By Bob Baker

This issue is primarily for those of us down south. Northern readers, you are probably either in the heat of getting systems ready for heating season or repairing problems that did not show up until the heat was turned on the first couple of times. You can still read it if you have time and tuck it away because you will be in the same position in April or May of next year.

The frantic cooling season is over. From all se have heard, it was indeed frantic. Component sales were among the highest in years. Every contractor we spoke with had all they could handle and were busily adding personnel and vehicles. Now most of the new systems are in, old ones patched for another year of survival and, hopefully, all the bills paid. During the past several weeks, you have noticed that non-emergency service calls are being handled and not put off to the next day. You may even be wondering if you will have to lay off some techs.

Introduce Your IAQ Service

For some time, you have been thinking you would like to offer your customers a service that would assure them of good Indoor Air Quality. Now is the time. You may think that you should have started sooner as such a new program requires a lot of planning. Ideally, this is true but even in the short term you can offer a lot of value while keeping your service crew profitably occupied. The following is a checklist of the steps that will allow you to set a program in motion right now without wasting weeks in planning:

• Identify prospects – Search your records for those customers who have put in new systems/air handlers from 12 to 24 months ago. An air handler of this age is starting to build up the contamination that can contribute to poor air quality yet can be brought back to peak efficiency with a minimum of effort.

• Start setting appointments – Have your office staff contact each of these customers and explain that their system is just getting to the age where it needs preventative maintenance to keep it in top shape and assure them of a clean and healthy indoor environment. (You may want to establish a flat rate that will cover the usual time needed to clean and inspect a system plus the average trip charge for your trade area to quote to the customer.)

• Check to be sure you have the supplies that will be needed:
  
  - Coil cleaner – Avoid either high acid or very alkaline cleaners. These may react with the metal in the coil fins and hurt the ability of the coil to shed water. A neutral coil cleaner without solvents or other ingredients that give off irritating fumes.
  
  - Antimicrobial to treat the system after cleaning to prevent growth of the bacteria and fungi that contaminate the air and foul the system.
  
  - Three pump up sprayers for each service vehicle so ready to use mixtures of the cleaner rinse water, and Antimicrobial are conveniently at hand.
  
  - A supply of filters in popular sizes. These should be pleated media with an ASHRAE dust spot rating of between 20 and 40%. This is optional, but assures that the right filter will be used and completes the job.

• Train your personnel – You should spend some time making sure your service personnel understand the services that they will carry out as part of this program. Details of the various steps can be found in previous columns from this space and we will revisit several of these over the next several months. Until then, some of the key points include:
  
  - Operational check – The system has to be in good mechanical condition and operating properly to be able to provide satisfactory air quality. Check all components and repair as needed.
  
  - Clean the air handler – Do this in every case paying special attention to the cooling coil and fan and housing as well as any other components in the air path. Often the technician or customer will think cleaning is not needed because the air handler does not appear dirty. Any system that has been in service over a year has accumulated enough soil and build up of biofilm (bacteria and fungi) that it will add contamination to the air passing through the system. Annual cleaning is a must to preserve the ability of the system to maintain a healthy indoor environment.
  
  - Treat the entire interior of the air handler with an Antimicrobial to retard future growth of the organisms that have been found to be involved in over 80% of IAQ problems. Be sure the product chosen is registered by EPA and that the label includes clear directions for use in air-conditioning systems.
  
  - Equip the system with new air filters of the proper size and efficiency and instruct the homeowner on the importance of routine inspection and replacement of filters when loaded with particulate matter.

• Start making those calls and making your customers happy.

Naturally, a complete program can and probably should include a lot of other elements such as service agreements that lead to future service. The above steps, however, will allow you to put an excellent program in place in short order. This will increase the well being and comfort of your customers. It will also keep your personnel busy providing a badly needed service.

Mr. Baker's field of expertise is the control of contamination in air-conditioning and ventilating systems by mold, mildew and bacteria. He writes and speaks frequently about the efficacy, legal risks, and regulatory issues involved in various control strategies. He serves on ASHRAE Technical Committee TC 2.3, TC 2.4, TC 9.8, and Sampling of Airborne Particulate Concentration in Commercial and Residential Buildings GPC 17P. He also serves as a member of ASTM D22.06 (Indoor Air Quality) and is on the Board of Directors of the Indoor Air Quality Association and the Florida Public Health Foundation. Because HVAC applications encompass new uses from an U.S. EPA regulatory standpoint, Mr. Baker works closely with the EPA and industry groups, including serving as the chair of the IAQ committee of the Consumer Specialty Products Association, to help formulate policy in this area.

Bob Baker is Chairman and CEO of BBJ Environmental Solutions, Inc., a company specializing in providing clean air through environmentally responsible products, such as BBJ MicroBiocide , BBJ Micro Coil Clean , "FreshDuct Odor Eliminator ", and BBJ Mold and Mildew Remover™ as well as the revolutionary new Power Coil Clean™. For additional information, Mr. Baker can be reached at (800) 889-2251 or through the company web site at http://www.bbjenviro.com.