The U.S Environmental Protection Agency found Americans on average spend 90 percent of their entire lives indoors. With more jobs completed from offices and computers, workers face health consequences related to indoor air quality more so than the potentially negative quality of air outdoors.
Because buildings are now seen as living, breathing structures – not just physical foundations – a new emphasis is placed upon the performance of these buildings, namely to reduce energy waste and provide clean air. The EPA noted the number of pollutants indoors is sometimes 100 times higher than those outdoors. Since indoor settings are confined to a limited, enclosed space, proper ventilation is paramount when it comes to pushing out airborne bacteria and pathogens while filtering in newer, cleaner air.
Poor IAQ can be tied almost explicitly back to how well a building’s HVAC system performs. Commercial and industrial buildings – those that typically house more people and heavy-duty machinery – often use much of their power to generate consistent airflow to keep the air from becoming stale. Each individual part of the HVAC unit plays a role in bringing in outside air, forcing it over heated or chilled HVAC coils and filtering out impurities before forcing the air into a room or building. And for larger buildings, a multimillion dollar HVAC system is required to handle these functions every hour of every day.
Custom specifications
In the HVAC industry, it’s hardly the case that a one-size-fits-all approach works. Some buildings are more than 100 years old and need to be retrofitted with new HVAC systems. Further, newly built structures are designed in a way to maximize energy consumption and create optimal working conditions, including installing the most advanced HVAC equipment. These two types of buildings are completely at odds in their construction and capabilities, meaning HVAC solutions must be designed to cater to the needs of each individual building rather than using one model for both.
The problem is that businesses often try to save money on energy costs but don’t put in the initial investment to do so. As such, HVAC systems may fit poorly when installed, which can lead to a host of issues down the road as most HVAC failures are derivative of improper installations. That’s why built-to-spec equipment can help eliminate these problems and create an entirely new working environment indoors.
This is particularly crucial to health care settings because patients are already ill or have a higher capacity to become ill. These facilities need HVAC units that can properly filter clean air at all times or else microbial buildup, harmful contaminants and bacteria can pollute operating rooms and other settings that require pure air. A study in the European Respiratory Journal indicated indoor air quality in many elderly care centers was subpar, leading to lung problems in patients. Researchers found poor ventilation was part of the issue, causing patients to get sicker.
New coils
The functions of heating and cooling air stem from how well HVAC coils are able to operate efficiently. Whether it’s a chilled water coil or a booster coil, these parts are critical to regulating air levels. Over time, however, these coils will begin to degrade, which negatively affects the quality of air being forced indoors.
Rather than outfit new coils into the system, building managers should opt for custom HVAC coils that are manufactured to spec. Rahn Industries can design coils specifically for each environment and measurement, which cuts down on inefficiencies and improves HVAC performance. Once installed, these custom coils can revitalize an HVAC unit and better deliver the quality of air that buildings need.
Rahn has a full lineup of spray and immersion (dip)/ Bake protective coatings to meet your needs.