Do you doubt the need to clean the exhaust ventilation? The speed of air movement in the ventilation ducts of an apartment building before cleaning is less than 0.3 meters per second. After it - 1.5 meters per second. A simple procedure increases the air exchange in the apartment by 5 times!
During operation, particles of fat and dust are deposited on the walls of the ventilation ducts. Over time, the thickness of the dust layer can reach several centimeters.
Dirt in reverse draft can blow into the apartment! The need for cleaning ventilation is brewing. Further you will learn: how ventilation ducts are cleaned at various facilities, what equipment is needed, what disinfection is and when it is needed.
The need for ventilation cleaning
A dusty network of ventilation ducts is an excellent conductor of fire during a fire. Dry, fat-soaked dust ignites instantly, suffocating poisonous smoke spreads through the air ducts in the apartments.
Through ventilation ducts, allergens, microbes, fungal spores are removed from the premises. They settle on a dusty “fur coat” inside and from there they can spread to neighboring apartments, making air inhaled by people dangerous.
At the same time, good ventilation works to provide residents with clean air, regulates humidity, preventing the development of mold.
The following signs indicate that the ventilation ducts need cleaning in an apartment building:
- dust and cobwebs gather around the ventilation grill;
- dust accumulates on the floor a day after cleaning;
- it becomes stuffy in the rooms, especially in the hot season, which was not previously observed.
Cleaning ventilation systems in an apartment is required much more often than urban residents think. But this procedure can only be carried out by specialists. Residents are only allowed to clean the ventilation in the apartment, it is strictly forbidden to climb into public house networks!
Cleaning the ventilation in the apartment
You can independently clean the area of the ventilation duct adjacent to the apartment. You will need the simplest equipment for cleaning ventilation:
- long wire with a metal "hedgehog" at the end;
- broom or brush on a long handle;
- a vacuum cleaner;
- respirator, rubber gloves.
Progress:
- Remove the ventilation grill and mesh (if any), wash;
- Carefully sweep the dust off the walls of the ventilation duct with a broom;
- “Hedgehog” on the wire, go up the channel as far as you get, rotate it around the axis, scrubbing dirt from the walls;
- Using a vacuum cleaner, collect dust from the duct.
When embarking on this dirty work, be prepared to find in the ventilation disgusting outgrowths of dust and sometimes even insects!
Self-cleaning is not always effective. Then you need to contact a specialized company.
Professional ventilation cleaning
Companies involved in professional cleaning of ventilation ducts are equipped with modern equipment for diagnosis and work. All procedures are carried out without worrying people working or living in the building.
Ventilation Diagnostics
A video camera attached to the robot to clean the ventilation, examines every meter of air ducts, detects congestion, blockages and the most dusty places. A robot for cleaning ventilation, also equipped with a searchlight, travels through the air duct and transfers information to a computer monitor.The degree of contamination is determined and the ventilation system is cleaned.
Before cleaning the ventilation, the robot takes samples from the surfaces of the vencanals. Lavages are examined in a laboratory where tuberculosis pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, and mold spores are often found. Staphylococcus is very dangerous for restaurants and cafes, where, once ingested, can cause massive poisoning. Therefore, in addition to cleaning the ventilation system, disinfection will also be necessary.
Comprehensive cleaning of large ventilation systems includes:
- cleaning ventilation shafts and chambers;
- cleaning the blades of the supply and exhaust fans;
- cleaning ducts of especially large diameters;
- dirt removal from the walls of small duct diameters;
- filter replacement.
There are two ways to professionally clean the ventilation system:
- mechanical;
- chemical.
Industrial methods make it possible to clean even thick fat deposits from the walls of air ducts and disinfect surfaces.
Preventive cleanings are necessary to maintain the working condition of mechanical exhaust ventilation systems. In some cases, it is necessary to disassemble the air ducts for better cleaning of individual sections or install hatches.
If the ventilation is equipped with inspection windows and openings, CIP can be cleaned.
Types of equipment for cleaning ventilation:
- electromechanical installations;
- vacuum high pressure installations;
- industrial vacuum cleaners;
- installations with turbines and a pneumatic drive for brushes;
- chemical processing equipment for ventilation ducts;
- filtration plants.
The mechanical method of cleaning ventilation ducts uses industrial vacuum cleaners, compressed air installations, and cleaning mechanisms.
The ventilation network is divided into sections, a filtration unit is operating at one end of the section, and a cleaning mechanism is on the other. It is a hard brush mounted on a flexible shaft. The shaft length can be up to 30 m.
