Costa del Este
Costa del Este: ducts and certification requirements in office parks
The office parks of Costa del Este were built recently and several are seeking or renewing a certification. Here is what those certifications ask about ducts and which papers need to be ready.
By Limpieza de Ductos Panamá
Certification does not require cleaning ducts: it requires proving that ventilation is maintained and documented. LEED v4.1 for existing buildings asks to maintain ventilation equipment according to Table 8.2 of ASHRAE 62.1-2016, to include its operation and preventive maintenance in the building’s plan, and to test the exhaust systems. For a Costa del Este office park that translates into records, photos of the inside and a decision per run.
What certifications ask about air
The minimum indoor air quality prerequisite of LEED v4.1 for existing buildings has three parts. Maintain the ventilation equipment and its components according to Table 8.2 of ASHRAE 62.1-2016, include the system’s operation and preventive maintenance in the current facilities requirements and the operations and maintenance plan, and test that mechanical exhaust systems work.
None of those parts says ducts must be cleaned. What they ask for is proof of inspection and maintenance under a recognized criterion. ASHRAE 180 describes the standard practice for inspecting and maintaining commercial HVAC systems, and it is the reference an auditor understands without explanation.
Records and evidence the auditor requires
The auditor does not open a duct. The auditor reviews papers, cross-checks dates and asks who did what. That is why a camera inspection that leaves dated photos per run is worth more than a cleaning invoice with no detail. The table sums up what each point asks for and which evidence covers it in a Costa del Este building.
The fieldwork is carried out by the Climatiza team, who check branches, grilles and air handlers and record the result in an illustrated report, also in the case of Costa del Este.
| What the certification asks for | Evidence that covers it |
|---|---|
| Ventilation equipment maintained per ASHRAE 62.1, Table 8.2 | Log of filters, coils, drain pans and outdoor air dampers, with dates and the person responsible. |
| Current operations and maintenance plan | Building document with the frequency of each task and the procedure for inspecting ducts. |
| Exhaust system testing | Test record for restroom, copy room and kitchenette exhaust fans, with a result per unit. |
| Actual condition of the ducts | Photo report per run with the decision taken: clean, fix or monitor. |
How to coordinate with the park’s administrator
In Costa del Este the contact for offices and retail is the building’s management, and the towers are worked in night or weekend slots. Since how the work is organized on an office floor depends on how many tenants share the unit, the file is built by branch and not by company.
- Ask for the duct drawings and the maintenance plan. If they do not exist, the first inspection is used to draw them up, and that alone is evidence for the file.
- Set the time slot and the floors. Management sets the night or weekend window and which floors go into each visit.
- Agree on the report format. Photos per run, date, person responsible and decision, in a format the administrator can attach without rewriting.
- Close the loop. Whatever was decided for correction is photographed again when done, so the file shows before and after.
Suggested frequency for certified offices
ASHRAE’s preventive maintenance checklist for air quality, based on 62.1 and 180, sets as a monthly task reading the filter pressure drop gauges on each air handler and replacing those that exceed the manufacturer’s maximum, as well as inspecting the coils. Ducts have no fixed frequency on that list: they are inspected and cleaned when their condition calls for it.
- Every month: filter pressure drop reading and a look at coils and drain pans.
- Every year: camera inspection of the main branches and of the returns on the floors with the most complaints.
- Before the audit: complete file with dated photos and closed decisions.
- After works on a floor: check of the affected branch, because construction dust voids the previous condition.
- Whenever the estimate of the attention level changes because of a new use of the floor.
Report for recertification
To renew the certification the administrator needs to show continuity, not a single job. One report per run, with the same numbering year after year, makes it possible to compare photos of the same spot and show that what was marked for correction was corrected. The technical guide details what the camera records in a commercial duct and serves as an annex when the auditor asks about the method.
The office parks and shops of Costa del Este have the advantage of systems with few years of use, and in many cases the camera confirms that cleaning is not needed yet. That confirmation, dated and with photos, is evidence as valid as a cleaning, and the same applies to a shopping center with its own management inside the same development.
Questions about a specific building can be sent to Climatiza, and the service description shows what a visit includes.
Sources
On this site
- Offices and corporate towersHow the work is organized in this sector
- Costa del EsteThe area and its building types
- Camera inspectionThe real condition before deciding
Climatiza and Radar Panamá
Frequently asked questions
Does LEED require cleaning the ducts every so often?
No. The air quality prerequisite of LEED v4.1 for existing buildings asks to maintain ventilation equipment per ASHRAE 62.1, to document operation and preventive maintenance, and to test exhaust systems. Duct cleaning is done when the inspection shows it is needed, and it gets recorded.
What if the building has no duct drawings?
It gets drawn up with the first camera inspection, run by run. That drawing, even a schematic one, becomes part of the operations and maintenance plan and is the first thing the auditor asks about when wanting to know what was checked and where.
Is an older cleaning report with no photos useful?
It serves as a dated precedent, but it does not show the condition of the duct or which runs were worked on. For recertification the next report should have photos per run and fixed numbering, so the following years can be compared on the same points.
Who signs the file, the tenant or the management?
The building’s management, because the ventilation system is shared and the certification belongs to the building. The tenant provides access to its floor and receives a copy of the report for its branch, which it can use for its own internal records.
Keep reading
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- info@climatizapanama.com
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