Understanding Mold

Molds are part of the natural environment. Molds are fungi that can be found anywhere – inside or outside – throughout the year. About 1,000 species of mold can be found in the United States, with more than 100,000 known species worldwide.

When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth often will occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains uncorrected. While it is impossible to eliminate all molds and mold spores, controlling moisture can control indoor mold growth.  Molds are usually not a problem unless mold spores land on a damp spot and begin growing. They digest whatever they land on in order to survive. There are molds that grow on wood, paper, carpet, foods and insulation, while other molds feed on the everyday dust and dirt.

Since mold requires water to grow, it is important to investigate the source of the moisture to prevent mold growth.

Hazards of Mold in Your Ductwork

Ventilation systems are designed to distribute a recirculate air within a home.  If mold growth is within the ventilation system, or near an air intake, mold spores can be spread throughout a home.

“Toxic mold syndrome” remains controversial and unproven, but experts agree that it’s best to limit exposure to molds.  The most likely adverse reaction to mold is a respiratory allergic reaction in mold-sensitive people. These reactions are similar to other respiratory allergies, causing sneezing, watery eyes, nasal discharge and congestion.

Cleaning Air Ducts

Consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if there visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system.

There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:

• Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not be accessible for a visible inspection, so ask the service provider to show you any mold they say exists.
• You should be aware that although a substance may look like mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or not can be made only by an expert and may require laboratory analysis for final confirmation.
• If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced.
• If the conditions causing the mold growth in the first place are not corrected, mold growth will recur.

Chemical Off Gassing

Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in cleaning and sanitizing products.  Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids.   Even a nearly odorless material can cause significant problems when re-circulated through air ducts in a closed environment.  VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects.

NADCA’s Position Regarding the Use of Antimicrobials

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association’s new position regarding the use of antimicrobial chemicals is as follows: “At this point in time, until EPA clarifies their position, NADCA does not recommend the use of any sanitizer or disinfectant products in air ducts.” This position was adopted to generate awareness among NADCA members of the potential legal liabilities they face by selling and applying antimicrobial chemicals. This is strictly a matter of managing legal risks. NADCA’s position deals specifically with sanitizers and disinfectants, not with any other product claims. Also, this position covers only air ducts, not HVAC components such as coils

No EPA Registered Products for Fiberglass Air Ducts

There are no products that are currently registered by EPA as biocides for use on fiberglass duct board or fiberglass lined ducts so it is important to determine if sections of your system contain these materials before permitting the application of any biocide.

If  You Choose to Use Chemicals in your Air Duct Cleaning Project

• Review the product sheet showing usage and application of the product.
• Review the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to understand if chemicals will cause any health or property concerns.
• Review the Fact sheet on the product classification being applied.

If You Have a Problem Related to Chemicals Applied Within Your Air Ducts

• Open doors and windows to ventilate the area with fresh air.
• Operate the fan of the HVAC system
• Exit the premises if negatively affected.
• Contact and Industrial Hygienist to discuss the problem.  Be sure to have a copy of the MSDS.

Locating the Sources

Before you can correct a pet urine problem you have to identify all of the areas affected.  Sometimes it can be difficult to isolate or identify source of the pet urine odor.  One of the easiest methods of locating where pets have urinated is through the use of a UV black light.  First darken the room, and then shine the UV black light near vent register openings, pet urine stains will glow in the dark.

Cleaning the Surrounding Areas

As pets urinate into the vent registers, the urine is likely to collect around the carpet or hardwood floor near the air vent register opening.  If you do not clean the areas around the air vent register opening the scent of the urine will cause the pet to instinctively re-soil the area.

One of the best methods for removing the odor is to use baking soda and white vinegar.  Prior to using baking soda and white vinegar, be sure to check with your flooring manufacturer to see if it will affect your floors finish.  Never use ammonia or ammonia based cleaning products.  While ammonia is a good cleaning product, one of the components of pet urine is ammonia, and the odor of the ammonia can lead your pet to instinctively re-soil the area.

