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RESULTS OF A PILOT FIELD STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CLEANING RESIDENTIAL HEATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS AND THE IMPACT ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
Citation:
Fortmann, R., C. Gentry, K. Foarde, AND D. Van Osdell. RESULTS OF A PILOT FIELD STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CLEANING RESIDENTIAL HEATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS AND THE IMPACT ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-97/137 (NTIS PB98-142011), 1997.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
The report discusses and gives results of a pilot field study to evaluate the effectiveness of air duct cleaning (ADC) as a source removal technique in residential heating and air-conditioning (HAC) systems and its impact on airborne particle, fiber, and bioaerosol concentrations. Data were also collected to assess the potential impact of cleaning on performance of the air handler and cooling system. The study was conducted at EPA's Indoor Air Quality Test House and eight occupied homes in the research Triangle Park area of North Carolina. Week-long studies at each home involved background air monitoring and sampling, cleaning of the HAC system, and post-cleaning monitoring and sampling. Measurement parameters included airborne particle, fiber, and fungi concentrations; microbiological and dust deposition sampling in the supply and return air ducts; various system related parameters including air flow, static pressure, temperature, and relative humidity; and environmental parameters indoors and outdoors. Study results are presented on the effectiveness of ADC, its impact on selected indoor air quality parameters, and an assessment of its impact on system performance. Recommendations are provided on future research needs.