The
Acronym HVAC has various meanings in different countries so I want to make
clear in which context HVAC it is used in this Article:
It
stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition and
therefore is referring to these technologies whenever it is mentioned in this
Article.
Talking
about each particular of these Technologies, all of them are positively
connoted as they add comfort to the daily life.
Smaller
private household units usually are manufactured as sealed systems that either
work or otherwise get exchanged in case of malfunctions or breakdowns.
This
looks differently when heating systems, ventilators, or air-conditioners are
installed as large units in Public Buildings, Manufacturing Plants or Hotels
and similar housing structures.
The American Legion Convention
Incident.
In July
1976 the American Legion held its annual convention to celebrate The US.
Bicentennial in Philadelphia, PA where the founding Fathers signed the
Declaration Of Independence exactly 200 years before.
When
more than 200 of the attendees in the Bellevue – Stafford Hotel got sickened
and 34 killed by a then mysterious lung disease, public reaction grew into the
dimension of a National catastrophe. As the more than 10 percent of all the
Legionnaires attending the conference got affected.
What
happened that struck former warriors, who survived risky assignments in WW I
and WW II, who fought in Europe and the Pacific, in the war theaters of Korea
and Vietnam only to lose their lives at a peaceful city that stood for all the
ideals they defended in their missions?
For
sure, individual people died before of similar symptoms but causes obviously
were misdiagnosed.
However,
the sheer amounts of nearly a quarter of a thousand people with different
health histories coming from all corners of the country all of a sudden got hit
by the outbreak of the same mysterious disease.
The
positive standing, the Members of the American Legion earned throughout the
Nation supported surely the rush of the combined efforts to find the cause.
At the
beginning of the search, the only common denominator of all these people was
the fact that they convened more or less accidentally at the Bellevue-Stafford
Hotel at the same time and breathed the same air.
Health-
as well as criminal agencies like NIH and FBA, turned the Hotel upside down in
the next half year to find the source of the evil. Various possibilities as far
as a terrorist act have been pondered. (Only imagine the hysteria which would
have come up after 9/11).
It took
until January 1977 researchers found the causative agent, a previously unknown
bacterium. They named it subsequently Legionella.
Seldom
was the hunt for a living organism opened with so many people and resources.
The
bacteria were found in aerosols spread throughout the interconnected
air-condition system. The AC system at the Stafford must have worked day in and
day out to cope with the damp summer temperatures at the Atlantic coast and the
warmth produced by 2000 People. It was analyzed that the Central air-condition
did not stop a single minute throughout the conference hours, so tons of
aerosols containing the deadly bacterium where pushed all over the hotel
spaces.
As
usual when an enemy is located, all relevant institutions will hunt it without
mercy.
In the
next years the strictest regulations were established to kill the smallest
fragment of the potential cause. No chemical agent was destructive enough as
cleaning and repair devices.
Maintenance
personnel were trained to handle aggressive and skin irritant chemicals, inhaling hazardous vapors of
chlorine and toxic alcohols to make sure no danger is coming anymore from all
HVAC systems throughout the country.
As so
often it was a shooting with cannons at sparrows.
The Opera Hotel case Last year
in NYC
Last
year another outbreak of Legionella in the Air-condition at the Opera House
hotel in NYC brought the attention back to the permanent problem of Air
conditioners. Twelve visitors of this large Hotel died and more than 120 all
residents and employees showed symptoms of severe lung infections.
However,
all these cases always come up to the public attention if people stay long
enough at the same place where they were exposed to the bacteria. The outbreak
and symptoms of Legionella show only after an incubation time from a few days
up to two weeks.
The
problem that infected persons have is that they may at the outbreak of the
cause already be far away from the location of the pollution.
The
symptoms are flu-like, with more or less high temperatures. Infected persons
show chills, dry cough and like we all do, they try with over the counter
available medicines first, before they see a doctor. Nevertheless, even these
medical professionals, faced with a singular sick person might start the wrong
treatment. Two weeks of incubation are in these busy days a long time and
people just do not anymore remember exactly what they did or where they stayed
two weeks ago.
Another
malice of Legionella infections is the fact that these bacteria love a climate
where water is warmed up sprays its pathogenic material into the environment.
It is
discussed by health authorities that there is an over average of cases which
are unreported. Just by the fact that there are only a few persons involved at
a time.
They
are unreported not out of bad intention, just because they happen in too many
particular cases. Even the air-condition systems in family homes might have
caused many death over the existence of Air Conditioners.
And
after they are detected like in Philadelphia in 1976 or in NYC last year who is
the culprit?
The
manufacturer of the AC System? They will claim, and they are
right, that they installed a Legionella free hardware. In addition, they have
in presales periods not so much interest to overcomplicate issues which might
bring a potential sales in danger.
The
installation firm? Did they instruct the purchaser well enough?
They usually let the customer sign an installment protocol that contains a few
lines about microbial hazard.
The
client? The attention span is only short and if the installer can prove that,
the system is delivering the desired cooling throughout the place, maintenance
issues become secondary.
There
is no doubt that a service contract with an experienced service firm, which has
qualified and engaged maintenance technicians is the best way to handle the
Microbial hazard of HVAC systems.
Legal
issues are excluded both for the companies in the presales and installation of
the system.
The
client like the owner of the buildings where people convene like in Hotels or
recreation homes or homes for the elderly will always be the first ones to
handle all the inconveniences with incidences even in smaller forms like in Philadelphia
in 1976 or in New York last year. He might be the first one charged for
damages.
Service
firms up to the point might be deterred to address the approach of microbial
decontamination with the necessary care. It has several handling problems just
due to the materials used to prevent or clean such forms or an invisible enemy.
Chlorine,
bromine, sulfur dioxide. benzoates, aldehydes or nitrites sounding to the
untrained citizen like deriving from the cabinets of a Mad Chemist. Definitely
they do not sound easy to be carried
around in highly populated areas in a maintenance vehicle and the service
technicians are often unaware and trained about handling strong acting
chemicals.
But
there are good news: The magic word today is Nano Solutions.
Nano is
already widely understood as Small, Minuscule, and safe.
The
fact is that Nano-Bactericides are now on the market. They have found already
wide use as replacements for chlorines, quants and other cheap disinfectants.
To
mention only the use in Food processing, Rinsing of machinery and equipment in
this industry are some key words.
Farmers
use Nano disinfectant product in food and vegetable processing and even to
protect their animals.
The
transportation industry disinfects with Nano products Tanks, Storage containers
and their vehicles.
What
does make these products so much favored by key industries?
It
derives from modified bioflavonoids, All products involved are naturally
organic and none of them is toxic.
Its
spectrum of microbial activity involves the destruction of gram-positive and
gram-negative bacteria; it destructs virus as well as mold, fungi and yeasts.
It is
non Mutagenic, a concern coming up now with many chemicals being accused to
change genetic codes. It is non-carcinogenic non corrosive, non-tainting and
not volatile.
Its
action is simple: it attacks the cell walls of the above mentioned
microorganisms.
HVAC
maintenance technicians were asked if they had such a product available with
the features mentioned above immediately conceded to build it in to their
maintenance procedures.
Extensive
handling protocols for the HVAC components are already available.
Their
major concerns having to deal with aggressive chemicals did not inspire The
HVAC Service industry to use these as often as requested and necessary.
A Nano
Product with the features mentioned above would allow them a better service for
their clients. And not to forget for themselves.
See www.agrihit.com to
find more out about a product which can safely carry your maintenance efforts
into the immediate future. Be the first in between your competitors who is
offering its clients a secure and safe
method serving their in-house HVAC components.
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