and in air. So how does it work?
These specialized lamps produce an ultraviolet (UV) light that disrupts growth and deactivates existing growths, aiding in the disinfection of surfaces, water and more. Using one in your facility can help improve everything from air quality to the health and well-being of your students, faculty and staff. By treating the air circulating in your heating and cooling system, UVC lighting can kill mold and destroy airborne viruses and bacteria that, ultimately, lead to colds, flus and other illnesses.
Working with Hughes, you can expect technicians that are trained, certified and up-to-date on common best practices. We have an OSHA trainer on staff, and our technicians have been through OSHA 10- or 30-hour training. We also have Council-certified Indoor Environmentalists (CIE) and Council-certified Microbial Remediators (CMR) on staff.
Hughes Environmental is a member of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) with multiple NADCA Certified “Air Systems Cleaning Specialists” on staff. We are also a member of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA), and the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC) with multiple ACAC “Council Certified Microbial Remediators” and ACAC “Council Certified Indoor Environmentalists” on staff. In addition, Hughes is an ISNetworld(R) member contractor, as well as a member of the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association (IKECA). These memberships and certifications help us keep current with standard practices and any new regulations that are important to consider when performing cleaning projects, and help us demonstrate our ability and commitment to work safely.