DO NOT spray cleaning chemicals into the air ducts, only specific chemicals may be used within air ducts.  Your ventilation system is designed to redistribute air and can potentially distribute the volatile cleaning fumes throughout the home.  If you have accidently poured chemicals within the air ducts, open the doors and windows and call a duct cleaning professional.

Duct Cleaning

After you have cleaned the surrounding area of the air vent registers, hire a professional air duct cleaning contractor.  Debris within the air ducts will harbor pet urine odor.  As the heating and air conditioner is in operation, pet urine odor can distribute throughout the entire home.  An duct cleaning contractor will be able to access the HVAC system and help you to restore the HVAC system to its proper condition.

The US Environmental Protection Agency states that poor indoor air quality is one of the top five environmental threats to our country. So why does the EPA feel so strongly about indoor air in homes and workplaces? Well, according to the EPA, indoor air is on average a staggering three to five times more contaminated than outdoor air and in some instances as high as seventy times.

So why is indoor air so much worse in our home than outdoor air?

The answer is in modern day construction practices. Homes are being built more air tight in an effort to be more energy efficient and environmentally conscious. Older homes are being re-insulated and getting air tight window upgrades. The result is less drafty homes that no longer have natural ventilation to bring in fresh air.

Normal everyday living provides an ongoing source of airborne contaminants like dust, dander, chemicals and other allergens. These pollutants become trapped in your home due to this poor ventilation and then are re-circulated by your heating and cooling system.

So what does this mean for you?

The average American family now spends ninety percent of their time indoors. That means that the bulk of our days is spent breathing in these irritants and pollutants and the health effects are significant. Dust, pollen, household chemicals and smoke can create an unhealthy situation in your home for everyone, but especially for people with compromised respiratory systems such as children, the elderly, and people with asthma and allergy sufferers.

So what can you as a homeowner do to improve your air quality?

Today doctors agree that one of the healthiest things to do is to minimize your exposure to these indoor pollutants, allergens and irritants in your home. One of the most logical places to address indoor pollutants is in your heating and cooling system. Think of this system as the lungs of your home. It takes in air and breathes it out; it circulates all the air and everything in the air throughout your home. In fact, on average all the air in your home passes through your heating and cooling system five to seven times each day.

Begin by making sure that you regularly change furnace filter. While these filters do not eliminate airborne contaminants they can help reduce pollutants from entering your furnace and circulating through the house. Most experts recommend replacing your filter every two months.

Another important step to take to improve the quality of the air in your home, and one that many overlook is having your heating and cooling system thoroughly cleaned. As polluted air is re-circulated through your heating and cooling system dust, dirt, and contaminants are deposited throughout the system overtime. These subtle particles are then picked up by the airstream and are then pushed back out into the living areas of the house to be breathed in by family members. In a large number of homes the heating and cooling system has never been cleaned. Even in newer homes or homes undergoing renovation contaminants such as sawdust and drywall dust left over from construction process are deposited in your ducts.

So how clean is the heating and cooling system in your home? Here is a quick way to check. Remove a vent cover and use a mirror and flashlight to look inside. Or use a small digital camera to take a picture of the inside of your duct. If your ducts are dirty it is time to have your air ducts cleaned.

Choose a NADCA Certified Company

All NADCA members must meet a strict set of requirements:

• Comply with NADCA’s International cleaning standards
• Comply with NADCA’s code of ethics.
• Comply with NADCA’s general liability insurance requirements
• Maintain at least one certified Air System Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) on staff at all times

The Air Systems Cleaning Specialists Certification verifies that they have successfully completed rigorous testing on heating and cooling system components and cleaning techniques.

Giving your homes heating and cooling system a little attention will keep it and the air in your home cleaner and healthier for you and your family.

