CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT TESTING
General
Q: I will be paying for service with a purchase order number. Do I need to have a purchase order number ready before service can be scheduled or completed?
A: Yes. The purchase ordered must be generated prior to scheduling and service and sent to our accounting department (AR@titantechinc.org) before any further action can be taken.
Q: How soon should I call to schedule an appointment for annual/semiannual certification?
A: As soon as possible is always the best option (even if it is months in advance). We usually recommend scheduling your appointment a week prior to the month of expiration, or the first week of the month. During this time is when our scheduling is the busiest and anytime afterwards may become harder to schedule an appointment for the month that your equipment will expire.
Q: We have not received a notification to have our equipment recertified. Why have we not been contacted?
A: We try to offer a above and beyond service by notifying our customers when their equipment is due for recertification on the month of expiration. This system may not always be perfect though and we might not always be able to notify everyone. This is why we remind everyone that ensuring your equipment does not go over due is the sole responsibility of the customer. We do not recommend waiting for a notification.
Q: We have been quoted and requested to have new HEPA filters ordered. We have decided to not proceed with the filter change or have our facility maintenance team take care of everything with the filters. May we return these filters?
A: No. Once an order has processed and we have received filters to our office we cannot return them and a payment must be made for the filters. This is due to the fact that HEPA filters are not stocked, but custom made for the particular unit in which they will be installed.
Q: I'm having filters replaced in my unit. Do your technicians dispose of the old filters?
A: No. Legally, we cannot remove the old filter from the location once the filter change has been completed.
certification
Q: I have scheduled an appointment to have my unit (Biological Safety Cabinets, Laminar Flow Work Bench, Glove Box) certified. What should I do to prepare for your arrival?
A: We will require that all product and equipment currently residing in the unit be removed and a clear work surface be present to ensure proper certification results and a timely service to be preformed.
Q: Are we able to continue working in units on the day of our certification appointment?
A: Yes. If multiple units are being certified, work may continue in the unit currently not being serviced. If a large quantity of units are being certified at once, we request a schedule be set with each unit to allow are technicians to efficiently complete the work.
controlled environment (clean room)
Q: I have had viable air/surface samples fail in my unit and/or clean room. I have just replaced the HEPA filters and need to have resamples taken. How long should wait before having this service performed?
A: When new HEPA filters have been installed in a location (e.g., Biological Safety Cabinet, Laminar Flow Workbench, Glove Box, Clean Room) we recommend waiting approximately a full 24-48 hours after installation and full operation to allow multiple RACH (Room Air Changes per Hour) to take place. This ensures that any dust and other contaminants in the room/unit prior to the filter change and after, have been cycled out of the work area and do not cause false positives in your results.
Q: We have just had a new clean room built/remolded and need it to be certified as soon as possible. How quickly can we have an evaluation preformed?
A: We recommend 24 hours or more of a room running at regular operation to be given before a certification can be accomplished. This allows the HEPA filters to do their work, and begin filtering out any contamination that may be in the room due to prior usage and construction. Please note that all construction should be completed AT LEAST 24 hours prior to a scheduled appointment as this could cause failures in viable air/surface samples. Our scheduling department will not schedule service until this time limit is met.
Q: I have recently had viable air/surface samples taken for my clean room and units. How soon are the samples cultured and what is the turn-around-time for my results?
A: Samples are overnighted to our lab the same day they are taken Monday-Thursday. If taken on a Friday, they will be overnighted on the following Monday (if not an observed holiday) to ensure they do not sit in a non-climate controlled environment longer than allowed. Results will usually be sent to our office within 10-14 business days not including holidays, then forwarded to its respective location with updated room reports.
Q: How should we prepare before our clean room certification?
A: All normal end-of-shift cleaning should be done the day before your scheduled appointment. Cleaning the day of the appointment is not recommended as this may yield false positive results. Once the technician has arrived to provide service, cleaning will not be permitted as our technicians run on a tight schedule set specifically on the services to be provided, not allowing extra time for last minute cleaning.
repair
Q: I have a component that has gone out on my unit and it is no longer operating. Do I need to order the parts and have them shipped to may location before service?
