Indoor Air Quality and PHI cells

I never heard of PHI cells until last Thursday evening's presentation by Keith Roe of Air Care and Restoration. In addition to the excellent job that he did explaining all the particulars of good indoor air quality, he touched on some new technology that appears to be on the horizon of making indoor air quality attainable as well as affordable. A real opportunity for the HVAC contractor.

We all know that UV lights are good at killing mold, and bacteria if the light can shine on the surface of a coil. In other words UV light does not directly improve indoor air quality, but as it shines on the coil it will eventually kill the mold and bacteria and with good filtration that should indirectly improve indoor air quality.

PHI cells combine UV lights with chemical compounds that create an oxidation reaction. Its that oxidation that will eliminate molds, odors, bacteria and virus, and VOC's in the air itself.

Like I said its new to me, but the process has actually been around for awhile and it works. We heard lots of testimonials about its effectiveness.

Thanks to Mr. Roe for sharing your expertise with us and we look forward to hearing from you again in the future.

Someone is going to win one of these prizes when the drawing is held at the June picnic. Not pictured is the Husky mechanics set that one of our members donated. The Fluke meter was donated by Meier Supply and the 12V drill was donated by Johnstone Supply. Many thanks.Tickets are $5 each and we have some left if you want to participate.

Its time to get moving on 410a certs. So the chapter meeting for May will be devoted to 410a training. That's May 15, 6PM at ABC training center in Allentown. The meeting is one week earlier than usual so that we can take advantage of 410a certification that's being offered by CIT on Sat. May 17. So if you come to the meeting on Thursday that will help you learn and review most of the material that you'll need to pass the certification exam. The class on Thursday is free, but it will cost you to take the exam at CIT on Saturday. See the newsletter for more details. Let's face it, your gonna have to deal with these new refrigerants so we might as well avail ourselves with the training for the safe handling and use of them. Eventually most manufactures won't sell you a 410a system unless you have the right certification. See you at the meeting.

Monthly Meeting on April 24

Don't forget to attend our monthly meeting this Thursday the 24th at ABC training center in Allentown. The center is located at 1036 Godfrey St. in Allentonwn right off of Union Blvd. The topic will be Indoor Air Quality and the presenter will be Mr. Keith Roe from Air Care and Restoration. He is an excellant speaker and you will come away will a lot of usefull information.

If you are planning on attending the chapter picnic in June make you reservations right away. We need a final headcount by April 25(Friday).

We still have tickets for the June raffle. There are three prizes to be given away: Fluke mutimeter, 12v cordless, 125pc mechanics set. Each is worth over $200. Buy your tickets now because we're only selling 200 tickets.

Take a read. Here's an interesting article on air quality

Better indoor air through filtration
Energy fact sheet 3
Many people mistakenly assume the term air conditioning
means strictly temperature control of the living space;
however conditioning also involves controlling the humidity,
distribution, and cleanliness of the air. Filtration is an excellent
way to accomplish air cleaning and provide enhanced levels of
comfort to the building occupants.
One of the hottest topics in today’s construction arena
concerns the issue of Indoor Air Quality or IAQ. Controlling
indoor air quality can be accomplished by three methods:
Source Control — eliminating or removing the cause of
pollutants, such as moisture which can result in mold
and mildew.
3. DOP-smoke penetration test — A test only used for very
high efficiency air filters–generally those that are rated
above 98% efficiency on the atmospheric-dust-spot test. A
special smoke-like gas is used to perform this test.
Kinds of Filtration
The most common HVAC or furnace-type panel filters are the
disposable spun glass or fiberglass type and the washable “hog’s
hair” products. Both are inexpensive (between $0.50 and $5) and
actually improve their filtering capability as they get dirty, but, this is
accomplished at the costly expense of restricting air flow. To avoid
restricting airflow, they should be changed every 1 to 3 months.
3

