Fluke 985 Application Note 2412973

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Application Note

From the Fluke Digital Library @ www.fluke.com/library

Growing your business

through indoor air quality

particulate profiling

managers and homeowners will

agree that measuring particulate

pollutants such as plant pollen,

animal dander, fiberglass, com-

bustion particles or airborne

bacteria, is important.

With a particulate counter,

you’ll also be able to present real

data in support of any repair or

purchasing recommendations you

make. Before and after particulate

readings are an especially pow-

erful way to win customers for

life and build word of mouth

about your service.

Taking the first step is logical:

understanding how indoor air

quality relates to HVAC systems.

The second step is deciding what

tools you need. Once you have

the tool, start measuring and

learn how to interpret the data.

Soon, you’ll be ready to offer a

complete IAQ assessment, includ-

ing particulate profiling, to your

customers.

You’ve probably heard mold

referred to as the “new asbestos”

for HVAC/R. Concern about mold

and its health effects is driving

consumers to have their indoor

air quality (IAQ) situation

assessed and, if necessary,

repaired.

If you’re the contractor they

call, keep in mind that mold isn’t

the only issue to consider when

assessing the IAQ of a commercial

building or residence. Many dif-

ferent kinds of particulates in a

work or living environment can

cause Sick Building Syndrome

and aggravate allergy and respi-

ratory conditions.

IAQ has generated so much

awareness that you may want to

consider offering IAQ assessments

and particulate counts to all of

your customers, as an extra

service—just like when the

mechanic charges you for a diag-

nostic check. If you can present a

convincing case, many facilities

If you think “pollutants” is too strong a

word to use when describing particulate

measurement situations, consider this:

Studies conducted by both government

and independent entities have come to

the conclusion that indoor air in some

commercial settings can be up to five

times more polluted than outdoor air.

Jim Johnson, a major appliance specialist and instructor, conducts a

particle assessment at an air filter.

Test both return and conditioned ducts for contaminants, indicating

leaks or other system malfunctions.

smaller space like an office or

bedroom. Higher counts probably

mean the air handling system

isn’t properly balanced.

If a duct system branch is an

8-inch flex, it’s supposed to be

moving in the neighborhood of

160 CFM, and that translates to a

fairly low level of positive pres-

sure into the room even if the

system is balanced....which

means that in a typical system

that employs a single central

return, the requirement of the

free flow of air at low resistance

back to the return register from

that room can be compromised,

leaving an even higher level of

contaminants in that space.

If you can measure those

contaminants, you would be able

to classify them (pollen vs. soot)

track their flow through the

building, and identify the source

—that’s a much more specific

service, with farther reaching

solutions, that you can now offer

customers.

2 Fluke Corporation Growing your business through indoor air quality particulate profiling

Step 1: How IAQ analysis and particulate

profiling fits into HVAC systems

space due to leaks and other

HVAC system malfunctions. And—

it’s not just return ducts. Duct

systems within the conditioned

envelope are just as susceptible

to IAQ issues.

IAQ inspections are built

on exactly that kind of HVAC

knowledge. Using your knowl-

edge of how HVAC systems are

designed—and how the design

can be compromised on installa-

tion—as well as where those

systems can break, will help you

track down where air quality

pollutants may be coming from.

On the flip side, air quality data

gives you the means to track

whether the HVAC system is

working the way it should.

For example: to determine

whether the duct system is

responsible for introducing con-

taminants, you’d conduct a

particle assessment at the supply

registers. It’s very evident at the

register whether the particulate

count is higher, especially in a

We all remember our fundamen-

tal facts related to air flow:

standard air at 70 °F (at sea level)

and 50 % relative humidity has a

weight of .075 pounds per cubic

foot. That means a typical 5-ton

cooling system moves 9,000

pounds of air in one hour, or up

to 216,000 pounds in a 24-hour

period.

These are more than just

impressive numbers for customers.

Consider something as simple

as a 10 % leak rate in the return

duct system (not uncommon in

residential) in an attic crawl

space. Now, consider the dust and

other particulate levels in that

crawl space. And, finally, imagine

the amount of particulates being

distributed throughout the ducts

in your customer’s home.

So, it’s not just door openings,

or air seeping in around windows

and other small openings that

affect indoor air quality. Dust and

other contaminants can be con-

stantly introduced into the living

Step 2: What tools do you need?

taking particle counts. Multi-

channel refers to how many

different sizes of particles the tool

can measure. Knowing the

breakdown of particle sizes is

essential for you to diagnose

what’s polluting customers’ air

(mold particles are different sizes

than dust, for example), to trace

particles to their source, or to

verify that a fix has really less-

ened the count of particles.

Handheld is also an important

distinction, since some higher-

end models are meant to be

installed, for long term monitor-

ing. As an HVAC technician, you’ll

get the most value from a hand-

held tool meant for onsite

inspections.

To conduct a complete IAQ inves-

tigation, you need to measure

temperature, humidity and partic-

ulates, at a minimum. That’s

because temperature and humid-

ity can take a regular particle

count and magnify it times ten,

by giving certain contaminants

like mold a welcoming environ-

ment. That makes hand held

multi-function and multi-channel

particle counters, such as the

Fluke 983, the most practical tool

for the job.

