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Lantz_HVAC System Cleaning 101

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IAQA 18th Annual Meeting & Indoor Environment and Energy Expo (IE3) The views and opinions herein are those of the volunteer authors and may not reflect the views and opinions of IAQA. The information is offered in good faith and believed to be reliable but it is provided without warranty, expressed or implied, as to the merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or any other matter. lightly-fouled system provides, on average, an 11 percent savings off of the energy used for heating and air conditioning. An article published in the ASHRAE Journal, November 2006 by Ross D. Montgomery & Robert Baker, both members of ASHRAE, highlighted the findings of a test project they performed in 2005 on a 34- floor building on Times Square in New York City to see what impact a dramatic change in coil cleaning nature and frequency might have. The building had only four large air handlers to service its 1.2 million ft2 of air-conditioned and heated space throughout the year. The test project was performed at the building July through September 2005 to monitor and analyze the HVAC energy use before and after restoration of two air handlers, SF-8 (121 tons [425 kW]) and SF-9 (81 tons [285 kW]), which were similar in their constant volume operation to the other two air handlers in the building, and were located on the 34th floor mechanical room. The test project yielded the following overall results from restoring the AHUs: • Resulted in improvements that would lead to energy savings of up to an estimated $40,000 that year, • Resulted in a decrease in the pressure drop across the coil, of approximately 14%, resulting in increased airflow • Resulted in an increase of 19 tons to 22 tons (67 kW to 77 kW) of cooling added to SF-9. • Increased the thermal efficiency of the cooling coil 25% with respect to its ability to transfer its energy to its sensible loads. • Restoring the air handler will continue to save energy by decreasing the load on the chiller plant, and making the heat transfer of this loading more efficient. It reduces the time of multiple chiller operation and its associated pumps, cooling towers, chemical costs, wear and tear, etc. B. Extended Equipment Life Another key benefit of proper HVAC system cleaning is extended equipment life. The HVAC system is like most other items we purchase. It requires regularly scheduled maintenance and service to ensure proper operation and maximum life expectancy. Unfortunately, "out of sight, out of mind" is often how HVAC systems and their components are thought of, leading to much more costly repairs and cleaning. Clean, efficient systems are less likely to break down, have a longer life span, and generally operate more effectively than dirty systems The Energy Star Maintenance Checklist states that it's important to maintain HVAC equipment to prevent future problems and unwanted costs. A typical maintenance check-up is recommended and includes the following component inspection and cleaning: Check and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels. Clean evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils. Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment. Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15 percent. General Cleaning Requirements Clearly, there are numerous benefits related to HVAC System Cleaning. However, it is critically important that cleaning be done properly and in accordance with ACR, The NADCA Standard to ensure those benefits are realized.

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