INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Exceptional indoor air quality is critical to a comfortable high-rise living environment. As a building begins to age so too will the equipment originally installed – including the fan coil units. When originally installed the fan coil units provided your suites and common areas with high quality heating, cooling, and ventilation. But like any household appliance in constant operation, it too begins to weather over time. As your fan coil unit reaches 20 years you might start to notice small but nagging issues such as weird smells, inconsistent temperatures, and loud noises. These small problems generally indicate larger issues that might be occurring behind the access panel in your fan coil unit such as leaks, motor failure, clogged filters, degrading fibreglass, and maybe even mould. Just because your fan coil unit is behind the wall doesn’t mean it’s out of sight out of mind.

The quality of air within your building’s suites and common areas can directly affect the respiratory health and immune system of children, elderly residents, and those with existing health implications. Residents could experience allergic reactions, colds, headaches, sinus infections, and asthma. If chronic these issues could lead to more serious health implications.*

Fan Coil Contamination of Growing Concern: Mould growth within fan coil units in Canadian high-rise buildings

So, what can you do?

Educate Your Residents

Teaching your residents about their fan coil units and the importance of maintenance is the first step. Encourage your residents to change their filters regularly, clean around the exit grille of their fan coil unit, and learn how to use their thermostats.

Schedule Regular Maintenance

Schedule regular maintenance of your fan coil units – biannually – with a certified HVAC provider that has experience in the high-rise residential sector. A company that has experience and uses trained HVAC professionals to provide their maintenance services will ensure any issues related to your equipment will be addressed and your fan coil units will be properly serviced.

Keep Up With Repairs

If your fan coil units are experiencing issues before their 20-year lifespan be sure to address the small issues before they become big problems. Addressing any mechanical, part or HVAC issues in individual units ensures your residents are safe and comfortable in their homes and your building is healthy and problem-free.

Replace Old Fan Coil Units

Many high-rise residences rely on vertical fan coils to heat, cool, and ventilate the air in suites. Vertical fan coil units act as the lungs in many high-rise residential buildings.

After 15-20 years of constant use, fan coil units can start to negatively impact indoor air quality. Dirt, dust, and debris buildup gets caught in the coil and fibreglass insulation. As the fibreglass begins to degrade it can be spread through the ventilation system into the suite. In some instances, microbial growth can even start to develop on insulation making it even more dangerous if inhaled once it begins to degrade and travel through the exit grille into the suite.

Contracting a professionally certified HVAC company to replace your existing aging fan coil units is the best way to remedy indoor air quality issues. Replacing your aging fan coil units ensures you are removing all the existing and potentially harmful components with new, upgraded equipment, with enhanced features, to mitigate any health risks.

Would you like to learn more about indoor air quality?

If so, please contact Certified Clean Air Corp to provide you with a free fan coil unit assessment.