Sanitary and technical condition of the ventilation system directly affects the comfort level of the environment in the room where people live or work. Together with the air, dust, grease, soot, combustibles, fumes and small debris enter the chambers of the ventilation system. The filters provided do not catch the entire mass of these contaminants, and some of them inevitably settle on the inner walls of the ducts.
Contaminated ventilation can not provide sufficient air purification in the room, which is fraught with the appearance of unpleasant odors, mold growth and spread of bacteria. Cleaning of ventilation systems, the frequency of which is determined by the type of room, should be carried out on a regular basis and with the involvement of specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological service.
The schedule of frequency of cleaning of air ducts, in accordance with the law:
- for administrative and office buildings, shopping malls – 2 times a year;
- for medical centers, public catering organizations – once a quarter (once every 3 months);
- educational establishments – 2 times a year;
- for industrial premises – 2 times a year;
- there are no strict requirements for private and apartment houses, but specialists advise to perform cleaning works at least once in two years.
Consequences of contamination of ventilation systems
The law requires strict compliance with the rules of ventilation maintenance and their timely cleaning. Ignoring these requirements is fraught with the following consequences
- Risk of ignition of dust accumulated and deposited on the internal walls of the duct when an accidental spark occurs. Grease and soot accumulated on the internal surfaces of the structure when heated strongly may also ignite;
- Reduced performance of the ventilation system;
- Failure of fans operating on electric motors;
- mould formation, growth of pathogenic microbes which can cause frequent illness to all the people who are in the room regularly;
- Reduced human performance due to poor indoor air quality.
When are air ducts cleaned?
Because of the complex structure of ventilation systems, cleaning of air ducts and their subsequent disinfection are carried out by specialists of sanitary and epidemiological services. A strong argument for contacting professionals can be any of the following factors:
- noticeable contamination, including settling dust, grease, large debris;
- the formation of mold or mildew;
- mustiness in the room and unpleasant odors coming from neighboring apartments through the ventilation hole;
- the results of a laboratory examination of the air or a scraping of the internal surfaces of the structure revealed the presence of harmful bacteria in it.
Inspection of ventilation systems in organizations is conducted once every 6 months, and in apartment buildings once every three years.
Stages of a ventilation system inspection
The frequency of cleaning of air ducts is not regulated by law, but the rules of SanPiN have separate paragraphs defining specific norms for different types of premises. They have precise indicators, which are measured with special equipment. Cleaning work is carried out on the basis of a preliminary inspection, during which the relevant acts are drawn up.
The procedure for the inspection of air ducts:
- operating condition of the system during operation;
- integrity of structures, fasteners and other elements of the system;
- compliance with technical requirements and assembly;
- degree of contamination of the ventilation system as a whole and its individual parts;
- efficiency of filters;
- verification of project documentation;
- Measurements of microclimate indicators;
- collection of materials for laboratory research;
- determination of cleaning procedures based on the results of the inspection.
Methods of cleaning air ducts
Professional cleaning of air ducts is carried out in several ways:
- mechanical. Produced with the help of an industrial vacuum cleaner, pressurized air, through a pneumatic device or a brush machine.
- chemical. Supposed to dissolve deposits with special reagents in accordance with fire safety techniques, and then rinse them with running water.
- with the help of special robotics.
Why contact the professionals?
Timely and proper cleaning and disinfection of ventilation systems makes it possible to maintain the necessary microclimate and comfortable environment in residential, office, industrial or other premises, as required by law. In addition, regular maintenance of the air ducts:
- prevents the risks of spreading viruses through the ventilation and air conditioning system in a room;
- increases ventilation performance, quickly eliminates unpleasant odors and normalizes humidity in the room;
- increases the service life of installed air conditioning equipment;
- reduces the risk of premature failure of individual components;
- prevents the formation of mustiness and unpleasant odors in the room.