Fixed shading options

Fixed shading options

Fixed shading options include:

• eaves
• pergolas
• fixed louvres
• covered balconies (note: a balcony on the north side of your home could block winter sun).

Eave design

Eaves should be designed to let as much sun as possible into your home in winter (when the sun is low in the sky) but keep the sun out in summer (when it's higher in the sky). The exact design of the eaves will depend on the amount of glazing in your home, which way it faces and the amount of direct sunlight you want to come into your home.

The booklet Designing Comfortable Homes gives you information to calculate how deep your eaves need to be for winter sun and summer shade.

Shading

Shading

Shading should be designed to take into account the sun's path in summer and winter on your site. The sun travels higher in the sky in summer, so shading can be designed to keep summer sun out but let winter sun in. The easiest way to check the sun’s path is by observation, but you can also get sun path diagrams which map the path of the sun across the sky at different times during the day throughout the year.

While your exact needs will vary according to your site and climate, most people will want to:

• shade high-angle summer sun from the north
• shade low-angle summer sun from the east and west
• let low-angle winter sun into your home from all directions.

In general, you'll need some form of shading above doors and windows on the east, north and west side of the house - but the size and type will depend on your circumstances.

When should you think about passive cooling?

When should you think about passive cooling?

Planning a home or renovation

If you are building or renovating, passive cooling should be considered early in the design process.

Good design should strike a balance between the need to keep your home warm in winter, the need to keep it cool in summer and the need to provide ventilation to bring fresh, healthy air into your home. So passive cooling should be considered alongside Passive heating and Ventilationoptions.

In your existing home

Many passive cooling options can be easily added to existing homes. Simple but effective options include using plants or blinds to provide shade.

Another way to improve passive cooling in an existing home is by installing extra insulation - the investment will be worthwhile.

Solar or electric-powered roof ventilation

Solar or electric-powered roof ventilation

These simple fan, duct and vent systems take hot air from the top of your home or roof space out through the roof.  Solar-powered systems are available that cost nothing to run.

Whole house ventilation systems

Whole house ventilation systems can be useful to bring in fresh air and combat condensation in modern airtight houses. There are two main types of whole house ventilation systems:

• Positive pressure / Roof cavity ventilation systems
• Balanced pressure / Heat recovery ventilation systems.

Positive pressure / Roof cavity ventilation systems

Positive pressure or roof cavity ventilation systems are the most common type available in New Zealand. They bring filtered air from the roof space into the house through a single, or multiple, ceiling vents. This forces the stale air to leak out through gaps, windows and doors. The performance of these systems depends on the sizing of the fans, the distribution of the ceiling vents throughout the house and how airtight your home is.

In an airtight house, pushing the filtered air into the house creates a positive pressure inside the house which causes inside air to move out.  However, in draughty houses, there are too many gaps and leakage points - the ventilation system will not be able to force the air into each room of the house.

The ventilation system will also not work properly if the roof space is not properly sealed from the inside of the house (for example, if you have downlights).  The stale indoor air will leak back into the roof and be pumped back into the house again.
Ventilation systems should bring fresh air into the house, but your roof space may be polluted by dust, mould and vermin. Most systems are fitted with filters - the quality of the air entering the house depends on the filter type and whether you regularly change or clean filters.

Extractor fans/range hoods

Extractor fans/range hoods

Extractor fans quickly remove moist air from bathrooms, toilets and laundries. Range hoods do the same job for kitchens.

It's important to choose the right-sized fan for the job. A fan that's too small won't remove enough moist air to keep your home dry. A fan that's too large can create draughts. For a typical bathroom or toilet a ventilation rate of 25 litres per second should suffice. For more information see Table B1 in AS 166 part 2.

Extractor fans should be placed as close to the moisture source as possible. They must be vented to the outside or the moist air will end up in your roof space, damaging your insulation and roof supports (see Moisture for more).

Because extractor fans remove moist air but don't bring in fresh air to replace it, you'll need some other way of getting fresh air into the room. By placing air vents on the opposite side of the room from the extractor fan, or slightly opening doors or windows, you can encourage air flow.

Solar or electric-powered roof ventilation

Balanced pressure / Heat recovery systems

Balanced pressure / Heat recovery systems

Balanced pressure / Heat recovery ventilation systems are particularly suitable for homes in colder areas of the country, if they are already well heated and if they are reasonably airtight.

These systems have two fans: an intake fan which supplies fresh outdoor air into the house through several ceiling vents; and an exhaust fan which takes stale air from inside the house and discharges it to the outside. An air-to-air heat exchanger (usually in the roof space) transfers heat from the inside air to the incoming fresh air from outside. In this way, most of the heat is recovered.

