What is the best indoor air quality pump under 400.00 ???
I’m happy with the one I got from ProLab and I think it was under $350. Comes in a nice hard case too.
Jason,
Just came across your question.
I have been mentored by one of the best Mold Inspectors in Missouri and his best advise was what ever pump you pick, buy a backup. If your pump breaks down in the middle of testing, you got problems.
Go with a Buck or a bio pump. Do not use that crap with plastic hoses, it should be a crime for a lab to sell these because technically your suppose to clean that hose after ever sample.
Get on that has a rechargeable battery and comes with a rotameter so you can calibrate your machine before each sample.
I think they are more than $400 but it’s the proper equipment to use, that crap Pro lab sells is a joke.
The pumps suck air through the hose (behind the cassette), they do not blow air, so cleaning the hoses is only periodically. Also I like the pumps with the rotameter already mounted on them, that way you can use a field rotameter (where the cassette goes) to double check the mounted rotameter before each sample. If both rotameters read the same, there is no way the other side can claim your machine got knocked out of calibration. I was taught that by one of the top mold experts in the country.
It does not really matter how you get the air volume into the cassette. As long as the method is consistently accurate every time. Using a correct standard to achieve this is more important.
The pro lab one is fine, if youre worried about the lifespan, use the cartriges that have the 5 liter for 5 min instead of the 15liter for 10 min, less wear and tear on the pump. So long as the air flow is good, and accurate any pump shuould suffice. I’ve used that pump for over a year and still works fine. Although in interest of full disclosure i dont do mold test at every inspection, tough for me to upsell/market that service. Maybe only 5-10% of my inspctions include mold testing.
5 liters for 5 minutes absolutely gives everyone a sign of incompetence. Never use this crap. If your going to start a service, be professional and do it right. Do not start of providing a service that is the least effective, the least reliable and the least accurate. Start off on the right foot and do it right.
Not attacking anyone but there is not a professional methiod for mold testing. It even says it right on the website, real the website it states this is a first line testing. So what is the use? I would be upset if you told me you were a professional and took a test only to tell me to get another test by a true professional.
Start off proper and finish on top. When you do stuff 1/2 assed, it is a direct reflection on you and your company.
Russell, for my benefit, can you expand on your last post. Are you saying that an air test for mold shouldn’t be done? shouldn’t be done for 5 minutes? is a waste of time and money? I am curious to understand your position in more detail and what you suggest to be the best (right?) protocol.
I know they do not blow air, but what if you took a sample in a house that has 50,000 spores of Stachy do you not think residual spores would remain in that plastic tube? I totally disagree and state that the equipment of this type must be cleaned after each sampling. Because if you go to the next job ad it comes out with 25 spores of Stachybotrys is it because of the last job?
Cleaning your equipment after each test will only cover your butt and do the job properly. But I guess for some, it is too much, but when they see me cleaning my equipment in between samples and ask why I do it, I tell them and then they ask why my competition doesn’t. I simply tell them it takes only a couple of minutes, maybe they jsut want your money and don’t care about quality.
But to each his own…do whatever your career can handle.
I agree with sampling for this one reason. It seems to me that the EPA has been agaisnt sampling because it is assuming that YOU LIVE IN THE HOUSE. In todays unethical world, I cannot tell you what the house was like yesterday. Only the day I inspected it. So the house could of had 1,000,000 of spores of Stachybotrys yesterday and they wiped it off the walls, vacuumed the carpet and put the 20 air freshners out.
With an ar quality sampling I can tell many things. I can tell if the house has/had significant water intrusion in the past. I can tell if the AC has been off and humidity bloom has occurred. Air sampling gives me a starting point for writing the protocol of procedures.
If everyone in the world was honest, there would be no need for air quality testing, but due to plain ignorance and immoral people I feel it is a great tool and give my clients a peace of mind.
So now for testing - In short you need to take a temp and humidity reading before EACH sample. Use a alcohol wipe and clean your equipment before EACH sample. Use a CALIBRATED rotameter before EACH sample. When the sample is done properly seal the sample in a marked small plastic bad and place it in your mailing pouch.
Does this answer your question?
5 minutes of 5 liters of air is simply stupid. Is there a lab BESIDES Pro Lab that offers or even recommends this on every sample?
So let me just ask you - Do you want to start off providing mold services from a company that is geared towards uneducated Home Inspectors or Mold Professionals? Start off on the right foot and use the proper labs.
Simply look at the sporce count vs air count. If the number is 1 visual spore =7 air spores, then that is a good lab and analysis. If you using that other crap its like 1 visual spore to every 24 in the air meaning that it a poor sample.
If you don’t know how to read a sample report and explain it…then maybe more education is needed before getting into this field.
**The Z5 sampling cassette is a cost effective, first-line mold screening tool that efficiently and reliably collects mold. **
It can be easily used by home inspectors to get preliminary information on whether a mold problem may exist and further investigation is warranted.
In other words its total CRAP…if your getting into mold use what MOLD prefessionals use, understand the report…not this “first line” crap.
What is preliminary information? So this report states that it MAY or it MAY not exist. It also states weather you need further testing. What freakin use is that? I would be pissed if I paid $300 on a sample that has no validity and tells me to call another guy to get a better sample.
Each his own. But if you would just take your outside air first, then you will figure out that I am right.
Well we agree to disagree. Those plastic hoses are a waste and if used should be cleaned. But as I have said I totally respect your knowledge of mold as you know. We just see it differently.
As far as I am concerned, the Z-5’s are fine for preliminary sampling only for home inspectors. They are just home inspectors, I do not expect a home inspector to be a mold expert, nor should the client be that stupid.
I am totally against home inspectors taking air samples and then not interrupting the samples for their clients. Now that is a disservice!
Think of it this way: Do you change into clean clothes before each sample is taken?
Nope, but my clothes were not sucking 150 ml of air through a small plastic tube. That analogy makes no sense to me.
Now if I shoved my clothes in the sample you make a valid arguement
The fiber of your clothes traps more spores then what would lay in that slick hose. Just saying.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is when a tester is in an unoccupied room, the tester does not walk the floor first before testing. You will find a big difference especially with carpeting.
Gents, Air-O-Cell suggests 15 liters at 10 minutes for testing, however I have heard that running at 15 for 5 minutes is acceptable because it limits the amount of debris on the sample. I would love to hear your opinions on this. Thanks.
didnt your previous post just say that the smapling time was not OK, the air o cell says 15 l for 5 min, as does the pro lab, the other cartridge (Z5 i think) asks for 5 l for 5 min. In any case the reasom for setting a standard duration, is two fold…
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you want enough flow for a decent sample.
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the amount of spores detected are in direct corelation to duration (volume) of sample. If they tell you to use a certain volume, depending on test sensitivity, it is extrapilated to give you your mold content result. This would be with ANY duration just makes their testing easier to do. You agree even for the 15l for 15 minutes you dont sample all the air correct.
Also you need an outside air sample as the control sample, so you do take 2. If the mold count outside is high and similar, it is cndition of the air and you prpbably cant hire a mold mitigation company to lower outside air mold.
Radon canisters, same thing, why do you think they ask for the exact time from cap off to cap on?
I highly doubt a buyer is going to say, you only tested my air for X minutes, not good enough.