Indoor Air Quality
Tests and Terms
Types of Filters
Electrostatically enhanced panel filters are more effective.
These are typically 1-inch thick and have low airflow resistance
so they can easily be substituted for a standard panel filter.
These filters operate by employing pre-charged electrets - a
plastic material with a permanent static charge. As the moving
air flows past the filter material, the oppositely charged
particulates in the airstream cling to the filter’s fibers.
While electrostatic air filters are only fairly effective at
capturing very small particles (1 micron or less), they are better
than the standard panel, plus, they do a reasonably acceptable
job with larger particles (>10 microns) such as mold spores and
pollen. These filters typically cost around $9 to $50 but can last
from 3 months to an entire season of heating or cooling.
Medium efficiency filters offer improvement by forcing the air
to pass through smaller openings. However, this causes an
increase in air restriction which is only somewhat overcome by
creating more overall surface area by using accordion type
pleating. These extended surface filters offer a longer service life,
often up to a year, but are usually several inches thick and thus
Particle removal at various filter efficiencies
Atmospheric Dust- Particles removed
Spot Efficiency
10% Good for capturing lint. Somewhat helpful for ragweed pollen.
Not very good for smoke and staining particles.
20% Fairly good at capturing ragweed pollen. Not very good for
smoke and staining particles.
40% Good at capturing pollen and airborne dust, some smudging and
staining particles. Not very good for tobacco smoke particles.
60% Very good for all pollens and most particles that cause staining
and smudging. Partially helpful for tobacco smoke particles.
80% Very good at removing smudging and staining particles, coal
dust, oil smoke particles, and tobacco smoke particles.
90% Excellent protection for all particles.
Source: Understanding Ventilation, John Bower, 1995
Dilution — controlled ventilation of outdoor air
into the living space to dilute interior pollutants.
Extraction — filtration and cleaning of circulated
room air.
While source control is the most important
technique, extraction or filtration is perhaps the most
under utilized of the three.
A filter, removes particles that are not visible
to the human eye. Thus, the standard panel filters
installed in a furnace or HVAC system are really
“non-filters” from an IAQ standpoint because
they only remove lint and other larger, visible
particles (Simply pouring table salt through a
new filter will demonstrate this). Their purpose is
primarily to protect the air conditioning coils or
blower motor of the HVAC system and their
effectiveness at this task is marginal.
Filter Efficiency
The three commonly used methods to determine filter
efficiency are:
1. Weight-arrestance test — Measures (by weight) how much
dust has been removed by a filter. This test is misleading
because it only tells how well a filter will remove relatively
large and heavy particles, not the smaller particles found in
common household dust (which can easily be inhaled into
the lungs). A standard panel filter’s 80% efficient arrestance
rating sounds good but actually means very little.
2. Atmospheric dust-spot test — A highly useful test which
measures a filter’s ability to capture particles between 0.3 and
6 microns in size (a micron is one millionth of a meter; a
human hair can be 50 microns in diameter). If a filter’s
advertisement claims “80% efficient by ASHRAE Standard 52-
76,” be sure to look for the words “atmospheric-dust-spot”
and not “arrestance” to determine if it is a good filter or not.
The common panel filter will only measure 3-5% on the
atmospheric-dust-spot test.
cannot be used to simply replace a standard 1" panel filter. They
are supplied in a special housing that must be incorporated into
the ductwork. There are lower priced pleated filters that will fit
into the standard 1'' track, however these are not as effective as
the thicker (with greater surface area), medium efficiency ones
and must be changed more often.
High efficiency filters
Pleated filters are taken to the next level in the HEPA-type
filters. These state-of-the-art, High Efficiency Particulate Air filters
are often found in hospital clean rooms, but some residential
versions are available. For example, the minipleat high
performance HEPA-type filter employs patented minipleating
technology to create 193 square feet of media area in a 24”
square by 12” thick filter cartridge. The result is reasonable air
resistance and excellent filtration for up to several years of
service. The replacement cartridge is around $160. This technique
often employs some form of upstream pre-filtration to remove the
larger pollutants, thus the larger, easy-to-capture particles won’t
waste the high efficiency media. The higher filtration of HEPA
filters restricts air flow, so the HVAC blower must be designed
accordingly.
Electronic air cleaners
Finally, electronic air cleaners, with an $800 to $1000 price tag,
are available to achieve a premium level of high efficiency filtration.
These devices, properly known as electrostatic precipitators,
generate approximately 20,000 volts to give dust particles a staticelectric
charge. These particles are then attracted to oppositely
charged metal plates (which must be periodically cleaned after the
plates become full of particulates). Because the electrically charged
plates can short-out and cause an annoying popping and snapping
sound, pre-filtration is required. There are, however, no additional
costs in terms of maintenance.

