The City of Oviedo, located within Seminole County, Florida, has been a longtime customer of over 20 years with Pure Air Control Services. Throughout this relationship, the city has relied on Pure Air Controls for IAQ testing, HVAC system cleaning, and building disinfection. The successful outcomes of these past projects have made Pure Air Control Services a trusted vendor for the City of Oviedo.
Concerns
The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected many governments and commercial facilities with new guidance for shutdowns, operations, and reopening.
The City of Oviedo realized the need to manage risks and create healthier building environments for their staff and visitors. They knew HVAC cleanliness needed to be a top priority as well as new technology for continuous air cleaning within the air conveyance system and workable space.
Solutions
Because of its vast environmental experience, the city procured Pure Air Control Services Healthy Building program solutions at three (3) project locations: City Hall, The Riverside Park Complex, and the Gymnasium/Aquatic Center. Each facility had specific needs contracted.
Overall, Pure Air Controls provided the following IAQ services and products:
1) PURE-Duct Environmental Cleaning
2) PURE-Steam AHU & Coil Deep Sanitization: 6 Units
3) HVAC New Life AHU Restoration: 6 Units
- Anti-viral & Corrosion Resistant Coatings
- PURE-Coat, PURE-Liner 0, PURE-Coil
- PURE-Cell Fiberglass Free Insulation
- Removal of Old Blowers & Motors
- New ECM Fan Array Retrofits
4) Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization Technology (NPBI)
5) PURE+AeraMax Pro In-room HEPA Air Purifiers, with NPBI: 25 Units
Each of these IAQ services and products works together to make a healthy indoor environment a sum of its parts. The City of Oviedo funded this Healthy Building initiative with monies provided by the 2020 CARES Act through Seminole County and procured Pure Air Control Services utilizing the company’s Florida Buy cooperative purchasing contract.
Results
HVAC AHU/COIL Cleaning:
The total average improvement in coil cleanliness of the units tested was 38%
Coil cleanliness was tested before and after cleaning in each AHU at City Hall and the Gymnasium. This is an indication of the level of obstruction of an airflow across the coils caused by a combination of particulate matter, biofilm, and other pollutants.
Improvements were observed in every unit. The total average improvement in coil cleanliness of the units tested was 38%.
HVAC Restoration:
Environmental HVAC restoration and duct cleaning minimize the risks of building contaminants such as particles, microbes, and fiberglass being distributed by the system while upgrading the current technology within the Air Handler Units to newer redundant fan technologies and protecting the overall system with high-performance coatings to help the sustainability of said systems.
With the HVAC New Life and fan array upgrades, no changes were necessary for the evaporator coil, filter sections, or cabinetry.
Energy Savings Realized:
During the first inspection at the City of Oviedo, the amperage draw of the original fan systems was measured. Amperages were again measured after the fan array retrofit was complete. Typical savings with fan array retrofits are approximately 25% – 30% over VFD motors and vane axial fans.
Optimized Fan Control:
BAC-Net compatible system automatically monitors and implements the most efficient mode of operation
At City Hall, the new supply air fan array produces 12,800 CFM which includes a touch screen BAC-Net compatible system which automatically monitors and implements the most efficient mode of operation to meet airflow requirements.
The motor speed can be varied along with the number of fans and motors at any given point within the operating range. This allows the optimum number of fans to operate at the optimum speed for all load requirements.
Healthy Building Installation and Commissioning:
The fan array equipment was all ordered, and the units all arrived on time (within 2 weeks). Installation went smoothly, taking about 1 week per building for the complete healthy building upgrade. One of the challenges encountered during installation was that the fan arrays had to be installed in pieces because of the preexisting design of the air handlers and points of access.
The Pure Air Control Services’ test and balance/ mechanical engineering team performed post-installation commissioning to verify operational efficacy. The entire healthy buildings retrofit covering 3 project locations took a month to complete.
Air Cleaning/Purification Technologies:
As a piece of the IAQ puzzle Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI) was introduced to produce millions of positively and negatively charges oxygen ions that travel in the airstream. These free radicals interact with other molecules in the air to reduce particles, aid filtration, and inactivate microbes, including viruses.
In addition, PURE+AeraMax Pro (commercial grade– 5-year warranty) multi-stage HEPA air purifiers with NPBI help keep the air clean at room level. The PURE+AeraMax units are visible indicators that the City of Oviedo is making indoor air quality and safety a priority. As such, this instills confidence in staff, visitors, and guests that the city is taking their well-being seriously.
