Perhaps the biggest question that comes as part and parcel of the LEV Testing process is why – as in why is it necessary? These days, the overwhelming majority of businesses working in industrial or commercial capacities need to ensure their buildings are appropriately fitted with extraction and ventilation technology.
It’s hardly a secret that fresh air is pretty important to human survival and that there are certain working-environment temperatures that are more acceptable than others – ventilation and the likes playing a key role. As such, the importance of good extraction system health and regular maintenance really should be self-explanatory as this is the only way of making sure such installations keep on doing their jobs as they should.
But in terms of potential problems, what exactly are the experts looking for that the business owner for example might not be able to see? Is there really much to the job, or could it be done by giving it a quick DIY once-over from time to time?
1 – Signs of Blockage
Well, first of all they’ll be looking for things like signs of blockages, which isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. First of all, given the fact that the ducts may burrow deep into the walls, climb onto the ceilings and twist any number of times along the way, it’s not the kind of thing you can just glance at and hope to accurately evaluate. Quite to the contrary, it takes a small arsenal of specialist equipment to make the necessary assessment, which no business at all will have just lying around the place.
2 – Signs of Mould or Fungus
The thing about mould and fungus when it manifests in ventilation systems and the likes is that is can be nigh-on impossible to spot…unless of course you know exactly what you’re doing. It’s one thing to spot bright green mould or dazzling white mushrooms, but when it comes to the kinds of nasties that may be setting up home in your ducts, they’re rarely even remotely this obvious or easy to spot. And as there’s every chance they may be wreaking havoc with both performance and the quality of the air being provided for the workforce, it’s important to leave it to the pros.
3 – Quality of Filtration
Speaking of air quality, the experts will also carry out a series of tests to ensure that filtration is as efficient and effective as it needs to be. When and where filters need to be either replaced or in some way repaired, it doesn’t tend to be the most expensive or difficult job to go about – its importance on the other hand really is in a league of its own.
4 – Efficiency of Operation
Along with how well or otherwise the filters are doing their jobs, there’s a good chance that the firm you call in to take a look at your ventilation systems will also take a look at just how efficient the whole system appears to be running in general. This could involve testing how much power the system is utilising to get the job done as when and where energy-efficiency appears to have become a problem, this is usually indicative of a problem with the system as a whole.
5 – Damage or Wear
There will be certain signs of wear and damage that pretty much anyone can detect with so much as a passing glance – big cracks and the like don’t tend to keep themselves secret. However, it’s the smaller signs of wear and damage that tend to manifest into much larger problems further down the line, having gone unnoticed and thus been allowed to become far more severe than they might have been. Professional installation and maintenance teams will be able to spot all such signs of wear and damage – even in the most minor of instances – in order to identify where quick fixes may be needed now to avoid major repairs going forward.
6 – Pre-empt Future Problems
Last but not least, perhaps the single most important job of the professional maintenance team is to take a good look at the system inside and out to identify any areas at all that could pose problems in the future. From the pipes to the control system to the motors to fixing brackets to seals and really everything else, there are literally hundreds of things that could eventually lead to disaster if overlooked. And as they’re 100% guaranteed to be overlooked by anyone but a trained professional, this is precisely why they should be called in.