Tag: sick building syndrome

Is Your Business Haunted Or Is It Something Worse??

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Has your business experienced…

Zombie Levels of Productivity

Poor levels of fresh outside air leading to insufficient IAQ can decrease air quality. According to a study done by Harvard University, productivity levels can be increased by up to 61% when the proper amount of air quality is introduced into the space, and can be increased by 100% when doubling the ventilation.

Chills Running Down Your Spine or Sweaty Palms?

Improper heating and cooling due to an unbalanced building means air is distributed unevenly which creates temperature variation. Hot and cold spots around your building are probably signs of an unbalanced building, or are they??

Something Strange in the Air?

Air drafts can be caused by too much air being delivered to certain areas and then the air moves between rooms in order to reach an equilibrium of pressure.

Musty Odor Means Something Is Lurking

When air isn’t cycled properly through the building on a regular basis and you let the humidity get too high, you provide a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Considering the average adult spends 92% of their time indoors, that means a lot of time breathing in these gross pollutants!

Mysterious Noises No One Can Explain

Have you been startled by an abrupt sound somewhere in your building that you can’t pinpoint? Poorly sized belts or pulleys can cause RTUs to squeak as they are operating, and duct leakage has been known to create some creepy noises as well.

Doors Opening and Closing With No One There

Pressure differentials caused by an imbalance of air being delivered to certain rooms can make doors open and close on their own.

Don’t call Ghostbusters just yet! There is a good chance you building is not actually haunted but instead just needs a good balance. Many of the above culprits can be easily fixed, and will not only improve your building’s health, but the health and productivity of everyone inside (one study shows estimated productivity benefits from increased ventilation could be as high as $6,500 per person per year!).  Learn more on what a building balance is here or contact us for more information on how to get rid of the pesky (and creepy) issues you are having!

3 Steps to Troubleshooting Your Facility’s HVAC With Onsite Staff

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

HVAC Troubleshooting

Have you identified that your facility is experiencing a potential air balance problem?  You might be experiencing hard to open doors, uncomfortable temperatures, poor smoke capture, odors, drafty areas, or any combination of the other common sick building symptoms.  The inevitable question now is, “Who can resolve this best?” Bringing in your facility’s mechanical contractor may be your first instinct but troubleshooting with your onsite managers is actually the best place to start. Work through the following questions with your facility’s day-to-day manager:  

1.  Is the equipment running?

As basic as this may come across, it is absolutely crucial to check if all HVAC equipment is operating. Check grilles to see if air is being blown out or sucked in. Check roof equipment, can you hear the fans from the RTU, MUA, or EF units spinning? Have the manager record and communicate findings.

2. Check the Thermostats

Navigate to the wall mounted thermostats and ensure they have the proper set points. Often, a thermostat is installed and connected to the system and then left alone. When this occurs the thermostat is left at factory settings which is often set at a random temperature. Your staff can follow the directions on this thermostat to program it for the desired temperatures.  As well, check the thermostats for “Fan ON.”

Thermostat

3.  Check the Circuit Breakers

Check indoor and outdoor circuit breakers. Observe tripped or “Off” breakers. DO NOT flip the breaker on. If tripped or left off, there’s likely a reason for it and you don’t want to risk frying the electrical systems. We recommend calling an electrician for this type of deficiency.

 

Armed with your findings from these simple tests, you can save some money with a Do-It-Yourself fix.  It’s possible that the journey back to a healthy building ends here.  But if the problem persists, it’s time for the level of technical know-how. Call the mechanical contractor. With your observations to these preliminary steps above, you can approach your mechanical contractor with information that will help them to better understand your situation and get you closer to achieving a healthy building.