Mold is Not Cool, But Hope Your A/C Is!

There have been a few days with temperatures in the 80's already this spring. Soon, the NC heat and humidity will settle in for the summer and air conditioners will be working hard to keep up.

The proper sizing, design, installation and maintenance of your HVAC system is essential to help control indoor mold. Problems in any of these areas can cause issues with humidity levels or condensation, both of which are key moisture sources for mold growth in your home.

Your HVAC system and its associated ductwork also provides a vehicle to transport mold spores throughout your home once a problem starts. A little preventative maintenance now will help ensure that your systems operates effectively throughout the summer and does not contribute to indoor mold growth.

Remember that HVAC contractors are busiest during peak summer heat and winter cold periods. Schedule a preventative maintenance check of your cooling system now to ensure you are ready when the temperatures start to rise.

The Energy Star website offers these tips for homeowners to ensure your HVAC contractor is keeping your cooling system operating at peak performance:

1) Clean evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils. Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.

2) Check the central air conditioner's refrigerant level and adjust if necessary. Too much or too little refrigerant will make your system less efficient increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.

3) Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15 percent.

4) Check thermostat settings to ensure the cooling and heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away.

5) Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.

6) Lubricate all moving parts. Parts that lack lubrication cause friction in motors and increases the amount of electricity you use.

7) Check and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels. Air Matters reminds you that this can lead to mold growth.

8) Check controls of the system to ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.

And don't forget to change your air filters regularly!

Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.

Celebrating Earth Day (Part 2 of 2)

In part 1, we took a look at some things your family can do to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. Now, let’s explore options that your small businesses can participate in for Earth Day. Just to re-cap the background information on Earth Day,

What is Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was started by Senator Gaylord Nelson and celebrated on April 22nd, 1970 in San Francisco CA. Establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) followed during that same year. The concept of Earth Day went international in 1990 and now celebrations are coordinated by the Earth Day Network in over 175 countries.

What is Special About this Year?

In recognition of the power of millions of individual actions, Earth Day 2011 will be organized around A Billion Acts of Green®: Personal, organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. You can learn more about this initiative at http://www.earthday.org.

So How Can Your Business Make a Difference?

Earth Day is a day to reflect on our planet, our environment, our resources and what we can do to help keep them healthy for generations to come. There are so many simple things that every company can do to lessen their impact on the environment on Earth Day and throughout the year.

A few ideas are:

• Host an e-waste collection. Allow employees and members of the community to bring in old batteries, cell phones, televisions, computers, or other electronics. Work with local officials to ensure that everything collected is recycled or properly disposed of according to regulatory requirements.

• Embrace telecommuting and reduce travel. With today’s technology, many business activities can be conducted from any location. Email, conference calls, webinars, skype and other tools can be used to minimize trips, whether into the office, to a client site, or to a conference or seminar. If feasible, provide incentives to employees to use mass transit or carpool when travel is required.

• Check your recycling program. You may have a bin for bottles and cans in the break room and another one for paper by the copier, but are you recycling everything you can? Encourage your employees to go paperless where possible. Otherwise, use recycled paper and double sided printing to reduce waste. Eliminate the use of paper or Styrofoam cups and have everyone use a coffee mug instead.

• Encourage employees to volunteer. Go together as a group to clean up a park or roadway, or give employees a few paid hours off each year to volunteer for their favorite earth friendly activity or organization.

• Re-use packaging. Get multiple uses out of materials such as boxes and large envelopes. Use shredded paper from recycled documents or scrap for packaging materials.

• Evaluate energy usage. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, adjust thermostats – particularly during evenings and weekends, and have employees shut down computers at the end of the work day.

Your employees can probably come up with many more ways to celebrate Earth Day every day!


Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.

Celebrating Earth Day (Part 1 of 2)

Today we are going to take a look at some things your family can do to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. In our next post, we will explore options for ways that businesses can participate in Earth Day.

What is Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was started by Senator Gaylord Nelson and celebrated on April 22nd, 1970 in San Francisco CA. Establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) followed during that same year. The concept of Earth Day went international in 1990 and now celebrations are coordinated by the Earth Day Network in over 175 countries.

What is Special About this Year?

In recognition of the power of millions of individual actions, Earth Day 2011 will be organized around A Billion Acts of Green®: Personal, organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. You can learn more about this initiative at http://www.earthday.org.

How Can Your Family Make a Difference?

Earth Day is a day to reflect on our planet, our environment, our resources and what we can do to help keep them healthy for generations to come. There are so many simple things that families can do to lessen their impact on the environment on Earth Day and throughout the year.

