Anti-Microbial or not?

[Philxyz]

Is it worth the extra money to buy semi-rigid ducting with "Anti-Microbial and Anti-Static additives"?

 

In my case, for a 100m2 cottage with 3 people occupancy. I need to choose between the Ubbink ducting with or without:

 

AE48C Semi-Rigid Duct Anti-Microbial & Anti-Static 50m

AE48C Semi-Rigid Duct 50m

 

Thanks,

Phil

[Iceverge]

Didn't bother here.

 

Haven't noticed any issues. 

[Philxyz]

OK, thanks Iceverge. Has your system been running long?

[Iceverge]

4 years. 

 

I haven't inspected the inside of the pipes mind you. 

[SteamyTea]

I cannot see how a coated pipe surface would fundamentally change the bacterial levels in an airflow, just not enough area, mixing and time.

If bacterial growth in HVAC systems was a real problem, they they would not be allowed in buildings.

[G and J]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

….was a real problem, they they would not be allowed in buildings

Bet they said that about asbestos once, long ago.   
 

When one embraces relatively new technology, or materials, or indeed design practices, one is taking more of a risk.  That’s the good news about being a wrinkly self builder.  Mistakes will only be a bother for a small number of decades, tops. 

[Sparrowhawk]

Anti static seems worth it alone, if you forget to pop a filter into an extract. I wasn't expecting dust in the ducts until I saw https://jimmillerdesign.co.uk/mvhr-maintenance-duct-cleaning/.

[saveasteading]

2 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

change the bacterial levels in an airflow

Isn't the potential issue the build-up of crud in the pipe? 

[JohnMo]

Had a look to see what I bought, it didn't say assume non bacterial.

 

Air being supplied is being filtered, so not sure is much of an issue. Extract normally isn't, but we use terminal filters to catch the rubbish being sucked out the room, so don't see where the issue would be there either.

 

Not sure how long an anti bacterial coating would last before it was depleted.

[SteamyTea]

25 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Isn't the potential issue the build-up of crud in the pipe?

Yes, but it is probably not a real problem.

 

This week's Curious Cases was about a similar thing, the 5 seconds rule, or is it 3 seconds.

14 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

Not sure how long an anti bacterial coating would last before it was depleted

Usually a silver coating.

 

From here

 

"The continued presence of silver on coated tubes has been shown for as long as three weeks, and coated tubes have demonstrated lower colonization rates for 19 of 21 bacterial strains tested"