Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are a vital tool in the fight to maintain a comfortable work environment. Not only do they keep the ambient room temperature at acceptable levels—they also work to remove harmful substances from the air you and your employees breathe during the day. An HVAC’s ability to ventilate indoor air is especially important for workplaces that are exposed to dilution air.
Commercial Building Ventilation
We often worry about the air quality outside and the consequences of breathing in outdoor pollution. However, we tend to forget that the air inside a building can get fairly dirty as well. In fact, research has shown that indoor air quality is often more polluted than the air outside. For those who suffer from asthma, allergies, or respiratory immune disorders, air contaminants create a very real problem.
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to provide a workspace your employees feel safe to work in. The first step to accomplishing that is making sure your facility has clean air. This can be done by doing what’s necessary to comply with the fresh air requirements for commercial buildings.
Fresh Air Requirements and the ASHRAE Standard
The air we breathe indoors has the potential to impact our health. Understanding the seriousness of poor indoor air quality, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) created the Standard 62-1989. The standard not only gave a definition to indoor air quality, but also specified the minimum ventilation rates needed to provide acceptable air quality to human occupants.
Since 1989, ASHRAE Standards 62.1 and 62.2 continue to be used to minimize the risk of adverse health risks related to air quality. These regulations are updated annually and differ depending on the state. If you’re interested in knowing what the requirements for your location are, you can visit their website here.
Contributors to Bad Air Quality
When it comes to indoor air pollution, there are a few common culprits to pay attention to. These contributors often come from sources inside the building. This includes cleaning supplies, paints, and building materials (e.g. asbestos). However, one source that tends to get overlooked is mechanical systems.
Boiler systems, cooling systems, and other mechanical systems are known to produce what’s known as dilution air. This is air that’s been combined with flue gas. Dilution air is a problem because not only is it harmful to building occupants, but it’s also hard to get rid of. Typical HVAC air filtration is not able to remove dilution air from the building.
How to Get Rid of Dilution Air
To disperse dilution air, a high volume of fresh air is needed to process the pollutants. This is only possible with a high-volume, corrosive-resistant industrial fan and blower. These components are attached to your ventilation system. However, before installation can take place, a few things need to be done first, including selecting the right fan size and build materials.
How A&G Can Help
At A&G Services, we specialize in mechanical services like ventilation solutions. If you need to outfit your HVAC system with an industrial fan and blower, we can take care of it. Following industry safety protocols, our team can have your system ready with minimal disruption.
Since we know every business is different, we customize our services to fit with the needs of your business. If you need our technicians to come at a certain time of the day, that’s perfectly fine. If you’re working with a particular budget, we can work with you to find an acceptable solution. At the end of the day, our interest is in ensuring the HVAC solution we provide for your facility is actively making your space healthier and safer for your occupants.
Protect Your Building From Dilution Air
A&G Services is an industry-leading mechanical, plumbing, and piping services provider based in the Fort Worth, TX, area. Our team consists of highly trained and knowledgeable technicians that provide solutions designed to improve your facility. From emergency repairs to preventative maintenance, we offer all the services your building needs.
If you’d like to learn more about this topic or the services we offer, contact us today.