A few ideas are:

•Buy local produce in season. Take a trip to a farmer’s market. Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they help pick them out. Better yet – plant your own garden!
•Help clean up your favorite park, beach, or neighborhood. Talk about the importance of not littering, pouring things into storm water drains, or leaving pet waste on the ground.
•Change from incandescent to compact fluorescent light bulbs now. It will soon be required.
•Conserve water by taking showers versus baths, installing low flush toilets, and planting native species shrubs and flowers that are more tolerant of dry conditions.
•Reduce the amount of time driving in your car. Walk or ride bikes for neighborhood errands. Carpool when you can. Consider parking your car and taking the bus occasionally.
•Avoid plastic shopping bags – carry and use canvas shopping bags. Remember to take them every time you shop and not just to the grocery store. Buy in bulk or choose items with reduced packaging when possible.
•Unplug appliances when they are not in use – coffee makers, toasters, phone chargers, hair dryers, etc. all continue to consume energy simply by being plugged in.
•Wash clothes in cold water.
•Make an effort to significantly impact your family’s waste this year. Reducing your consumption, recycling more, and composting are easy ways to get a big jump start.

If you are really motivated, check out this family who is striving for zero waste:
http://earth911.com/news/2011/04/13/zero-waste-johnson-family/

Your family can probably come up with many more ways to celebrate Earth Day every day!


Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.

Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest is defined as a situation that has the potential to affect the impartiality of a person. This most commonly occurs in a business setting when an individual is involved in multiple interests, one or more of which has the potential to corrupt the motivation for performance in the other.

You have heard the old parables of the fox guarding the hen house or the wolf watching the sheep. The basic lesson in both is "Don't assign a job to someone who will then be in a position to exploit it for his own ends”.

There are regulations in place throughout the lead and asbestos industries to address the potential conflict of interest associated with confirming the presence of these contaminants, and then being in charge of the proper removal and disposal of them.

However, a review of mold remediation companies on any search engine or in the yellow pages shows that many of them also perform mold assessments or mold testing. Is this a conflict of interest? It would seem that at least two states think so.

Currently, Texas and Florida both require licensing throughout the mold industry. The legislation in both TX and FL clearly states that “A licensee shall not perform both mold assessment and mold remediation on the same project, or have an ownership interest in an entity that performs mold assessment services and mold remediation services on the same project.”

An Orlando FL contractor was recently arrested and now faces charges of grand theft and insurance fraud for collecting samples that were never analyzed. In addition, he provided fake lab data to support the need for extensive mold remediation - which he then also performed.

Another popular scam is to offer FREE mold inspections and sampling. Done properly, mold assessment and testing requires an investment of time, equipment, testing media and professional knowledge.

The only way a company can afford to continue to offer this assessment and testing service for free is to make a larger profit from remediating any mold problems that are found.

In no way does Air Matters LLC feel that these two examples are the norm. Many mold remediation companies are owned by hard working, ethical people who are hoping to keep some services in house to increase their profit margin and streamline the project.

However, more and more consumers are questioning the potential for conflict of interest, leading many remediation contractors to partner with third party providers.

Air Matters LLC has specialized in confirming the presence and identity of fungal species in homes and businesses since 2002. We do not perform any remediation work, “So you can breathe easy” knowing that you are getting an unbiased evaluation each and every time.

Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.

How Does Your Home "Stack" Up?

There is constant air movement through your home. There are generally three types of forces that move air through a house: HVAC equipment, wind, and the "stack effect".

The stack effect is when warm air moves upwards in a house. Since we can't create a vacuum in our homes, new air has to come into the home to replace the air that has escaped to normalize the pressure.

Although the stack effect occurs in both the summer and the winter, the effect is usually greater in the winter due to the temperature differential. In the winter, cracks and openings throughout the building shell allow the pressure difference between indoor and outdoor spaces to drive air out of the top floor and to suck air in through the first floor.

In the summer, when indoor air is cooled, the reverse occurs; however, because the temperature difference between inside and outside typically isn't as great as it is in winter, the stack effect isn't as great either.

Whatever the season, the best way to remedy the stack effect in most houses is by minimizing gaps between indoor and outdoor spaces. Think about the places where new air is able to enter the house.

According to the US Department of Energy, the following areas are responsible for a large majority of air leakage that occurs in the average American home:


Ceiling, Walls and Floors – 31%
Ducts – 15%
Fireplace – 14%
Plumbing Penetrations – 13%
Doors – 11%
Windows – 10%
Fans and Vents – 4%
Electrical Outlets – 2%

These figures provide you with the most important areas to target for air sealing. However, a home energy audit will pinpoint the exact locations of air loss and assess your entire home’s energy consumption and waste, and recommend ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.

I’ve done a whole lot of research on sealed crawlspaces the past few weeks. I have read everything from product literature provided by contractors who install the systems, to building science articles, to ASHRAE standards and studies. Here are a few of the highlights of what I have learned:

What is a Sealed Crawlspace?

A sealed crawlspace is also referred to as closed, conditioned, or semi-conditioned. The basic design has no vents, insulated foundation walls, a heavy plastic and/or concrete liner on the floor, and an insulated and weather-stripped access door.

A small amount of conditioned air is delivered to the crawlspace area from the HVAC system creating positive pressure in the crawlspace. The positive pressure prevents air from the crawlspace being drawn into the duct work and delivered to the living space. Crawlspace air remains in the crawl not in the living areas.

What are Some of the Benefits Claimed?

