Cleaning of ventilation systems
Operation of venting ducts is accompanied by the formation of a layer of grease and dust. When interacting with moisture condensation, solid deposits are formed in the venting duct on its internal surfaces.
Range of problems
In office and residential areas, the main danger associated with contamination of ventilation is that it becomes an effective environment that promotes the multiplication of pathogenic microbes, which adversely affects people’s health.
In industrial premises, the danger lies not only in the above mentioned, but also in the probable repeated microbial contamination of equipment and tools. This is due to the likelihood of dust and dirt accumulating in the ventilation throughout the entire volume of the room.
This is precisely the reason for the need for regular cleaning of ventilation systems – a mandatory procedure governed by separate legislative acts and carried out with the help of specially manufactured equipment. The ventilation cleaning procedure should be carried out both in transport enterprises and at production facilities, both in educational institutions and medical institutions, both in business centers and shopping and leisure facilities that use supply and exhaust ventilation systems.
The complex of works related to the cleaning of ventilation systems includes the removal of grease deposits, dust and dirt accumulated on the inner walls of air ducts and ventilation equipment, in combination with its disinfection (when agreed with the customer). Therefore, they include several stages.
Ventilation systems are cleaned using the following methods:
Mechanical
In order to implement this method, it is necessary to use a brush machine in combination with a vacuum pump, which is connected to the outlet of the ventilation system. On the back side, a flexible shaft is inserted, equipped with a rotating brush. Due to the rotation of the shaft, the brush mechanically cleans the walls in the air ducts. The air flow picks up the exfoliated bloom, carrying it to the vacuum pump filter.
Chemical
The vacuum pump is connected to the outlet of the ventilation system. In this case, it is necessary to perform a complete sealing of all inlets of the system. Then the chemical is sprayed in the venting duct. Grease deposits react with aerosol, which leads to the loss of its adhesion properties and separation from the surface of the venting duct. A passing air stream removes accumulated deletions.
Wet (or combined)
The first stage of the procedure consists in the mechanical cleaning of the internal surface of the venting ducts from mud and dust deposits. Wet cleaning of the ventilation is then carried out, removing the remaining grease deposits with the help of specially designed detergents and a high-pressure apparatus (HPA).
Blasting
The procedure involves the spraying of the reagent:
- Soda with soft blasting;
- Dry ice with cryogenic blasting.
Contaminants are exposed to reagents in combination with compressed air. This contributes to a significant increase in the rate at which particles hit the surface, which leads to microexplosions after a collision with a layer of contamination. Due to the energy released during this process, the effective destruction of the layers without damaging the surface occurs. Removal of the separated dirt particles is carried out by the air flow, which creates a vacuum pump.
Mechanical | Chemical | Wet | Blasting | |
Advantages | Effectively eliminates “dry” dust and dirt. The most operational Optimal cost | Effectively eliminates dusty, greasy deposits Operational Optimal cost | Effectively eliminates strong dust and grease Has an average duration | Provides ideal cleaning from any kind of contamination
|
Disadvantages | Badly eliminates grease deposits
| Requires full sealing of ventilation
| Requires full sealing of ventilation High cost | Requires full sealing of ventilation Takes a long time. High cost |