WASHINGTON, DC – Local contractors Edward Frisk, and Jason Erb of Ductworks, Inc. have successfully completed the training and examination process to be certified as a Ventilation System Mold Remediator. The certification, which is administered by NADCA – The HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association, is recognized worldwide as the hallmark of the HVAC industry’s most qualified and reliable mold remediation professionals.

“While achieving the VSMR certification takes commitment on the part of an HVAC professional, the certification itself is a commitment to consumers of reliable, best-in-class service,” explained NADCA Executive Director John Schulte. “NADCA membership and the VSMR certification mean that a professional is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art service to their customers.”

Edward Frisk, and Jason Erb are now one of roughly 250 VSMR-certified professionals in the world.

HVAC system cleaning is the process by which heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems are cleaned to remove excessive accumulations of dust, debris, and biological contaminants. Ventilation system mold remediation specifically addresses cleaning and removing biological contaminants within an HVAC system. With heightened public awareness of the dangers of indoor air pollution and the need for home energy efficiency, the demand for professional HVAC system inspection and cleaning has increased dramatically. The NADCA Certification Program helps to ensure that members of the association possess the required knowledge and expertise to perform these services in a competent and professional manner.

NADCA recommends that homeowners and building managers have their HVAC systems inspected annually and cleaned as needed. For more information regarding the benefits of professionally performed HVAC inspection and maintenance, contact Edward Frisk, and Jason Erb of Ductworks, Inc.

About Ductworks, Your Air Duct Cleaning Expert

Ductworks, Inc. “Your Air Duct Cleaning Expert” is a Denver-based company founded in 1990 to improve indoor air quality for homes and businesses. Their patented system of scraping and vacuuming is the most effective process for air duct cleaning. They have more technicians certified by the NADCA than any company in Colorado and provide customers with before and after photos to insure top quality performance.

About NADCA:

NADCA – The HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association was formed in 1989 as the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, and has since expanded its mission to become a trusted advocate for consumers and the industry on environmental and health issues surrounding heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. NADCA was the first organization to develop industry-standard best practices and its standard for “Assessment, Cleaning & Restoration of HVAC Systems” is in use in more than 30 countries worldwide as a best practice and/or basis for national law. NADCA has more than 1,000 corporate members and more than 1,500 individuals certified as Air System Cleaning Specialists, Ventilation Inspectors or Ventilation System Mold Remediators. For more information or to find a NADCA-certified contractor near you, visit www.NADCA.com.

Compared to years ago when we heated our homes with wood or coal, a modern day heating system is a marvel of efficiency, reliability and convenience, but just like the old time systems these new systems get dirty and need to be cleaned and maintained.

How does an HVAC system Work?

Now you might be thinking “We keep a really clean home, shouldn’t out ducting heating and cooling system be clean to?”   To answer that question we have to start by looking at how you’re heating and cooling system works.  Think of your homes heating and cooling system as the lungs of your home.  The system pulls air from the rooms of your home through the return ductwork, and then the air passes through the filter before reaching the air handler or furnace where it is heated or cooled depending on the season.  Once the air is heated or cooled, it is blown through the supply ductwork and back into your home.  Some of the components of the furnace are used only during heating, others only during cooling, and others operate all the time.  Although the air is filtered, the fact is that filters cannot remove all the contaminants from the air, the system will get dirty through normal use.

HVAC components that get dirty:

• Return air ducts
• Filters
• Blower
• Heat Exchanger
• Cooling coils
• Supply ductwork

Where Does Dust Come From?

So where does dust come from?  Consider that up to forty pounds of dust is created each year from in the average six room home, this normal household dust is unavoidable as it is created by everyday living.  Every time we open the door, walk across carpeting, scratch out dry skin, or unroll paper towels we contribute to airborne dust.  Of course pets and dust emitting activities such as remodeling make the problem worse.  In fact, it’s not uncommon to find construction dust in a homes heating and cooling system years after the house was built.  On average, this contaminated air recalculates throughout your home five to seven times per day.  Why does it matter? This can develop into a serious problem.  The build up of these contaminants on components such as blowers and cooling coils can lead not only to unhealthy air for your family to breathe, but also to higher energy bills.  These contaminants can cause your system to work harder and run longer shortening the life of your equipment.  Perhaps most importantly the heating and air conditioning system needs to be cleaned to provide the thermal comfort you expect.

