ENERGY SAVING In 2016, the Royal College of Physicians
warned that indoor air pollutants cause, at a minimum, thousands of deaths per year and are associated with healthcare costs in the order of ‘tens of millions of pounds’.
Productivity
As well as the health implications of poor IAQ which cause staff absenteeism, poor IAQ also affects productivity. The health and well- being of staff has a significant impact on productivity with happy workers 12% more productive according to the Stoddart Review. Key parameters for a healthy and productive workforce include IAQ, temperature, light and noise levels.
This is backed up by a World Green
Building Council report which showed that office design impacts the health, well-being and productivity of its occupants, with a key area being good IAQ. A comprehensive body of research suggests that productivity improvements of 8-11% are not uncommon as a result of better IAQ.
Energy Efficiency However, improving IAQ is not the only benefit of a clean AC unit. Whilst advances have been made to manufacture new, more energy efficient AC units, effective cleaning of existing AC units can actually save more energy than installing a new unit. The Carbon Trust has identified cleaning and maintenance as the largest area for achieving energy savings in the HVACR sector.
Research shows dirt can increase an AC system’s energy usage by up to 30%, so for an AC system to work at peak efficiency and performance it needs to be clean. When dirt builds up on the coils it forms an insulating barrier which affects heat transfer and means the system works harder to compensate; reducing efficiency, shortening the lifespan of the system and so increasing running costs. When a system becomes very dirty, the coil can become clogged and airflow is reduced. Large volumes of air pass through evaporator coils on a daily basis and this air contains dust and microbes which accumulate on the fins and tubes and cause a build-up of dirt and bacteria. Filters will help to reduce this build-up but won’t negate the need for cleaning altogether.
A dirty evaporator coil and the moist
environment of the condensate tray is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, mould and algae and these are then circulated around the building resulting in a poor IAQ, nasty
smells and a wide variety of health problems. However, all these issues can be avoided if AC systems are regularly maintained and cleaned with appropriate products.
Cleaning When it comes to cleaning AC evaporators, there are simple solutions that can effectively clean even the dirtiest evaporator coils removing grease, nicotine and grime and killing bacteria, fungi and viruses. The latest cleaning solutions offer AC
engineers plenty of choice from simple to use aerosol evaporator cleaner and disinfectant, such as Advanced Engineering’s EasyCare; ready-to-use pump action, such as RTU ECD cleaner; or CondenCide - a concentrated alkaline cleaner and disinfectant which is diluted on site.
Once the cleaner is applied, it is essential to leave it on for up to 10 minutes to allow it to work on the dirt and grime, then rinse the evaporator with fresh water and the contaminated cleaner will wash away into the condensate drain.
Before restarting the system, engineers should then clean the AC unit’s fascia. A dirty fascia can negatively affect customer perception on how well an AC unit has been cleaned. Fortunately, EasyFinish from Advanced Engineering easily removes stubborn nicotine, grease and general grime from AC units as well as safely removing finger marks from plastic and metal casework. A fresh fragrance can also help with positive customer perception. Though it is not possible to see that air is clean, Advanced Engineering’s
These all offer highly effective cleaning with the RTU ECD and CondenCide killing up to 99.99% of bacteria as quickly as 60 seconds or less.
Whichever option engineers choose they
can be assured of an effective clean. Whether aerosol, pump or concentrate, engineers can undertake the same simple steps when it comes to cleaning evaporators. The first vital step is to isolate the electrics to ensure safe cleaning and then remove the plastic fascia before starting to clean. Next, spray into the coil starting at the top
corner and working methodically across and down. With an aerosol or pump action spray, the cleaner is ready to use. Concentrates needs to be diluted and then applied with a low- pressure sprayer set on coarse spray.
SmellyJelly has been formulated to provide a pleasant fragrance in fan coil and cassette units to give customers a clear indication the system has been serviced.
Easy to apply, SmellyJelly is simply placed
on the filter, within the unit, ideally as close to the discharge point as possible. Once in position, the unit can be switched on, allowing the fragrance to flow through the room. A clean AC unit ticks all the right boxes for customers from helping improve staff health and productivity to increasing AC efficiency. With the importance of good indoor air quality set to rise, the demand for cleaning and maintaining AC units is also set to grow. This makes it a win-win for engineers who offer service and maintenance as part of their business.
www.acr-news.com January 2020 53
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