How frequently should you clean the air ducts at your office?
Cleaning air ducts regularly in office buildings improves the air quality and offers a clean, safe and productive working environment for employees. It also prevents energy wastage of as much as 40%.
With urbanisation, we spend the greater part of our time indoors. Hence, it is important to have access to clean and fresh air to keep ourselves healthy. The more workers in an office, the higher the chances of germs entering and spreading within. An employee sneezing in one corner of the office can lead to germs spreading through the entire building’s Air-conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) system.
Ventilation and air conditioning play a very important role when it comes to ensuring a safe, comfortable, and healthy working environment. However, one of the major drawbacks is the circulation of the same air several times a day. This air might consist of pollutants like dust, pollen, bacteria, tobacco, etc that can damage the indoor air quality and can be hazardous to our health. These contaminants cause the cooling and heating system to work harder and thus, shorten its life. This ultimately leads to the wastage of 25-40% of energy. Hence, in order to make the ACMV system work efficiently, cleaning the air ducts becomes vital.
Air duct cleaning helps in the removal of contaminants responsible for poor indoor air quality. Duct cleaning can do wonders to boost the health and productivity of employees. Working in a clean environment equipped with cool air helps employees concentrate better and prevents them from making errors due to heat-induced surroundings.
How is the cleaning process carried out?
A professional duct cleaner uses specialised equipment to clean the ACMV vents. This equipment may include brushes, vacuums, or blowers to remove the pollutants stuck in the air ducts. In order to carry out the process of air vent cleaning, the entire ACMV system is placed under constant negative pressure to prevent the spread of contaminants present in the air ducts.
The constant negative pressure used in the process of cleaning removes minute particles from the air ducts and prevents them from being released into the office space when the system is turned on.
Benefits of cleaning the air ducts at regular intervals
- Boosts employee productivity
If your employees are healthy, their productivity will improve. - Low housekeeping costs
The proper cleaning of ACMV vents allows clean air to be circulated in the office space and helps the system to work efficiently. This, in turn, helps curtail housekeeping costs. - Increased airflow
With the removal of debris stuck in the air ducts, the ACMV system is able to pump more air through, leading to better circulation in the working space. - Less consumption of energy
The cleaning of air vents prevents the ACMV system from overworking to maintain the desired temperature and thus, helps in energy saving. - Less risk of respiratory diseases
The cleaning of air ducts restores indoor air quality and removes the presence of contaminants which ultimately helps in lowering the risk of asthma and allergies.
It is due to these benefits that several hygiene experts and professionals recommend cleaning of air ducts at regular intervals.
When should you get your ACMV system cleaned?
How often you should schedule an air duct cleaning or ACMV vent cleaning for your office depends on the space and usage. A small office equipped with a few workers needs nothing more than an annual cleaning. Whereas larger companies with shared office space or attached manufacturing facilities will require more frequent cleaning.
The cleaning of air ducts depends on a number of factors, including:
- Presense of insects or animals
If your heating system’s ductwork has been infested by animals or insects, get it cleaned as soon as possible with professional help. - Mold growth
The growth of mold in the air ducts indicates the presence of leakage or excessive moisture. It has a foul smell and can result in significant sickness. Some of the problems caused by mold are runny nose, cough, or itchy eyes. Hence, in order to get the system cleaned, the first step would be to get rid of the source of moisture. - Revamp
If your office space has recently been renovated, there is a high chance that the ACMV system might pull the excess dust into its air ducts. This might lead to the flow of dirty air into the working environment. - Contaminants
Pollutants like pollen, bacteria, dust, debris, etc are one of the most obvious reasons to get the air ducts cleaned. Their removal ensures the flow of clean air into the office space and also prevents the ACMV system from working harder than necessary.
In contrast to the typical workplaces, healthy buildings offer a clean, safe and productive working environment. They are equipped with smart lighting solutions, precise temperature control features and routine maintenance services for heating and cooling systems. This helps in building a constructive working space that offers increased ventilation and improved air quality for the employees.