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Hvac Cleaning
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JettyRobots in action : 1 Cleaning an air duct with dry ice 2 Robot after dry ice cleaning run in an industrial unit .
risk of suspended ducts falling and injuring personnel or damaging equipment during disassembly is removed . Sick Building Syndrome ( SBS ) may also be eliminated with ducts that have been cleaned and disinfected to the very highest standards by space-age robotic technology .
Inadequate duct cleaning & SBS SBS ( Sick Building Syndrome ) is defined by the US EPA as “ situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building , but no specific illness or cause can be identified . The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone , or may be widespread throughout the building .” 2 Symptoms usually disappear in the occupant soon after leaving the building . The following have been cited by the EPA and multiple other parties as causes of or contributing factors to SBS , and all relate to ‘ duct ’ cleaning : inadequate ventilation , chemical contaminants from indoor sources ( requiring extraction via fully operational and effective exhaust systems ), and biological contaminants ( bacteria , moulds , and viruses ). Even after a thorough building investigation , the specific causes of SBS may remain unknown . Numerous studies by government and environmental health specialists have shown Indoor Air Quality ( IAQ ) to be a significant environmental threat to human health . A report issued on a World Health Organisation ( WHO ) meeting in 1984 , which continues to be quoted in the industry today , suggested that 30 % of new and remodelled buildings worldwide could be the subject of excessive IAQ-related complaints 3 with the SBS frequency varying from country to country , region to region . Many energy-efficient buildings with airtight envelopes seem to develop SBS , particularly those that operate large ventilation / air conditioning systems . Ineffective cleaning or non-maintenance of a building ’ s or industrial unit ’ s HVAC system and ducts may result in inadequate ventilation , poor IAQ , and can lead to SBS . Dark , damp and dirty ducts can result in the concealed growth of
JettyRobot s . r . o .
Development of the first JettyRobot began in 2008 working in cooperation with the Czech Technical University , and was launched in 2009 . The tech start-up was bought by an investor in 2017 due to the foreseen potential and need from the market , and a new company JettyRobot s . r . o . was established . The company now offers two robots based on the size of duct to be cleaned and the type of cleaning required – JettyRobot 6 and JettyRobot S , each of which has evolved following the acquisition of experience and operational knowledge from the field . JettyRobot 6 is 6 th generation and the new smaller “ S ” is 3 rd generation technology . JettyRobot is one of the leading robotic duct cleaning technologies in the world . bacteria , moulds and fungi . Unclean and poorly maintained ducts provide the ideal breeding ground for pathogens , as dust and particulates that coat the internal surfaces of HVAC ductwork support their growth . Mould , mildew and other fungi spores reproduce , become airborne and are passed through the HVAC system and therefore throughout a building . “ When symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified and can be attributed directly to airborne building contaminants ” 2 , the EPA defines this as a Building Related Illness ( BRI ). An example is Legionella infection . In contrast to SBS , BRI ’ s are less common , but may result in significant morbidity .
BRIs , dirty ducts and Legionnaires ’ disease Poor and stagnant air caused by a dirty and inefficient HVAC system as well stagnant , standing water that has accumulated in ducts and drain pans can cause bacteria and viruses to form or those already living in the air ducts to thrive , circulate and cause infection more easily . In a worst case scenario , certain bacteria such as Legionella can form , be transported on air droplets through ventilation ducts and into an office worker or resident ’ s lungs causing serious harm or even death , especially to those with weakened immune systems . The bacterium Legionella pneumophila was first discovered six months after an outbreak in July 1976 in a group of people , who attended the 58 th convention of the American Legion in Philadelphia , USA . Those that were affected suffered from a type of pneumonia that is now known as Legionnaires ’ disease . According to the World Health Organisation ( WHO ), Centers for Disease Control & Prevention ( CDC ), The Lancet and many other institutions 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . Legionella has been associated with other outbreaks of Legionnaires ’ disease linked to poorly maintained artificial water systems since 1977 . Sources of aerosolised water droplets that have been linked with the transmission of Legionella bacteria include air conditioning cooling towers , evaporator and condenser coils , and other hot and cold water systems . The CDC concluded that “ Legionella pneumophila (…) was spread through the ( Bellevue Stratford ) hotel ’ s air conditioning system ” 8 . To this day , experts cannot be sure of the exact source of the Legionnaires ’ disease outbreak at this hotel in Philadelphia . It is conjectured that the Legionella bacterium had colonised the hotel ’ s cooling towers , however by 1977 when Legionella was finally identified , the hotel ’ s cooling towers had been cleaned , so a critical piece of evidence was not available to CDC investigators . Over the last 40 plus years , cooling towers have been identified to be the source of other Legionnaires ’ disease outbreaks . The Lancet summarises very well a key lesson learned : “ Until 1976 no one had suspected that air-conditioning
20 Heat Exchanger World November 2022 www . heat-exchanger-world . com