Sealed crawl space systems are said to reduce or eliminate many common problems, such as:

• Mold or moisture damage in the crawl space or living area
• Musty odors
• Condensation (“sweating”) on air conditioning ductwork or equipment
• Condensation on insulation, water pipes, or truss plates in the crawl space
• Buckled hardwood floors
• High humidity throughout the house
• Insect infestations
• Rotting of wooden framing
• Increased load on air conditioning and dehumidification systems

Many studies I read documented average energy savings from 15-18%. Another resource also pointed out that many of the crawlspace upgrades qualify for the 15% federal tax credit energy program.

The two most common disadvantages I came across were the cost and the ability to retrofit existing crawlspaces.

Are Vented Crawlspaces Really a Problem?

There was a study performed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) involving fungal sampling indoors, outdoors, and in the crawlspaces of 45 homes with traditionally designed vented crawlspace. Air leakage testing determined the connections between the house, crawlspace, and HVAC systems located in the crawlspace.

Results indicated that most of the crawlspaces contained liquid water, moisture vapor, and fungal spores. The houses also contained measurable holes between the crawlspace and the living space, with both natural and mechanical air movements across these openings.

This led to a measured transmission of fungal spores from the crawlspace to the living area. High moisture levels in vented crawlspaces in the Southeastern United States were linked to higher mold counts inside the living space.

There are also a number of excellent scientific articles available on www.BuildingScience.com that explain why traditional vented crawlspace designs may not be the best option for humid climates.

Want More Information?

Advanced Energy is an independent non-profit corporation that is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the governor of North Carolina and the member utilities. The company was set up and still operates to work with member utilities on energy efficiency and conservation projects. There is a lot of useful information regarding crawlspaces and other topics in the knowledge library of their website at:

http://www.crawlspaces.org/

Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.

Air Duct Cleaning Bait and Switch Scams

This winter’s weather has been unusually harsh across most of the country – meaning that people are spending more time indoors. That leads many people to evaluate the indoor air quality of their homes and consider services such as air duct cleaning.

Despite the claims of many companies that perform duct cleaning, it has never been proven to have any substantial health benefits. But that doesn’t slow the flood of advertisements that show magnified pictures of dust mites, mold or dirty debris and promise pricing as low as $49.95.

Unfortunately, many air duct cleaning companies use these ads as bait to lure homeowners in, and then switch them to higher priced services that were not clearly explained. The Better Business Bureau states that these “bait and switch” air duct cleaning scams involve dozens of connected companies who have been systematically ripping off homeowners for more than a decade -- to the tune of millions of dollars.

According to NBC’s Dateline: “Over the years, hundreds of homeowners have logged complaints with the BBB, all sounding similar: Once inside a customer's home, technicians routinely mislead them into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for additional work. Many were told they had dangerous mold. Others had their homes unnecessarily flooded with noxious chemicals. Some said they were afraid of the workmen. All said they were duped into paying hundreds more than the promised $49.99 advertised price.”

That led NBC’s Dateline to conduct an investigation using hidden cameras and senior citizen volunteers. You can check out the video here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/41303490#41303490

NBC’s Dateline found that “many of the businesses opened up shop only to disappear within a matter of months, but would then appear again under a different name. Sometimes, it was even hard to determine exactly who owned many of them. The paper trail left behind was limited and sometimes inaccurate. One business was registered using the name of the real owner's dead stepbrother. Another was registered in the name of an owner's bodyguard. Several to convicted felons, one a killer. But our reporting led us to one revealing fact: dozens of the rogue businesses all across the country were run by a rotating list of the same individuals who kept popping up over and over again.”

There are situations where air duct cleaning is necessary or beneficial, and there are many reputable companies that provide fair estimates and do quality work. If you are planning to have the air ducts in your home cleaned, here are some tips from the Environmental Protection Agency on selecting a contractor:

• Do not hire duct cleaners who make sweeping claims about the health benefits of duct cleaning – such claims are unsubstantiated. Do not hire duct cleaners who recommend duct cleaning as a routine part of your heating and cooling system maintenance. You should also be wary of duct cleaners who claim to be certified by the EPA. EPA neither establishes duct cleaning standards, nor certifies, endorses, or approves duct cleaning companies.
• Do not allow the use of chemical biocides or chemical treatments unless you fully understand the pros and the cons of the products being used.
  Check references to be sure other customers were satisfied and did not experience any problems with their heating and cooling systems after cleaning.
• Contact your county or city office of consumer affairs or local Better Business Bureau to determine if complaints have been lodged against any of the companies you are considering.
• Interview potential service providers to ensure that they are experienced in duct cleaning and have worked on systems like yours; they will use procedures to protect you, your pets, and your home from contamination; and they comply with the National Air Duct Cleaning Association's air duct cleaning standards.
• Ask the service provider whether they hold any relevant state licenses. The following states require air duct cleaners to hold special licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. Other states may soon require them as well.
• If the service provider charges by the hour, request an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will take, and find out whether there will be interruptions in the work. Make sure the duct cleaner you choose will provide a written agreement outlining the total cost and scope of the job before work begins.
  
  Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.