Chapter Member recognised !!!!!

Congratulations to Mr. Tom Donmoyer for his recognition at the recent Region 2 EKA/ RSES training. Tom was recognised as "Member of the Year" for region 2. And well deserved it is, too!. Tom has faithfully worked to promote and improve the Lehigh Valley Chapter of RSES. I met Tom a few years ago at one of the first meetings of the "born again" Lehigh Valley chapter. His love of learning is evident by his commitment to the monthly meeting, self study group, and involvement in regional and international seminars. He has also benefited us with his organizational skills as our chapter treasurer. Congratulations, Tom!

At the EKA/RSES seminar this past weekend, four of our chapter members took the CM exam. The Certified Member exam is a 150 question multiple choice examination that is anything but easy. Every one of us has been preparing for this exam for 3-4 years by reading and studying the RSES technical institute material. We would read 3 or 4 chapters and meet every other week to review the material and study questions. We call it the self study group and meeting with each other helps us to stay accountable for the reading and on target with our goal toward the CM. A lot of guys look at me like I have two heads when I tell them what we're doing. "What's it mean?" or " Do you get paid for this?" are common questions. Well, no I don't get paid and it means something to me and the others who are involved in the group. Actually it costs us in time and money to be involved in this effort. Is it worth it? Yes. If you don't continue to learn and improve your skills you are going backward- it's just that simple. The chapter may sponsor a new group next year. You should consider getting involved. If your not involved in education and training in our industry your hurting yourself, your employer and most importantly the customer. Saddle up!

I love Indoor Air Quality. I mean I love to learn about this subject which happens to be the topic of our monthly meeting on Thursday April 24th, 6PM at ABC training center in Allentown. Mr. Keith Roe from Air Care and Restoration will be here to address the topics surrounding Indoor Air Quality. This is such a hot button issue that you won't want to miss this excellant and timely presentation. AND IT'S FREE!!!!!!! WITH REFRESHMENTS!!!!!!!!
Check this article out from the EPA website!

