Presenter: Ron Auvil
Presentation Outline:
 IAQ and Health Concerns
 Contaminants
 Air Sampling and Testing
 IAQ Test, Adjust, and Balancing
 Prevention
 Troubleshooting IAQ Problems with the Fluke
975 Air Meter
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Owner, High Performance Mechanical Training;
www.myhipmt.com
Consultant and Director of Control Stop Training in Charlotte NC.
Graduate of West Side Institute of Technology in Cleveland Ohio
In HVAC Industry over 38 years
Licensed 3rd Class Stationary Engineer
35 Years Part and Full Time Training Experience, including 16 yrs
on Faculty of Community College
Author, ‘HVAC Control Systems’, ‘HVAC and Refrigeration
Systems’, ‘IT for HVAC Technicians’ and Future ‘Troubleshooting
HVAC Systems’ American Technical Publishers.
Technical Contributor Fluke Corporation.
17 Years with JCI as Lead Instructor HVAC and Controls
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Today, people spend up to 90% of their time indoors.
Asthma leads to 2 million emergency room visits and 5000
deaths per year.
Asthma accounts for more than 14 million missed school
days per year.
Asthma also accounts for over 14 million missed work days
per year.
20% of the US population spends their weekdays in schools.
The young, old, and those with health problems are especially
vulnerable.
IAQ and Health Concerns
costs.
.
Reactions to contaminants are either acute or
chronic. Acute effects are seen immediately.
Chronic effects are seen long term.
effects they produce.
Mold is the most common contaminant in industrial
buildings. However, it is possible for pollen and
animal dander to enter a building’s air supply.
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Cooling towers may be a breeding area for
Legionella bacteria.
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Asthma may be triggered by many different
environmental factors. To minimize risk,
certain basic steps should be followed.
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Sick building syndrome and building-related
illness both encompass diseases due to poor
IAQ. Building-related illnesses have
identifiable causes, whereas sick building
syndrome conditions do not.
Contaminants
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Contaminants may originate outdoors or
indoors and often follow a certain airflow
path.
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Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been
used commonly in a variety of building
construction materials including pipe
insulation, ceiling tiles, and building
fireproofing.
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Lead can be found in common sources such
as drinking water, air, and soil. However, in
sources such as old paint and lead pipes,
there is a larger risk of lead becoming a
harmful pollutant.
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Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless,
and toxic gas that can be produced from
traffic, unventilated parking garages, heating
equipment, and environmental tobacco
smoke.
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Carbon monoxide meters measure the
amount of carbon monoxide in an air sample
in parts per million (ppm).
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Formaldehyde is used in a wide variety of
products including particleboard, plywood,
cosmetics, and permanent press fabrics.
Formaldehyde is also released during certain
activities, such as burning wood.
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Exposure to high levels of radon may lead to
lung cancer. Radon levels are measured in
picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
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Volatile organic compounds are used in many
products including cleaners, pesticides,
paints and glue, cosmetics, perfumes,
draperies, and carpets.
Air Sampling and Testing
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Certain conditions and contaminants can be
measured easily with basic test instruments.
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Direct-reading IAQ test instruments are
usually calibrated every month but some test
instruments only require calibration once a
year.
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The measurement of basic air properties, in
addition to contaminants, provides a baseline
for the general condition of air quality within
a building.
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Chemical smoke tests help determine how
airflow is moving inside a space or between
spaces.
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Some carbon dioxide exposure limits have
been set by the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE).
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Carbon dioxide measurement test
instruments and procedures are similar to
carbon monoxide measurement procedures.
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The EPA has set permissible ozone limits for
indoor building spaces.
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Asbestos exposure limits vary according to
the classification of the fibers.
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Asbestos fibers are collected with an asbestos
sample pump that must maintain a constant
airflow during sampling.
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Lead air samples are usually collected in a
special canister that is then sent to a
laboratory for testing.
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Most laboratories offer a description of the
density of fungal material found in a mold
sample using generic terminology, such as
levels one through four.
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Mold sampling procedures vary when using
the tape or vacuum air-sampling methods.
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OSHA has set formaldehyde exposure limits
for indoor air quality.
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Formaldehyde sampling involves collecting
particles with a passive (nonpowered) sampler
and then sending the sampler to a laboratory
for analysis.
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The EPA has set some limits for radon
exposure.
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Radon leaks into various parts of a building
from the basement or ground floor, making
occupants susceptible to illness.
IAQ Test, Adjust, and Balancing
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Proper verification of air-handling systems is
necessary to prevent poor IAQ.
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Test instruments can measure various
aspects of air-handling systems including air
temperature, humidity, and airflow rate.
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Test instruments must be properly calibrated
before performing tests.
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When beginning the TAB process, the HVAC
system design should be checked to ensure it
is compatible with the building configuration.
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A detailed equipment check is performed
after confirming that all components of an
air-handling system are installed to design
specifications.
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Digital manometers are portable test
instruments used to measure pressure and
pressure differential in air systems.
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To calculate the airflow rate of a duct, first
find the duct area then solve for the airflow
rate.
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Capture hoods may be used for airflow
measurements from a diffuser or grill.
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Digital capture hoods can measure airflow
rate to a space using a few procedural steps.
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One technique for determining outdoor air
quantities involves traversing the outside air
duct.
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Calculating the outdoor air percentage of a
facility can be done if the outdoor-air,
mixed-air, and return-air temperatures are
known.
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Connecting a capture hood (capture hood has
reverse flow switch) to a return-air grill can
be done to measure airflow in a reverse
manner.
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ASHRAE publishes standards concerning
ventilation air requirements.
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Air should circulate completely through
occupied zone of a building to flush out
contaminants.
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Open area measurements may be used for
purposes such as measuring drafts.
Prevention
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A wide array of chemicals may be found in
commercial buildings and other facilities.
Chemicals are used for many daily activities.
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Keeping a chemical inventory can assist the
facility main-tenance staff in quickly
identifying detected odors and can help
prevent IAQ problems.
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Chemicals should not be stored directly next
to return air ducts, other HVAC equipment, or
electrical systems.
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Material safety data sheets provide an
extensive listing of information on a product
including potential hazards and permissible
exposure limits.
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Contaminants can follow many different
pathways. Each contaminant pathway can
contribute to poor IAQ.
Troubleshooting IAQ Problems with the Fluke
975 Air Meter
Direct-reading test instruments are the
instruments of choice for IAQ complaint
investigations due to their mobility.
The outdoor air percentage is often calculated
using an air meter that measures carbon dioxide.
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Any Questions?
Contact Information: Ron Auvil
Email: ron.auvil@gmail.com
Cell: (803) 367.3033