Problems in Paradise: Poor Indoor Air Quality/A C & Ventilation

My background is that of a senior professional in the design and construction of buildings and speciafically these days in hospitality. I have worked in the tropics during my long career and specifically in the Caribbean including Dominican Republic for over 20 years.

Not everybody likes to live in air conditioned properties all the time but many expats and especially those from USA do so.

Most residences and indeed many businesses in DR do not have any air conditioning but increasingly new buildings are fitted with air conditioning systems as standard.

Building Regulations in DR are far from well defined and not as onerous on the Archtect or Builder as would be required in the UK or Europe for sure. There appears no mandatory requirement to replace the fresh within a building so many times an hour as in other countries. Infrequently do you find forced ventilation of buildings to provide fresh air.

So, for expats owners or renters of properties here who choose to close all windows and doors and turn down the temperature on your air conditioing system for their comfort, be aware that at some point or at intervals throughout the day it is prudent to open those windows to replenish fresh air and avoid poor indoor air quality and the effects thereof.

The most common air conditioning systems we find here are split a/c's and they recirculate and cool the air but do not bring in air from outside. One variation (and there are several) found on bigger and commerical properties and hotels involves the use of fan coil units in ceiling voids with short lengths of insulated ductwork fed by chilled water supplied from a central air handling and cooling unit. Again the air is generally being recirculated.

All air conditioning systems require regular maintenance to clean filters and include to ensure no contamination of condensate water collected in trays and discharged. There is a need to eliminate micro-orgaisms that can flourish in a warm humid climate.

Another problem is poorly installed ductwork and insulation which allows condensation and growth of micro organisms and moulds inside ductwork. This is harder to deal with other than replacement ductwork properly installed and spraying with chemicals that kill the moulds etc.

All expat homeowners should be aware that maintaining a nice cool living space comes with responsibilities too.

I have posted this following careful consideration of what might have been a possible factor for the recent deaths of a couple staying at a hotel on the South Coast and has not been the subject of speculation so far as I can see. It was odd to me that both suffered death in the same way with respiratory failure through pulmonary edema and had reported a problem and seen a medic days before. We await the toxicology reports in about a months time to see if their were factors which led to such a type of death so my thoughts are my thoughts only. I also read in the Sun yesterday another story about a British couple who experienced a similar type of problem recently and posted pictures of tempoarary seals around their room door. With ever increasing demands for energy efficiency and air tightness in construction and specifically for hotels noise control, many opt for entry doors with seals and good quality balcony doors. I was in one such AI in Bayahibe a few weeks back and the door seals were tight and the only ventilation was a closed window in the bathroom...it was a big room though and I opened the balcony door at night.

Food for thought if you are heavily into the use of A/C's in Paradise. Myself I prefer what nature gives us in Paradise - that steady Caribbean breeze with infrequent use of a split system to knock down the temperature when it is very hot and very humid as it has been for the past few weeks.