An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality
Pollutants and Sources of Indoor Air Pollution
Asbestos
Biological Pollutants
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products
Household Cleaning and Maintenance, Personal Care, or Hobbies
Lead
Nitrogen Dioxide
Pesticides
Radon
Respirable Particles
Secondhand Smoke/Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and ChimneysRead "The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality"
The Information provided here comes primarily from EPA's "The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality". The information provided here is based on current scientific and technical understanding of the issues presented and is reflective of the jurisdictional boundaries established by the statutes governing the co-authoring agencies. Following the advice given will not necessarily provide complete protection in all situations or against all health hazards that may be caused by indoor air pollution.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
There are three basic strategies to improve indoor air quality
Source Control
Improved Ventilation, and
Air cleanersAdditional Resources
Source Control
For most indoor air quality problems in the home, source control is the most effective solution.
Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed; others, like gas stoves, can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions. In many cases, source control is also a more cost-efficient approach to protecting indoor air quality than increasing ventilation because increasing ventilation can increase energy costs.
Ventilation Improvements
Another approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house. Opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open increases the outdoor ventilation rate. Local bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase the outdoor air ventilation rate.
It is particularly important to take as many of these steps as possible while you are involved in short-term activities that can generate high levels of pollutants - for example, painting, paint stripping, heating with kerosene heaters, cooking, or engaging in maintenance and hobby activities such as welding, soldering, or sanding. You might also choose to do some of these activities outdoors, if you can and if weather permits.
Advanced designs of new homes are starting to feature mechanical systems that bring outdoor air into the home. Some of these designs include energy-efficient heat recovery ventilators (also known as air-to-air heat exchangers). For more information about air-to-air heat exchangers, contact the Conservation and Renewable Energy Inquiry and Referral Service (CAREIRS), P.0. Box 8900, Silver Spring, MD 20907 800-523-2929, 800-233-3071 (In Alaska & Hawaii)
Air Cleaners
Please Note:
EPA does not certify air cleaning devices. The Agency does not recommend air cleaning devices or manufacturers. If you need information on specific devices or manufacturers, one resource you can consult is the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) 1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 872-5955. AHAM also provides information on air cleaners on their AHAM-certified Clean Air Delivery Rate site at http://www.cadr.org/ Also, the American Lung Association has an Air Cleaning Device fact sheet There are other resources provided in this fact sheet.
There are many types and sizes of air cleaners on the market, ranging from relatively inexpensive table-top models to sophisticated and expensive whole-house systems. Some air cleaners are highly effective at particle removal, while others, including most table-top models, are much less so. Air cleaners are generally not designed to remove gaseous pollutants.
The effectiveness of an air cleaner depends on how well it collects pollutants from indoor air (expressed as a percentage efficiency rate) and how much air it draws through the cleaning or filtering element (expressed in cubic feet per minute). A very efficient collector with a low air-circulation rate will not be effective, nor will a cleaner with a high air-circulation rate but a less efficient collector. The long-term performance of any air cleaner depends on maintaining it according to the manufacturer's directions.
Another important factor in determining the effectiveness of an air cleaner is the strength of the pollutant source. Table-top air cleaners, in particular, may not remove satisfactory amounts of pollutants from strong nearby sources. People with a sensitivity to particular sources may find that air cleaners are helpful only in conjunction with concerted efforts to remove the source.
Over the past few years, there has been some publicity suggesting that houseplants have been shown to reduce levels of some chemicals in laboratory experiments. There is currently no evidence, however, that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant quantities of pollutants in homes and offices. Indoor houseplants should not be over-watered because overly damp soil may promote the growth of microorganisms which can affect allergic individuals.
At present, EPA does not recommend using air cleaners to reduce levels of radon and its decay products. The effectiveness of these devices is uncertain because they only partially remove the radon decay products and do not diminish the amount of radon entering the home. EPA plans to do additional research on whether air cleaners are, or could become, a reliable means of reducing the health risk from radon.

Monthly Meeting at CIT

Well ,Mr. Kevin Wasieleski CM did his usual outstanding job at our March monthly meeting. His presentation on heat pumps included many of the things that he has noticed in his years of experience with installing and repairing heat pumps. As an instructor for CIT http://www.citvt.com I'm sure he can keep students on the edge of their seats with his engaging presentations. Many thanks to Kevin and CIT for hosting the Lehigh Valley RSES chapter.

If your a member and not attending our monthly meeting you are missing the greatest benefit of membership in the RSES chapter. If you had to pay for the presentations that we get for free you'd be out several hundred dollars over the course of the year. Our speakers are willing to come and share their knowledge and expertise at no cost to us other than an investment of time. Most of these generous individuals travel a good distance to spend the evening with us.

Just as beneficial as the excellent speakers are the members of the chapter with scores of years of experience in the HVAC industry. You can't help but learn something just by listening to these guys talk about their daily experiences. They are also some of the nicest people you can meet who are willing to share their knowledge as well as learn something new from you.

Our April meeting will be on Thursday the 24th with Mr. Keith Roe doing a presentation on Indoor Air Quality. Mr. Roe hails from Air Care and Restoration. You will not be disappointed if you come out to hear his presentation.

Don't forget the $5 raffle for some mighty good prizes. Rumor has it that the June picnic will be at an Iron Pigs Park . You won't want to miss this!