HVAC Maintenance and Your Health

The dominant barometer of good air quality is a physically clean space that “smells nice”. Once these bases have been covered, it is perceived that everything is okay in a building. Arising symptomology of poor indoor air quality like headaches or chest pains are characterized then as “weird” and deemed normal, pushed to the side as building occupants engage in daily tasks.

It is always assumed that rudimentary maintenance schedules have been put in place for HVAC systems, hence, there should be no issues with the quality of the air. Working under that assumption, complaints from occupants are often ignored, and individuals are often told, “Oh it’s all in your head. Go get some fresh air.” In the articulating of, “Go get some fresh air,” we instinctively understand that something is wrong indoors. It feels stuffy all the time, or occupants feel better once they step outside.

Unfortunately, this goes on for years, while susceptibility increases through long-term exposure. One of our clients constantly experienced headaches and “strange” chest pains and was reluctant to attribute it to air quality until she made that call. A toxic gas assessment revealed persistent elevated Carbon Dioxide and Total Volatile Organic Compounds indoors, indicating that ventilation in the building was inefficient, impacting the client’s health over years. To date, building maintenance has agreed to engage with the contracted HVAC engineers to correct the issues.

In another case, employees often complained of symptomology consistent with ventilation issues. A total volatile organic compound screening was conducted to pinpoint the exact pollutant indoors for targeted corrective measures. It revealed that perfumes worn by employees coming into the building negatively impacted the more sensitive occupants. This building became a “scent-free” zone and instances of ventilation related symptomology radically reduced.

As Indoor Air Quality analysts, we come across these issues every day. Humans spend more time indoors but property owners (some not all), don’t always necessarily see the need to continually invest in ensuring that the air occupants breathe in is safe and healthy. Onsite building maintenance personnel may be equipped to do rudimentary work on a system, but consistent maintenance from a contracted HVAC team cannot be undermined in an effort to save on costs. Indoor environments are dynamic and consistently changing. An HVAC system put in place for a building built 10 years ago needs maintenance from engineers, as the building use, number of occupants and also layout, changes over time. This should be coupled with scheduled air quality tests to ascertain that work done was effective in maintaining the health and safety of occupants.

It is easy to ignore and make instinctive judgements as stepping outside but ensuring that the air you breathe indoors is safe cannot be overstated. Get your air tested TODAY!