A: No. Once a request for a repair has been submitted, we will order the parts required to complete the repair. We prefer to have the parts shipped to our office and then delivered with the technician on the scheduled day of repair. If your unit is still under manufacturer warranty you must contact them first. In some cases, they will ship the required parts to our location at which point we will be notified by the manufacturer with the work order to complete the repair at no cost to you!
Q: We need to change our ceiling HEPA filters. May we purchase filters from your business and have our facilities maintenance team accomplish the filter change?
A: Most facilities have a maintenance crew that is capable of changing HEPA filters, although we do not usually recommend this as we are experienced and trained to handle the replacement of these expensive and delicate components. This being said, we do allow the customer to purchase the filters from our business if they prefer to have the filters changed out by their own facilities maintenance team.
Q: My unit is making a strange noise and/or seems to not be operating properly. What information do you need to have the proper parts ordered?
A: Before ordering any parts, we will always request to have a technician come to you and diagnose the issue with the unit. We never recommend a self diagnosis of your unit. Depending on your location, this service will be provided at no charge. When you determine a potential problem though, please contact us and have the model number, serial number, and any other information that may be unique to your unit ready as we can have the potential parts ready to order and a quote generated before the technician arrives to determine the issue. This speeds up the process in getting parts on order and having your unit back up and running.
Q: A technician has determined that a component has gone bad in my unit. How long will it take for parts to arrive and for the repair to be accomplished?
A: Depending on availability, the type of part, and holidays, parts will generally arrive within 10-14 business days. Once parts are received, a technician will contact you to schedule a repair time at the soonest available time.
decontamination
Q: I'm preparing to move my unit to a new location, but the movers will not relocate the unit until it has been "cleaned". What is this in reference to and is this a service that you provide?
A: What this means is that the unit must be properly decontaminated before it can be moved. This is a service that we can provide.
Q: I need to have a unit decontaminated. What is the process for a decontamination and will it be harmful to the surrounding environment?
A: For a decontamination, we use water, paraformaldehyde, and ammonium carbonate. All quantities of the required materials are dependent on the size of the unit. The process for a decontamination goes as followed:
- All openings on the unit are entirely sealed (e.g., sash opening, exhaust openings).
- We create a habitable environment by increasing the temperature to approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 60-85% room humidity.
- Paraformaldehyde is dry heated to 120 degrees C (248 degrees F) and depolymerized into a formaldehyde gas which acts as a disinfectant and fungicide.
- Once all paraformaldehyde has been depolymerized (15-30 minutes depending on quantity),it is cycled periodically through the unit via the blower and left to sit for a minimum of 12 hours or overnight. (For the safety of our technicians and all personnel, we always recommend and request an overnight decontamination.)
- After the required set time, ammonium carbonate is dry heated to 58 degrees C (135 degrees F) and degrades to a gaseous ammonia and carbon dioxide which neutralizes all formaldehyde gas. This takes up to 2 hours or longer at the discretion of the technician performing the service.
- After the ammonia and carbon dioxide gas has completed its neutralization, the unit is unsealed, all decontamination equipment is removed, and the unit is throughly cleaned of all fallout left over by the decontamination process.
- The repair required will begin or certificate of decontamination is provided so that the unit may be moved.
A Certificate of Decontamination will be provided upon request and completion of a decontamination. Certificates will always be provided if the unit is to be relocated. We can guarantee that the decontamination will not harm the surrounding environment.
Q: My unit is currently being decontaminated. May employees continue to use the area that the decontamination is taking place in?
A: Although we can guarantee a safe decontamination, our policy requires that the area the decontamination is taking place in, is restricted access to our technicians only until the service is completed. This is ensure that if an incident happens, personnel lacking the required PPE are not harmed. Our technicians are required to wear full-face respirators and depending on the state of the unit and area, sealed tyvek body suits and gloves during the entire process of the decontamination. We do not make exceptions for this.
Frequently Asked Questions
We receive many questions about our services, how to prepare for them, what is provided, and many more. Here are some of the common replies to expect when preparing for a service. If you do not see a question here that pertains to your needs, please contact us and we will help you right away!