Cleaning ducts
Ventilation systems of large enterprises usually consist of large diameter ducts that are at a height, so cleaning works are difficult. In some cases, cleaning is carried out by conventional brush mechanisms with enlarged brushes. Sometimes, people in protective suits and masks with special vacuum cleaners descend directly into the canal. In some cases, scaffolding is built to penetrate the ducts, and hatches are made in their walls.
The chemical method is based on the effect of substances on dust and dirt deposits in the walls of air ducts. Reagents dissolve fat, soot, soot. It uses professional cleaning agents that are not available in retail.
Cleaning the ventilation of fat in a restaurant
Restaurant ventilation is a store of grease and dust, more than others requiring periodic cleaning. The procedure is carried out by specialized firms. Cleans fat from restaurants during off-hours.
Drops of oil and dust particles accumulate on the inner walls of ventilation ducts, exhaust hoods, reducing the clearance of pipes. The exhaust system is deteriorating, the load on the fans is increasing. The air removed from the restaurant’s kitchen room is most often of elevated temperature, so the mud mass hardens quickly, creating a hard layer of hard-to-remove “glaze” on the walls. An environment is forming for the development of harmful microbes, mold and fungus, which are unacceptable at catering facilities.
Cleaning the ventilation in the restaurant from accumulated fat is carried out only by professional cleaning solutions. They are applied to the inner walls of the ventilation ducts with a spray gun and washed off under pressure. Hoods and hoods are cleaned with steam generators. Sometimes this is not enough and the hoods are treated with cleaning products.Thick deposits of hardened fat are cleaned with stiff brushes, metal channels are pre-frozen.
The whole process of cleaning the ventilation of the catering unit in the video:
The frequency of cleaning the ventilation ducts depends on the intensity of the hot shop. With a normal load, once every 3 months is enough, with an intensive load - once every 30 days. Scheduled inspections of the sanitary condition of ventilation are carried out every 6 months. To get less fat into the ventilation, grease traps are installed. They do not solve the problem completely, but reduce the area of contamination and allow less frequent cleaning of ventilation ducts.
Ventilation disinfection
During cleaning of the ventilation system, the fan blades, grilles, hatches are disinfected. Disinfection is necessary if laboratory tests carried out before cleaning the ventilation show harmful microorganisms in the system. For routine cleaning of the ventilation system disinfection is not required.
For antimicrobial treatments, a single agent or complex can be used. The choice depends on the particular ventilation. The spray solution is sprayed with a soft tube device. A suitable nozzle is put on the end of the tube, ensuring the penetration of the disinfectant into the farthest slots. In some cases, it is necessary to wipe the treated surface.
After disinfection, an act is drawn up, the quality of work is checked visually, a laboratory analysis of washings from surfaces is done.
Ventilation Cleaning Equipment
Equipment for cleaning ventilation includes three main components:
- brushing machine for cleaning ventilation;
- filtering unit;
- vacuum installation.
When choosing equipment, it is very important to determine the ventilation of which objects must be cleaned:
- ventilation ducts of apartment buildings (including mine chutes) and private suburban mansions;
- catering enterprises (restaurants, bars, bakeries, cafes);
- large public buildings (shopping centers, healthcare facilities, office buildings);
- industrial enterprises.
Depending on this, power and equipment are selected.
Brush machines for cleaning ventilation are most often equipped with shafts of 25 - 40 meters. Pneumatic machines clean ventilation with ducts with diameters of 100 - 1200 mm. Some varieties can be equipped with disinfection nozzles.
Flexible shafts will help to reach hard-to-reach places: valves, gratings, layering of the main channels, pipes. They are necessary for cleaning ventilation ducts in apartment buildings.
Vacuum installations - the quality of cleaning the exhaust ventilation depends on their power. When working with large ducts, the most powerful installations are needed.
In addition to the above equipment from China for cleaning ventilation, you must purchase another set of brushes. There are 4 degrees of hardness for ventilation brushes: abrasive, hard, extra and standard. Inserts, access hatches, disinfection kits and a centering device are required.
The best equipment is presented by European manufacturers. But it is quite expensive. The electrical part is gentle to power surges. Therefore, many opt for ventilation cleaning equipment from China. It is cheaper, although the quality of the equipment is often unsatisfactory. When buying Chinese equipment for cleaning ventilation, you should dwell on large manufacturers offering world-class equipment.
