The Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) assessment process in the ANSI/IICRC S590 identifies impacted and non-impacted HVAC internal surfaces after a water, fire, or mold damage event. This Standard contains procedures to perform HVAC assessments and create a written report and Restoration Work Plan (RWP) of work for residential, commercial, institutional, and healthcare buildings. The document lists methods and procedures to determine visual deposition and odor retention.
HVAC systems may be impacted by event-related particulates regardless of whether the unit was operational during the event. Conversely, the presence of event-related particulates in the general environment does not automatically indicate the event being assessed impacted HVAC system components. A qualified HVAC assessor who is knowledgeable of HVAC system components and typical particulate deposition within HVAC systems should conduct the HVAC assessment. The HVAC assessor determines the visual and odor impact on HVAC system components from the assessed event to identify the impact and restorability of those components. The assessment should include a written report and a Remediation Work Plan (RWP) for a restorer. An HVAC restoration assessor or an Indoor Environmental Professional (IEP) should conduct the HVAC assessment.
The ANSI/IICRC S590 Standard for Assessing HVAC Systems following a Water, Fire, or Mold Damage Event includes the following:
- HVAC Assessment Principles
- HVAC Assessors Qualifications
- Determining Restorable vs. Non-Restorable Components
- Testing Methodologie
- Sampling Protocol
- Test Results and Recommendations
- Safety and Health
- Limitations, Complexities, Complications, and Conflicts
- Documentation and Reporting and Standard-Related Criteria
- Specific Considerations for Water, Fire, or Mold Damage Events
- HVAC Assessment Flowcharts
A competent assessment of the internal conditions of the HVAC system is often necessary following a water, fire, or mold damage event. The S590 documents current HVAC assessment procedures to be provided to remediators facing loss events. These procedures are the existing standard of care in the industry today and are based on scientific principles and extensive peer and public review.
The S590 is a procedural standard developed by an IICRC Consensus Body and the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) in a cooperative agreement. These sources include but are not necessarily limited to practitioners, scientists, government and public health professionals, industrial hygienists, international, national, and regional trade associations serving the professional HVAC assessment industry, chemical formulators, equipment manufacturers, cleaning and remediation training schools, remediation firms, the insurance industry, allied trades persons, and others with specialized experience.
The ANSI/IICRC S590 is a voluntary consensus-based Standard. It is written for use by those involved in the HVAC assessment industry, primarily for HVAC assessment companies and secondarily for others who investigate or assess HVAC systems after a water, fire, or mold damage event. The Standard assists in preparing remediation specifications, restoration protocols, and replacement procedures.
This Standard summarizes most testing and scope-setting procedures for HVAC assessment projects. The S590 does not attempt to teach HVAC assessment procedures but provides the principles and foundation for implementing proper assessment practices. The S590 is not a substitute for HVAC remediation and cleaning as per ACR, Assessment, Cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems, the NADCA standard. Certification programs such as the NADCA Certified Ventilation Inspector CVI are available and helpful in attaining competence in the HVAC remediation and cleaning field concerning applying this Standard properly.
S590 HVAC assessments are based upon visual and olfactory observations of HVAC systems suspected to be or potentially impacted by a water, fire, or mold damage event. Any assessment requirements beyond visual and olfactory observations should require additional third-party evaluations.
This Standard does not address the identification of potentially hazardous or regulated materials such as asbestos, lead, arsenic, mercury, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, fuels, solvents, radiological residues, and other chemical contaminants.
The S590 is a living document subject to change as more information regarding HVAC assessment becomes available, scientific developments occur, and advancements are made in assessment technology and practice. The S590 will be reviewed, evaluated, and validated through application in the field and thereafter revised and improved. This process and further professional and public review allow the industry to develop a body of HVAC assessment science and achieve the overall IICRC goal of improving the environments in which people live and work.
The primary purpose of this Standard is to determine the condition of HVAC systems that are subject to water, fire, or mold damage events. This information is for the remediation contractor or Materially Interested Parties (MIPs) to make decisions in conjunction with current industry standards.
This assessment uses visible and odor observations following a precise protocol. The S590 HVAC assessment standard provides specific guidance to the HVAC assessor based on the type of event.
HVAC assessments provide a preliminary determination of visible and odor consequences to HVAC systems following a water, fire, or mold damage event. The assessment and scoped procedures are integrated with the current edition of ACR, the NADCA Standard, and the current editions of ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration, ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation, and ANSI/IICRC S700 Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration.
“This Standard is written primarily for HVAC assessment companies and secondarily for those who assess HVAC systems for post-event damage and prepare remediation protocols (e.g., Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEPs). The HVAC assessment provides information to make well-informed project decisions to restorers, insurance carriers, and MIPs (e.g., consumers, occupants, property owners and managers, government, and regulatory bodies).”
-Tommy Yacobellis is the Chairman of the ANSI/IICRC S590 and director of operations for the BELFOR/DUCTZ National HVAC restoration operation. He has been assessing and restoring HVAC mechanical systems for 39 years.
“The ANSI/IICRC S590 addresses one of the areas in property restoration that is most commonly misunderstood yet critical to the health and function of the indoor build environment: the Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System. By establishing an ANSI Consensus Standard for the assessment of the HVAC system, the restoration community has a resource for what is common among reasonably prudent practitioners performing HVAC assessment in the restoration space.”
-Brandon Burton, IICRC Standards Chair
Tommy Yacobellis is the Director of National Operations at Belfor Mechanical, with 43 years of experience in HVAC systems and 38 years specifically in HVAC assessment and remediation. He founded DUCTZ International and holds Florida state licenses in HVAC, Mold Assessment, and Remediation. Tom has been recognized with lifetime achievement awards from NADCA and IAQA and has served as an expert witness for the Florida Attorney General’s office. Tommy is the Chair of the S590 Consensus Body.
