Contact between air and surfaces in your HVAC system can impact cleanliness. Water damage or smoke, a fire, flood, or other catastrophic event can severely impact HVAC components. Restoration allows a contractor to deal with a compromised system. Unless acceptable cleanliness and air quality levels can be reached during HVAC restoration, components must be replaced.
Restoration is also a factor for buildings with rooftop air handlers. These are more exposed to environmental conditions. After so many years, building owners may need to consider replacement. However, HVAC restoration is also an option; it is typically less costly than redesigning or replacing an entire system.
Types of HVAC Restoration
A restoration project can focus on:
- Cleaning Cooling Coils: Dirty coils can freeze up the system and backed up condensate pans can create damp conditions; both also promote the growth of mold, bacteria, and viruses.
- Installing UV-C Lamps: UV-C is just the right wavelength to kill microbes as small as bacteria and viruses. Germicidal lamps can be installed in ductwork to sanitize circulating air.
- Updating Filtration: Clogged and damaged filters are replaced to prevent contaminated air from entering conditioned spaces, foreign particles from damaging AC components, and reduced airflow from decreasing performance and efficiency.
- Improving System Access: If the HVAC system doesn’t have panels that allow easy access for inspections or repairs, access panels can be installed.
- Replacing Flexible Ducts: Where there are bends, wrinkles, or kinks in flex duct, there tends to be dust and mold. During HVAC restoration, a contractor will check for these and replace sections of flex duct as needed.
- Treating Air Fans and Plenums: Buildup of dust and biofilm can be addressed by descaling equipment and applying corrosion control coatings. These help extend the life of critical components.
A restoration project can focus on improving indoor air quality. Using steam cleaning, a contractor can use pressure to reach through the coil and eliminate all buildup. High-temperature cleaning enables the entire system to be disinfected. Bio-enzyme treatments can prevent microbes from building up again.
Other helpful elements include antimicrobial and antioxidant coatings and drain pan liners. Contractors may also use non-fiberglass, zero porosity insulation to improve air quality.
Benefits of HVAC Restoration
A restoration project can take place in an apartment building, commercial facility, university campus, or any large property that serves a range of people. The benefits of restoring an HVAC system include:
- Less Disruption to Building Occupants: Often executed in phases, HVAC restoration avoids shutting down the complete system, removing or replacing it, or installing a temporary cooling system. It’s often carried out after-hours or on weekends, minimizing any impact during normal operating hours.
- Sustainability/Efficiency: There’s no need to make alterations to accommodate new equipment. Also, components don’t need to be transported, removed, and discarded, reducing the carbon footprint of the building and other operations such as trucking, recycling, or dumping parts and components in a landfill.
- Increased Capital Expenditures: HVAC restoration increases the useful lifespan of heating and cooling components, so has a significant cost/benefit compared to replacement. Considering the cost of labor and materials, hard costs are just a fraction of replacing an entire system. This frees up funds and increases potential productivity and profit with fewer disruptions. Overall maintenance and repair expenses can be reduced as well.
Restoration is a process that includes preparation, refurbishment, resurfacing and, when necessary, component repair and replacement. A contractor will always perform mechanical cleaning first to ensure all potential contamination has been removed, it is safe to move forward, and that high quality results are achieved.
Contact IRBIS
Throughout San Jose, we provide all types of residential and commercial HVAC services. Whether it’s time for a repair or routine maintenance, or HVAC restoration, you can rely on our skilled and dedicated experts to get it right the first time. Our technicians are skilled professionals who have received the latest industry training. For quality HVAC care, request service online or call 669-266-5464 today.