How Do You Inspect the Heating and Cooling System?

So how clean is the heating and cooling system in your home?  Here is a quick way to check.  Remove a vent cover and use a mirror and flashlight to look inside.  Or use a small digital camera to take a picture of the inside of your duct.  If your ducts are dirty it is time to have your air ducts cleaned.  Periodic air duct cleaning keeps your homes heating and cooling system clean and operating at peak efficiency.

Prevent a Dust Out

When central air conditioners are installed, numerous modifications are made to the furnace cabinet and supply trunk line.  Trunk lines are the main intake and distribution lines of an HVAC system.  Because of the volume of air that is circulated through trunk lines, they are often the dirtiest points of a ventilation system.  Modifications to the trunk lines disrupt and loosen debris on the walls of the trunk lines.  If the air duct are not cleaned prior to installation there is a high probability of drawing debris into your newly installed HVAC components or blowing the loosened dust and debris within your home.

Prevent Fouled Air Conditioning Coils

Home central air conditioning systems draw air from the return air vents; and blow the air through evaporative coils located above the furnace to chill the air.  To a large degree, the energy efficiency of an air conditioner is dependent on the cleanliness of the evaporative coil. When evaporative coils become fouled, they cause a number of problems:

• Decrease heat transfer: Evaporative coils are made of tiny fins designed to absorb the heat from the air, when dirt or debris enters the coil fins, it acts as an insulator preventing efficient heat transfer.

• Decrease airflow: Debris can build within the coil face preventing air to freely flow through the coil.  Fouled air conditioning coils negatively affect your HVAC system during the heating season as well.

• Clogged drain pans: As evaporative air conditioner coils absorb heat from the air, they condensate moisture which flows from the air conditioning system through a drain pan.  Moisture and debris clogs the drain of the air conditioner.

• Coil Freeze: Loosened debris within the air ducts causes air filters to load prematurely, and fouls evaporative air conditioner coils. Coils typically freeze and fail due to low air flow.

Plan and Prepare

When planning your air conditioner installation, budget air duct cleaning in your installation cost.  Coordinate the air duct cleaning to be performed before the installation of the air conditioner.  Clean air ducts will provide numerous long term benefits.

Clearing Work Areas

Prior to the contractors arrival ask the air duct cleaning contractor the amount of space needed around each air vent register and how much space they will need around the furnace and air conditioner.  It is best to have these areas cleared before the contractor arrives; as it allows the air duct cleaning contractor to devote more time of their time towards cleaning the air vent registers, rather than clearing workspaces.

Walk Through with Air Duct Cleaning Technician

Prior to starting the work, the contractor and homeowner need to perform a walk-through of the home to go over how each component of the HVAC system will be cleaned and accessed.  Discuss where protective coverings such as drop cloths and corner guards will be placed.

Pet Safety

If pets are going to be present ducting the air duct cleaning process be sure to instruct the technician what procedures you would like them to take to ensure their safety.  In some instances, homeowners can have the ventilation lines serving an independent room cleaned, and then secure the pets within that given room.  If you intend to leave the home while the duct cleaning is performed, instruct the technician precautionary measures to keep the pets within the home as well as instruction of what to do if the pet escapes.

Children

Duct cleaning can often be a noisy procedure; children’s ears are very sensitive to loud noises, if possible have children leave the home when the work is performed.  If children will be present during the air duct cleaning process, discuss tool, equipment and jobsite safety procedures with your technician.

Fire Safety

In the case of emergency, be sure to show the technician where the fire extinguisher is located, and give them the best contact number in the case of emergency.