Some products include additional features to utilise heat in the roof space when it is available on sunny winter days, or to avoid warming incoming fresh air in summer when it is hot.

To ventilate effectively, these systems need gaps or vents in internal doors so that air can flow through all areas of the house between the intake and exhaust.

In winter, the heat exchanger transfers a portion of the heat in the warm exhaust air to the colder outdoor air, thus reducing the heat loss associated with the ventilation. To be effective, the house should be airtight so that almost all ventilation air passes through the heat exchanger, rather than being leaked out through draughts.
Heat recovery systems provide good fresh air ventilation but they are not a heating system.  However, they can recover between 67–95% of the heat from the inside air which means that the fresh air coming in will be warmer. This means you will need less heating to warm your home.

Access and Patching Tools

Access and Patching Tools:

While existing openings should be used for access whenever possible,it still will be necessary to create access opening. Access openings can be made using tin snips, hole cutters or other tools.

After cleaning is completed, these openings are patched using reusable doors or with sheet metal, screws, duct tape, and sealants.

Agitation Devices

Agitation Devices:

Simply putting a section of duct under negative pressure is not sufficient to clean the duct. Agitation of the contaminants is required to loosen debris and send it into the airstream created by the negative-air machine.

There are three generally accepted agitation methods in use today.

1. Manual agitation by means of contact vacuuming requires physical access to all surfaces, which is gained by reaching through access openings or entering the duct system. Spin Door Access Duct Fan Brush

2. A variety of air nozzles, called "skipper nozzles," dislodge debris from the duct surfaces. A portable air compressor is required to use skipper nozzles. There can be doubts as to whether all surfaces were cleaned as skipper heads do not contact all of the internal duct.

3. A rotary brush cleaner consist of a brush or other cleaning head spinning on the end of a motor- driven shaft. Most of these devices use a flexible shaft to ease operation and to accommodate bends in the ducts themselves.

Most duct-cleaning jobs require the use of a combination of these agitation devices.

Proper cleaning procedures ensure that the operator and surrounding area are clean when the job is finished. Rotary Duct-Cleaning System uses a cleaning brush mounted to the tip of a flexible shaft. As the shaft rotates inside its casing, the operator feeds the rotating shaft assembly through the duct, loosening debris.

Tools and Techniques

Tools and Techniques

Wherever the system to be cleaned is located, taking on a duct cleaning job carries with it some important responsibilities. Without the use of proper duct cleaning tools and techniques, complete source removal of contaminants will not be accomplished and serious problems can result.

The following is a run down of the most widely used duct cleaning equipment and techniques employed today.

Home ventilation

Home ventilation is important for the quality of your indoor air. It is important to clean your vents regularly to prevent allergens and mold from entering the home. Clean your ducts when you see mold growing from the air ducts, when you know there are mice or rats in the ventilation leaving their droppings or the ventilation unit is clogged with debris and no air is escaping.

Air Hygiene Assessment service

Air Hygiene Assessment servicAir Hygiene Assessment servThe objective of this assessment is to confirm the overall hygienic condition of the kitchen extract ventilation system.

A Guardian Air Hygiene assessment includes the following:

• An introduction to the site, the system, and the objective of the assessment.
• An Executive Summary of our findings from the system(s) inspected.
• A System(s) Assessment including; system condition: system access; system deposit limits: Wet Film Thickness Tests (W.F.T.T.) as a mean measurement across the system, (these results are for comparison against the industry recognised grease deposit limit guidelines set out in HVCA TR19 Section 7 Table 9); photographic evidence of our findings.
• Specific Recommendations regarding System(s) Improvements, including required frequency of cleaning based on the type of cooking and level of system usage so that surface grease deposit limits do not exceed those set out in HVCA TR19 Section 7 Table 9.
• Basic System Schematic Diagram
• Any supporting and relevant Technical Information.

Ventilation Cleaning

Ventilation Cleaning

At Guardian Air Hygiene we recognise and adhere to the industry legislation, approved codes of practice (ACOP), regulations and guidance.

The regulations and controls affecting ventilation hygiene include:

• HVCA TR/19 Guide to Good Practice Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems 2005
• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Workplace) Regulations 1992
• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor Air Quality

Research shows that indoor air quality can affect productivity, lead to more rapid spread of germs affecting staff and visitor wellbeing as well as an increases in non-specific ailments often leading to increased staff absence and sickness levels.

The artificial environments we create as work and leisure spaces are often tightly sealed ‘boxes’ that can provide the ideal breeding grounds for germs and a captive environment for allergens unless a policy of excellence in air hygiene is followed.

