Dirty Socks & Your HVAC Coil — Positive Energy

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The Building Science Podcast

The Building Science Podcast

Dirty Socks & Your HVAC Coil

Dirty Socks & Your HVAC Coil
Positive Energy

The original episode was meant to feature both Graeme Marsh, who we heard on the last episode, as well as Greg Long. None of us could have prepared for the fact that in the middle of the episode, Greg's ceiling had water pouring out of it. It was unexpected, to say the least! 

Fortunately for us, we got to catch up with Greg for a more in depth discussion. So what do dirty socks have to do with the lungs of our homes and buildings? Listen to this episode to learn more about smelly biofilms, probiotic cleaners and the tip of the thermodynamic spear - the all-powerful, but often-ignored HVAC coil. 

The heat exchanger coil in our HVAC system is where the magic of heat transfer happens - this is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to "conditioning" air. If the word "coil" is not connecting to a mental image, you can think of the radiator in your car. Just as in a car, when it's working you don't give your radiator much thought - we often ignore our HVAC coils, and at our peril. All of the indoor air we heat and cool flows through our HVAC coil. Unfortunately sometimes our magic, all-powerful coils are coated with a smelly, gelatinous, living glop in the form of an unwanted biofilm.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the under-reported reality of biofilms in HVAC equipment and what to do about them to keep your coil and conditioned air clean and odor-free.


Long.jpg

Earl Gregory (Greg) Long, CIEC, ASCS

Mr. Long is president of IAQ Consulting Services Inc. in Belton, TX (not far from the Positive Energy and Building Science Podcast headquarters). IAQ Consulting Services Inc,  is a consulting firm that offers estimating, project management, specification writing, investigations services and project oversight specializing in HVAC system restoration and cleaning, coil cleaning, structure restoration and dehumidification, and content restoration, with focus on restorative processes over replacement when applicable.

Areas of additional experience include rust eradication and prevention within HVAC systems, fiberglass insulation removal and replacement with closed cell insulation within HVAC systems,drain pan restoration, water and air leakage and odor control. It is Mr. Long’s belief that there is apractical and logical solution for most building related projects and indoor air issues and it has always been his goal to find the most reasonable solution for the situation at hand.

Among his credentials are: 

  • Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) by American Council for Accredited Certification

  • Certified Mold Remediator (CMR) by American Council for Accredited Certification

  • Air System Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) by National Air Duct Cleaners Association

  • Certified IAQ Technician (CIAQT) by Texas Tech University

  • Certified Mold Investigator Professional (CMIP) by Texas Tech University

  • Certified De-flooding Specialist by Cleaning De-flooding Restoration Network Trained and practiced in Commercial Kitchen exhaust system cleaning

It gets better. This guy's everywhere! 

  • Board of Directors of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) – 6 years

  • President of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) – 2 terms

  • Standards writing committee, National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) – past 23 years

  • Inducted into the first class of the Hall of Fame for the National Air Duct Cleaners Association

  • Chairman, Indoor Air Quality Advisory Council, Texas Tech University – 2 years

  • Standards writing committee Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) – 1 year

  • Board of Directors of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – 6 years in past Board of Directors of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – currently

  • Board Officer of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – 2 years

  • Chairman of the finance committee of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – past 5 years

We're impressed by the list. 


Nasty HVAC Coils From The Field


Big thanks to AprilAire for their generous support and to The Humid Climate Conference for their generous and continued support.