INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Indoor air quality and ductwork in Panama
What circulates through an air conditioning system in a tropical climate and how it relates to the condition of the ductwork.
What circulates through an air conditioning system
An air conditioning system moves the building’s air through ducts, grilles and an air handling unit. Dust, particles and the humidity of the environment travel with that air. Filters retain part of it; the rest settles inside the system.
Why the equipment that should filter ends up distributing
When a filter is saturated or does not seal properly, dust passes into the system and accumulates in the ducts and the air handling unit. From there, the same equipment that was meant to filter ends up distributing what has accumulated throughout all the spaces.
What is observed in occupied spaces
- Damp smell when the unit is switched on
- Visible dust on grilles and diffusers
- Occupant complaints that are not solved by ventilating
- Condensation or standing water in the pan and the drain
Technical references
ASHRAE is used as a reference for indoor air quality and NADCA as a reference for the execution of air conditioning system cleaning. They are cited as the industry’s technical framework, not as our own seal.