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Ventilation Research
The ventilation research program conducts research on heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to determine the impact of these systems on human exposure to indoor air pollutants. The emphasis of the program is on determining emissions from ventilation systems. Information gathered from this research will be used to develop improved design and operation of ventilation systems to reduce exposure.
Duct Cleaning
Because of increased awareness of indoor air quality by consumers, especially homeowners, the air
duct cleaning service industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Many claims are being
made about the benefits of air duct cleaning: improved indoor air quality, energy savings, enhanced
system performance, relief from allergies, reduction of mold and mildew, and others. There exists
almost no scientific or technical information to support these claims. In FY1995, the Air Pollution
Prevention and Control Division (APPCD) of the Office of Research and Development (ORD) began a
research program into these issues. Included was an industry advisory group consisting of
representatives from the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), National Air
Duct Cleaning Association (NADCA), and the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration
(ASCR International). The first year was a pilot-scale phase where a mock up of an actual residential
system was designed and constructed. The test facility was used to look at techniques, technologies,
and procedures associated with air duct cleaning in residences. It is approximately 2000 cubic feet
and incorporates many features useful to this type of applied research: use of actual resident heating
and air-conditioning (HAC) air handling units, porous and non-porous ductwork systems and configurations,
air terminals, and a unique aerosol generating system for artificially "soiling" the HAC systems with
actual duct dust obtained from a duct cleaning company. In the second year, the research scale was
increased to a field study. Using actual residences, research was conducted for purposes of data
gathering and comparison to that of the pilot-scale test facility. The major research questions were:
1) Can air duct cleaning improve indoor air quality? 2) Is energy saved by system cleaning? 3) When
should systems be cleaned? 4) How effective are current cleaning technologies? and 5) Can cleaning have
a positive effect on reducing microbiological growth and contamination?