Three Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is critical in HVAC to keep spaces comfortable and healthy. Here are three simple steps you can take to improve the IAQ in your HVAC system.

Indoor air quality has always been an important factor in managing airflow. The standard use of louvers and dampers alleviates many health issues by circulating fresh air into indoor spaces. In recent years, there has been a renewed focus on the health of occupants and quality of the air they breathe.

Indoor air quality is important in modern building design.  

Building owners want their system to do more. New projects may require UV lights and in-duct filtration to sanitize the airstream as it passes through the system. There are ways to improve indoor air quality without adding extra equipment to your ducts.

Method 1: Clean your dampers

Regular maintenance can go a long way in improving indoor air quality. Dampers should receive maintenance at least once a year to ensure they open and close when necessary. You may need to perform more frequent maintenance depending on the damper and the building's location.

Sand and dust will be more prevalent in deserts and coastal regions, especially during windy weather. These particulates will find their way into your HVAC system.

A maintenance routine should include regular cleaning. Dampers are a fixed object in your duct. They can collect material moving with the airstream, like dust and pollen. These smaller materials will collect on the damper’s blades. Over time, this dust will impact the air quality of your building.

Technicians can easily clean dampers with a lint-free cloth, provided they can readily access the damper. Lightly wipe the blades to remove the dust from the blade. In most cases, you won’t need a cleaning solution. Lint-free microfiber cloths can thoroughly clean the surface of the blade without leaving behind any debris.

For more stubborn build up, apply a light cleaning solution to the blades and wipe away with a fresh cloth. You may need to apply it multiple times to clean the blade. At MCDLG, we recommend a cleaning solution of light detergent to remove excess debris from the blades. 

Clean dampers contribute to an efficiecient HVAC system.

Technicians should follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for maintenance when cleaning their dampers. For more on maintenance, check out our guide on maintaining louvers and dampers in your HVAC system.

Clean dampers contribute to indoor air quality and a more efficient HVAC system. A dust-free damper passes clean air through the duct to where it’s needed with minimal impact on the flow. Make sure you establish a maintenance schedule and keep your dampers clean.

Method 2: Prevent water infiltration

Louvers protect intake points from water damage by deflecting rain and allowing air to pass into the space beyond. This protection is important. Excess moisture damages duct equipment and provides a place for mold to grow. This creates a serious problem for indoor air quality. Mold can spread from the ductwork to the rest of the building.

To make matters worse, louvers are typically installed in hard-to-reach places in your HVAC system. This also makes it difficult to address mold growth in these areas. The best remedy is preventing water infiltration in the first place.

We have several articles available for louver selection, including which louvers provide the best protection. There is a lot to consider when choosing the right louver. For this article, we are focused on weather protection. Choose louvers that protect against the worst-case scenario, which is often wind driven rain.

Wind driven rain louvers prevent rainfall from infiltrating the louver, even when carried by high winds. They will have catches to block water from passing through and drain channels to safely remove the water from the louver. In coastal areas, the project will have requirements for hurricane louvers.

Wind driven rain louvers prevent water infiltration, which leads to mold growth and corrosion at the air intake point.

You can also add drain pans to louvers to help prevent backsplash. Water can flood the sill, or bottom, of the louver during heavy rain. Drain pans have a raised back that prevents water from passing through the sill. They also have an open face for the collected water to fall out. You can add a drain pan to most louvers, while certain louvers will come with a drain pan.

Prevent water infiltration to prevent mold growth before it starts. Choose louvers that protect against the worst weather to ensure your ducts stay dry.

Method 3: Consider adding Louver Filters

Louver filters are designed for large particulates like pollen and sand. Filters are installed on the back of the louver, or the side facing the interior. As air passes through the filter, it captures the large particulates before they can infiltrate the louver. This helps keep the air stream clean at the intake, improving indoor air quality at the source.

You have options for louver filters. For new louvers, you can choose to add a filter rack to the back so you can easily replace old filters by sliding them out and sliding the new filter in. You can also add washable filters, so that technicians can quickly clean and replace the filter to the louver.

Louver filters will come with extra considerations. First, technicians will need access to the back of the louver so that they can attend to the filter. Filters will clog over time if left unattended. The filter will need to be cleaned or replaced regularly, to prevent debris build up. A dirty filter will impact air performance and will contribute to poor air quality.

Louver filters attach to the back of the louver, to filter air after it passes between the louver's blades.

These filters will impact air performance. Air will pass through the louver and the filter medium to get to the duct, which will create additional pressure drop. Your system will need to work harder to move air through the louver, but you may prefer this trade off to improve indoor air quality.

HVAC is all about keeping occupants safe and comfortable. With these three easy methods, you can help your HVAC system perform its best and improve air quality.

Need louvers? Airline Louvers can help. We build louvers for a wide range of applications. Contact Airline today. Let's work together on your next project.

For more on louvers and dampers, check out these Newsstand articles:

• Louvers for Aesthetic Architecture
• The Condenser - The Importance of Maintenance
• Blades with a Purpose - For Louvers and Dampers
• Zone Control Dampers and HVAC Efficiency