Security

If you plan on leaving the home unattended when the duct cleaning is performed, give your technician a contact number to call when the technician completes your project.   Give the technician lock up procedures to secure your home.

(Washington, D.C.) NADCA – The HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association has named Ductworks, Inc. as a recipient of the 2009 Outstanding Safety Award.  Winners of the Outstanding Safety Award have maintained workplaces with little or no instances of employee injuries for three or more consecutive years.

Matt Mongiello, co-chair of NADCA’s Education & Safety Committee, said, “The success of a company depends not only on production and sales, but also how safely each job is performed. There is no job so important – nor any service so urgent – that we cannot make time to work safely.

“Establishment of a safe environment is the shared responsibility between a contractor and its employees at all levels of an organization. Achieving the goal of accident prevention and health preservation is an admirable feat and shows the commitment of a company dedicated to excellence,” added Mongiello, of Interior Maintenance Company in Lansdowne, Pa.

The requirements for NADCA’s Safety Awards are based on standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In order to complete the Safety Awards Application, a company must maintain an OSHA #300A Log in accordance with record keeping requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association created the NADCA Safety Awards Program to recognize those companies that have sustained superior employee safety and health program results. The NADCA Safety Awards Program is offered every year.

About Ductworks, Your Air Duct Cleaning Expert

Ductworks, Inc. “Your Air Duct Cleaning Expert” is a Denver-based company founded in 1990 to improve indoor air quality for homes and businesses. Their patented system of scraping and vacuuming is the most effective process for air duct cleaning. They have more technicians certified by the NADCA than any company in Colorado and provide customers with before and after photos to insure top quality performance.

Source Removal

Source removal is the recommended air duct cleaning method.  Source Removal, is the mechanical cleaning of system components to remove dirt and debris.  Dust and other particle debris tend to stick or statically cling to the interior of air ducts.  Source removal requires two key elements:

Mechanical agitation:

which loosens the debris from the walls of the air ducts and HVAC components.

Extraction:

which safely removes the debris from the HVAC system to levels that are acceptable to industry standard.

Air Duct Cleaning Methods

Steam Air Duct Cleaning:

Steam Air Duct Cleaning methods utilize a wand that delivers a high temperature & high pressure steam to agitate the debris from the walls of the air ducts as the air ducts are drawn into negative pressure by a vacuum.

Steam cleaning and other methods involving moisture should not be used on any kind of duct work.  Modern HVAC components are highly dependent on electronic components to make them efficient; the introduction of moisture will damage system components.

Truck Mounted Vacuum Cleaning:

Truck mounted vacuum methods utilize a vacuum that is powered through the PTO shaft of an operating vehicle.  Truck mounted vacuum cleaning technology is based on the volume of air being drawn.  The truck mounted vacuum draws a volume of air typically ranging between 10,000 to 15,000 cubic feet of air per minute.  A vacuum hose is attached from the truck to the trunk lines of the ventilation system.  As the ventilation system is drawn into a vacuum, either rotary brushes or air lines are inserted into air vent registers to agitate debris to the collection point.

While once a widely used air duct cleaning method, industry professionals are veering away from a truck mounted and gas powered vacuums because of the high probability of cross contamination.  Truck mounted vacuums draw vehicle exhaust and debris into the ambient air while in operation.

Point of Contact Air Duct Cleaning:

Point of contact methods are currently the safest and most effective air duct cleaning method.  A point of contact air duct cleaning method utilizes a portable HEPA filtered vacuum and an agitation device to simultaneously to clean the air ducts.  Portable HEPA vacuum cleaning technology is based on the velocity of air being drawn.  High velocity of vacuum allows for greater lift of the debris, and the HEPA filter prevents the potential of cross contamination.

Though point of contact air duct cleaning methods are currently the safest and most effective means of cleaning air ducts, new and innovative air duct cleaning technologies are always in development.