Indoor air quality in hotels and motels is a comfort and safety issue that is overlooked by property executives and managers. It’s a largely invisible problem when it is small, and unless air quality issues are noticed by guests, there is little a hotel or motel can market. We all know that new furniture and decor is much more likely to entice a potential guest than a new ventilation or air cleaning system.
Hotel and motel indoor air quality (sometimes called IAQ) is especially important in Myrtle Beach. While hotels everywhere run the risk of using volatile organic compounds that could be in any hotel’s cleaning products, coastal South Carolina’s climate can produce some unique air quality challenges.
Myrtle Beach’s Climate Can Affect Indoor Air Quality
High heat and humidity, coupled with strong oceanfront breezes, can affect a hotel or motel’s indoor air quality. South Carolina’s heat and humidity create a perfect breeding ground for molds and other bacterias that can live in vents and ductwork. They may also come from dirty coils, uncleaned drop pans, and other HVAC equipment that needs routine service and cleaning. These contaminants can find refuge in a building, especially when hotels are not properly pressurized and a negative indoor air pressure cause hot, sticky, salty air to be sucked into the building without filtration.
Contaminants affecting indoor air quality can create what some call “sick building syndrome,” as the organic compounds can causes headaches, nausea, and other symptoms. The musty or moldy smells could be a signal of dangerous issues whose sources should be identified addressed immediately. An air cleaner or ventilation improvement can lower the concentration of pollutants and improve air quality.
Conduct Indoor Air Quality Tests with a Professional
Conducting an indoor air quality test with a professional service company is the only way to see how your hotel or motel measures up. One thing a test will look for is how well a ventilation system is working. These tests will measure the presence of carbon dioxide in the air and the ventilation rate. You steady stream of “new air” should be cycling in to replace carbon dioxide.
If poor air quality is detected, inspecting the hotel or motel for the source is essential. Air quality issues could from anything–furniture, carpeting, cleaning supplies, ineffective vent fans or filters, a leaking refrigerator, and the list goes on.
Call Cooper, Your Myrtle Beach Air Quality Professionals
Identifying the air quality issue source will determine the solution needed. Cooper Mechanical Services is here to help you improve your building’s indoor air quality. Our team uses the most reliable equipment to test air quality and ventilation, and having served the Myrtle Beach hospitality sector since 1989, we know the most common causes of poor air quality. The most important thing you can do is to be proactive in testing and addressing air quality concerns. A hotel’s reputation depends upon the comfort and safety of its guests.