A particle counter senses,

sizes, and counts the particles

passing through it. Multi-function

means the tool measures temper-

ature and humidity along with

0.005 0.05 0.5 5 500.010.1 110100 500

0.005 0.05 0.5 5 500.010.1 11010 0 500

Particle size in µm

Particle size in µm

Pollen

Mold Spores

House Dust

Bacteria

Animal Dander

Viruses

Carbon Black

(Photocopier)

Heavy

Dust

Settling Dust

Cement Dust

Fly Ash

Smog

Tobacco Smoke

Soot

Cooking Oil Smoke/Grease

Suspended Atmospheric Dust

Hair

(Human)

3 Fluke Corporation Growing your business through indoor air quality particulate profiling

While slightly higher than out-

side values, this is a fairly typical

particle level. However, in one

location, the particulates were:

You’ll notice that particle sizes

in almost all areas increased.

Quite often, larger particles are

providing nutrients to the smaller,

biological particles, as well as

transporting them. That’s how fil-

ters that remove mostly larger

particles also wind up removing

many viruses and bacteria from a

system.

The higher counts indicate a

problem that needs to be investi-

gated. Determine specifically

where the high counts occur and

then start asking questions. Is

there an excessive source of

moisture from an improperly

draining pan under an evaporator

coil? What kind of ventilation

does the building have and how

old is it? Has there been any new

interior construction, carpeting, or

painting?

By addressing all aspects of

the situation, you’ll treat the real

problem, not just the symptom,

and give your customer specific

data to base buying decisions on.

Step 3: Making the measurements

Once you’ve collected data,

transfer the information to a

computer and convert it into a

spreadsheet. Compare the counts

in each area against the baseline

and between each other. You

should see patterns develop.

When you detect a high-volume

area, see if it’s just one particle

size or several, and think about

what kinds of contaminants could

be involved. Then, compare the

particle counts to air flow balanc-

ing in the building. Always

remember to take readings of the

outside air in order to make

meaningful comparisons with the

particle levels indoors.

If you think the system itself

is transporting contaminants,

consider whether to propose

re-balancing the existing system

or adding a mechanical solution

such as dehumidifiers or a better

filter. Sometimes the solution can

even be as simple as blocking off

a room or identifying problematic

behavior.

Here’s one example of a par-

ticulate profile in a commercial

office. The baseline six particle

size scales showed:

To conduct an IAQ inspection, get

a map of the HVAC system, as

installed, and use that to create

an inspection route. Plan to take

temperature, humidity, and parti-

cle samples in every zone of the

building, especially in any areas

where there have been com-

plaints, as well as outside the

building, as a baseline. Within

each zone, take a measurement in

the middle of the space as well as

near the air intakes, outtakes, and

any other HVAC system elements.

Make particular note to measure

both upstream and downstream at

any HEPA filters.

Also use your own senses—

look for signs of moisture leaks,

smell the air for mold, and ask

the people who frequent each

area if they have experienced

anything different, such as smells,

headaches, or eye irritation.

Don’t be intimidated by partic-

ulate counters—newer models

designed specifically for HVAC

technicians are easy to use. For

example, to use the Fluke 983,

power up the unit, press F1, and

use the probe to start sampling. It

will simultaneously record the

relative humidity and tempera-

ture conditions and sample a

group of particulate measure-

ments in less than 25-seconds.

As you take your samples, use

the labeling feature on your par-

ticle counter to identify samples

taken from different rooms, the

particle counting mode, air sam-

pling volume and time.

4 Fluke Corporation Growing your business through indoor air quality particulate profiling

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PO Box 1186, 5602 BD

Eindhoven, The Netherlands

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©2005 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved.

Printed in U.S.A. 6/2005 2457379 A-US-N Rev A

Fluke. Keeping your world

up and running.

Next, start offering IAQ inspec-

tions and particle counts as part

of your standard “seasonal start-

up” maintenance check. Charge

for a building or home evaluation

in which a particle counter is

used, similar to the way that

automotive service shops charge

for using a computer hookup dur-

ing the diagnostic process.

Make sure your customers

understand that IAQ analysis and

particulate profiling is an above-

average service that requires

specialized training and tools.

Just by offering the service, you

take your organization to a higher

level of professionalism and

customer service. Your recom-

mendations now come with

supporting data, assuring the

customer that you’re making the

right suggestions on equipment

selection, installation, and repair.

Step 4: Offering IAQ services

The easiest way to integrate

indoor air quality and particulate

testing into your business is to

start with customers who are

already sensitive to air quality.

The first time you describe IAQ

to a customer, come prepared to

describe how poor air quality

could affect that customer’s facil-

ity, either from employee health

issues and product contamination

to the maintenance costs and

energy expenditure related to

inefficient HVAC and aging filters.

Customers with HEPA filters

installed will especially appreci-

ate your knowledge of ASHRAE

52.2. That standard spells out the

testing requirements that manu-

facturers follow, to verify filter

performance before sale. As an

HVAC technician with a particle

counter, you can use the standard

as a guideline for testing installed

filters, so that customers know

how efficiently their filters are

removing particles and whether

they’re due for replacement.

Particulate profiling is now rec-

ommended in the latest NADCA

ACR 2005 standard for air duct

cleanliness, too.

It’s one thing to mention the

importance of ASHRAE guidelines

to a customer when selling a

necessary duct renovation or

other repairs, but it’s another

thing altogether to back that

explanation up with particulate

measurements and an air quality

evaluation.

Also consider offering IAQ inspections in the

off season, adding a second annual visit to

your accounts during months when you’re

not as booked.