Air Quality Control And Air Filtration After A Wildfire

By Author: Bryson Kaleb
Total Articles: 189
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In 2020, over 58,000 wildfires burned over 10 million acres. For those calling California home, the year was especially difficult as the west coast state was home to nearly 40 percent of the total wildfires in the USA. In regions that have experiences wildfires, communities continue to battle the aftermath of smoke damage. Lingering smoke clings to fabrics and all sorts of materials, making it almost impossible to escape from its harsh smell. Not only that, but smoke damage inside a structure gets sucked into the HVAC system and causes serious damage. Smoke odor is an indication there is carcinogenic residue lingering in an area, and for the health and safety of everyone involved it is important to seek out professional smoke odor removal anytime a structure is exposed to wildfire smoke.

Dangers of Lingering Smoke

After exposure to wildfire smoke, an HVAC system may accumulate harmful particulates. Smoke particles can penetrate almost any structure, even if all the doors and windows are closed. The direct outside air intake results in HVAC systems becoming filled with smoke and heavy toxic particulates such as ...
... ash and dark soot. Without thorough smoke odor removal, an HVAC system will continue to kick up harmful particles every time it starts up. This creates a health hazard, especially for those with respiratory ailments such as asthma. Wildfire smoke can be especially dangerous to people and the particulates can penetrate deep into one’s lungs. To keep everyone safe, it is important to carry out thorough and regular smoke odor removal for buildings exposed to smoke.

Impacts of Smoke on Air Filtration Systems

Smoke from wildfires can wear down equipment and cause some serious damage to physical property. Even buildings far from the location of the wildfire can be impacted due to wind carrying smoke, ash, and soot miles from the original burn site. Particles from smoke can find their way into almost any air filtration system and without proper smoke odor removal, built up ash and soot can wear down a system. Every time an AC unit is turned on, the harmful residue left behind by smoke is kicked up and cycled through the building. This is not only hard on the HVAC system, but also on the lungs of anyone breathing in the system’s air.

Removing Smoke Odor from Buildings

Smoke odor is famous for being stubborn to get rid of. When residue latches on to surfaces, it won’t abandon ship just because someone opened a door to air out a room. After a building has been exposed to heavy smoke, it is important to carry out thorough smoke odor removal and replace all the air filters in the building. While there are steps individuals can take to reduce smoke damage, it is always a good idea to bring in professionals to ensure the entire HVAC system is cleaned. Professional cleaning services will do a complete sweep of a building’s furnace, AC unit, and ductwork. This will prevent harmful particles from spreading throughout the building, protect everyone inside, and significantly improve air quality.

AirTek Indoor Air Solutions offers residential and commercial air duct cleaning, HVAC cleaning, smoke odor removal, fire and smoke remediation, smoke smell remediation services in Azusa, Anaheim, Fresno, Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Simi Valley, Aptos, San Jose, and Fairfield. To know more, visit https://www.air-tek.net/who-we-are/.