Hidden Source of Energy Loss? Try Your HVAC System

With rising energy costs, lower maintenance budgets and decreased indoor air quality every facility manager across the country is faced with how to deal with the new challenges. 

Tampa, FL – Let’s start with a 157% return on investment (ROI).  Where on earth can someone get this kind of return?  Not a savings account, not the stock market, not in some made up elaborate Ponzi scheme.  Let’s talk ENERGY.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) energy used by commercial and industrial buildings in the United States surpasses $200 billion in annual costs and creates nearly 50 percent of our national emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global climate change.

Some energy facts:

• Commercial buildings waste more than $60 billion of the energy that owners and tenants (mostly tenants) pay for
• Residential and commercial buildings are responsible for 40% of all US energy consumption
• The transportation, residential, and commercial sectors together make up nearly 70% of our energy use
• A November 2009 report by Jones Lang LaSalle found that a whopping 74 percent of corporate real estate executives are willing to invest in retrofitting spaces they own to save energy and improve sustainability. The report also found that 89 percent consider energy use and other sustainability criteria when looking to buy or lease office space

Energy savings hidden deep within cooling and heating coils:  With rising energy costs, lower maintenance budgets and decreased indoor air quality every facility manager across the country is faced with how to deal with the new challenges.  But huge energy savings is right under an organizations nose. Case in point: dirty or clogged commercial evaporator coils. Simply performing a deep up to 350 degrees cleansing with the proprietary PURE-Steam Coil Cleaning and High Volume Coil Flushing can dramatically reduce energy costs, while improving indoor air quality without the use of harsh chemicals.

Cooling and heating coils use tubing arranged in a series of loops and fins and their purpose is to transfer heat from one fluid to another (e.g. water to air, refrigerants to air, air to air etc.). Aluminum and copper fins are attached to the coils to increase the exposure surface and the rate of heat transfer. In the 1970s and early 1980s the cooling coils had typically 8 to 12 fins per inch, but due to increasing energy costs and mandated energy efficiency ratings, it is not uncommon seeing coils today manufactured with 16 and 18 fins per inch arranged in complex zigzag patterns. Unfortunately, these high efficiency coils are extremely susceptible to blockage from dust accumulation because once lodged deeply within the fins bacteria and mold may initiate growth, which not only compounds the blockage problems, but also gives rise to excessive operating costs, comfort control problems and unhealthy sanitary conditions that are not conducive to good air quality.

And now, the rest of the story:  With energy costs rising, Florida State University (FSU), a major Florida university, took a close look at HVAC maintenance, including the total operating cost of its HVAC system.  They found that the conventional coil cleaning foam/rinse method only superficially cleaned the surface of the coil and pushed small debris further into the coil causing decreased air flow, a musty odor, decreased temperature and humidity control and decreased the quality of the indoor air.

The forward thinking Facilities Management Department at Florida State University (FSU) felt these dirty coils were nothing but a pot of gold buried in dust and debris in these air handling systems. FSU discovered quickly that professionally steam cleaning their evaporator coils has paid huge dividends for them.  They found a chemical free steam coil cleaning process so efficient and safe for the environment that in the first year of its implementation alone saved the university over $800,000 of their power bills and were able to provide the students and teachers a healthier learning environment.  The estimated payback in less than eight (8) months was 157% return on investment (ROI) with a per square foot payback of .22 cents.

Because dirty coils are difficult to clean, expensive to operate, unhealthy and can lead to humidity control deficiencies, it makes sense to minimize the amount of dust that can enter the airflow and to clean them before dirt accumulation becomes visible. Pure Air Control Services (PACS), an industry leader in environmental and mechanical cleaning technologies recommends not to defer coil cleaning to the point that dust accumulation is visible. Minimally, heat exchangers should be cleaned once a year using the superheated steam process. For non specialized environments (healthcare facilities, clean rooms, etc.), Pure Air Control Services also recommends using air filters with an equivalent Minimum Efficiency Rating Value (MERV) of 8 and to minimize the amount of air that could infiltrate in the air handler by ensuring that the filters fit snuggly in the holding racks and sealing all cabinet penetrations.

PURE-Steam HVAC Hygienic Cleaning is an eco-friendly process that utilizes a proprietary system that produces (up to) 350 degree steam at (up to) 350 psi for a deep cleansing of the coils helping to:

• Create better cooling capacity
• Saving energy (approx .22 cents per sq ft)
• Creates improved air flow – typical 20-50% improvement
• Improve indoor air quality 
• Sanitize the coils/blowers assembly
• Removes latent debris, mold, bacteria, endotoxins, construction dust, etc.. from deep within the coils
• Extends HVAC equipment life

An example, Charlotte County School District implemented a preventative maintenance program to not only save energy but also to improve indoor air quality and mitigate long-term health risks and allergies associated with indoor air pollutants. This program uses PURE-Steam Coil Cleaning as a safe and effective cleaning process to save energy and create a healthy learning environment for students, school staff and visitors.

As a part of this initiative, the Charlotte County School District has contracted with Pure Air Control Services a national leading indoor environmental contractor with over 25 years of building IAQ experience.  Because the PURE-Steam Coil Cleaning program is eco-friendly, students, school staff and visitors don’t have to worry about potential dangerous chemicals or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) entering into the air or water system.

Don Terry, Manager of HVAC Maintenance noted that “not only are we saving energy, but we are creating a healthy learning environment for our students and faculty.”  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long been a proponent of improving indoor air quality in the nation’s schools stating on their web site that “Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can cause illness requiring absence from school, and can cause acute health symptoms that decrease performance while at school. In addition, recent data suggest that poor IAQ can reduce a person’s ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory.”  Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a critically important aspect of creating and maintaining quality school facilities.

Additionally, Mr. Terry stated that “your staff, crew and support team are great to work with.  I would highly recommend your Pure-Steam Coil cleaning process to any facility/HVAC manager interested in saving energy, improving indoor air quality and creating a healthy school.”

To discuss ways to get maximize your energy dollars and improve IAQ in your facility call the environmental/energy experts at today at 1-800-422-7873 and ask about our PURE-Steam HVAC cleaning process.   Contact  Alan Wozniak at 1-800-422-7873 ext  802

About Pure Air Control Services:

About Pure Air Control Services, Inc.
Pure Air Control Services, Inc. was established in 1984 as a small, mechanical, contracting firm and has since set the industry standard for indoor environmental quality diagnosis, environmental laboratory and remediation. Pure Air Control Services has serviced more than 600 million square feet of indoor environments in over 10,000 facilities.

The company’s nationally performed services include: Building Sciences evaluations; Building Health Check IAQ assessments; EDLab, a CDC ELITE Environmental Microbiology Laboratory; Environmental Project Management; Building Remediation Sciences – HVAC New Life Restoration and PURE-Steam HVAC Hygienic Cleaning Services, among other indoor environmental services.

For more information contact  Alan Wozniak at 1-800-422-PURE ext  802