Great consideration is given to the quality of air in the general environment and its effect on people’s health and wellbeing but not enough attention is often given to the air we breathe in the spaces where we spend most of our time.

Air Duct cleaning

FACT: Air ducts are found virtually in every building in every city. Over 200 billion linear feet of air ducts have been installed since early 1900.

A 1984 World Health Organization committee report indicated that buildings worldwide are the subject of excessive complaints and disorders related to indoor air quality

According to the EPA  report (1991) on Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), the Heating , Ventilation & Air Conditioning System ( HVAC )is the major factor to SBS and contributor to biological and chemical contamination indoors.

VentClean solves all these problems; it cleans and disinfects all types of air ducts and ventilation systems in a cost effective manner, saving homeowners, building owners and companies millions of dollars annually using our internationally proven duct cleaning methods.

How can a Duct Cleaning Expert Help You?

How can a Duct Cleaning Expert Help You?

The air that you breathe, is one of the most important factors regarding you health. With poorly maintainted air ducts and filters, you increase the amount of bacteria, mold, viruses, dust mites, and much more harmful pollutants, that is circulating in your home. you increase the amount of bacteria, mold, viruses, dust mites, and much more harmful pollutants, that is circulating in your home. you increase the amount of bacteria, mold, viruses, dust mites, and much more harmful pollutants, that is circulating in your home.

Quality: An Introduction for Health Professionals

Quality: An Introduction for Health Professionals and The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality for guidance on identifying possible indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or fix them.

You may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts will get dirty over time and should occasionally be cleaned. While the debate about the value of periodic duct cleaning continues, no evidence suggests that such cleaning would be detrimental,provided that it is done properly.

On the other hand, if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt, and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements.

Do You Know How to Check Your Air Quality?

Do You Know How to Check Your Air Quality?

Heating and air conditioning ducts which are dark, damp and rich in "nutrients" provide an excellent breeding ground for mold, fungi and dust mites. These allergens can spread rapidly since the air ducts are used to heat and cool the house. Poor ventilation allowing fresh outside air indoors and dirty filters are also major contributors to unhealthy contaminates in the home. Mold and fungi can cause "discomfort", infections and commonly trigger allergic reactions.. While it is true that air duct cleaning alone does not cure health conditions like Asthma, allergies and other respiratory related conditions, vent cleaning does however, play an important role in prevention and treatment. By cleaning your HVAC system you will remove allergens like dust and mold from the duct work as well as residue from cigarette smoke.

What is Air Duct Cleaning?

What is Air Duct Cleaning? Most people are now aware that indoor air pollution is an issue of growing concern and increased visibility. Many companies are marketing products and services intended to improve the quality of your indoor air. You have probably seen an advertisement, received a coupon in the mail, or been approached directly by a company offering to clean your air ducts as a means of improving your home's indoor air quality. These services typically -- but not always -- range in cost from $450 to $1,000 per heating and cooling system, depending on the services offered, the size of the system to be cleaned, system accessibility, climatic region, and level of contamination. Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing

The Do-It-Yourself Cleaning

The Do-It-Yourself Cleaning

There are things that you may need to have in order to do the cleaning on your own. Some of these are furnace filter, a vacuum (even the usual household vacuum will do the job), a brush, a screwdriver and paper towels. The first thing to do in cleaning your ventilation duct system is to cover the supply air register with the paper towel so as to keep the dusts from falling out. There are a whole process for this but the most important thing to remember is to not shut the thermostat off.

Advantages in Duct Cleaning

Advantages in Duct Cleaning

Saving your money is one the of the good things in doing your own ventilation duct cleaning. While others do not see the need of doing this, many are very serious in doing the exact opposite. That is to really see that their air ducts are clean and free from any microbes. Indeed, cleaning the ventilation duct do lessen the dirt that causes damage in the system, and it also lessens the dirty air that comes into our home and into our immune system. This is very important most especially for those people who have sensitive health. It is a fact that not all people owns equipment that can reach the nook and the cranny of the ventilation ducts like a high powered vacuum or lengthy hoses, but still there are ways on how to clean off the dust from the system without the need to go through all the spending for the equipment.

Ventilation Duct Cleaning

Ventilation Duct Cleaning

In order to provide a good indoor air quality (IAQ), the ventilation duct cleaning is being encouraged and advocated. Not only that this duct cleaning has health benefits, but it is cost efficient and it enhances the performance of the ventilation system. Studies show that under normal conditions, the ventilation ducts can be contaminated, polluted by dusts, and thus may serve as means for microbial proliferation