Introduction
To ensure the safety from virus in HVAC & as guardians of the indoor air we breathe, AVA AIRCON stands alongside front line workers in the battle against COVID-19. As we know that SARS outbreak in 2003 was airborne in nature, the new pandemic is nothing different (part of the same family of viruses as SARS) . Hence, it puts the epidemic- its prevention & containment- front & center for HVAC professional like us.
For concerned clients, their priorities will be keeping their employees, their facilities, and their families safe. For that, the clients will turn their heads to the HVAC Contractors so as to ensure safety from virus in HVAC system. This is so because good indoor air quality is mainly a function of HVAC system. To achieve this, the contractor should be aware of the latest available technologies. And the same has to be represented in an honest and transparent way.
Airborne Transmission [Overview]
One of the big questions about coronavirus, especially from an HVAC perspective — is how significant of a role an airborne transmission plays in its spread. The current analysis indicate that it’s mainly due to large droplet transfer. They spread through sneezing & coughing within a fairly close range. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) puts this range at about six feet.
Another mode of transmission involves intermediate surfaces. For example, an infected person might cough or sneeze into their hand and then leave infective material on a door knob that someone else might touch and then transfer it to their own mouth or eye.
Moreover there is also an another possibility. The droplets produced contain small droplets which stays in air for long time . And if this droplets contain virus then it becomes a medium of airborne transmission Also, due to small size the droplet could stay aloft in air long enough to be collected. For example, consider return air grill from which it can travel through duct and infect someone in a different space.
What are PPE’s to save HVAC from corona virus?
The ASHRAE has recently released a document on airborne infectious diseases. In which, it identifies three demonstrated methods of controlling airborne infection that have proof of efficacy: Particle filtration, and UV.
1. Filters:
HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arrestance) filters, commonly used in critical care environments. They are 99.97 percent effective in trapping particles down to 0.3 microns in size.
Tested HEPA filters in the laboratory with viruses will have some level of penetration.Not much — a few percent. But if viruses gets through beyond a certain limit, it means the filter is not perfectly protecting you. So, ensure to buy properly tested filters only.
Air and direct contact can be direct carriers of corona virus. Hence proper prevention is necessary.
2. UVC Systems:
Airborne droplets containing infectious agents can remain in room air for six minutes and longer. Scientists have found that COVID-19 can remain infectious on surfaces at room temperature for up to nine days. Upper-air UV-C fixtures can destroy those microbes in a matter of seconds. Design system that has kill ratios up to 99.9 percent on a first-pass basis are modeled. Concentrations are further reduced each time the air circulates.
Surface-cleaning UV-C systems provide 24/7 irradiation of HVACR components. It destroys bacteria, viruses, and mold that settle and proliferate on coils, air filters, ducts, and drain pans. This prevents the growth of pathogens that can eventually become airborne and get circulated by HVAC systems.
ASHRAE claims, the germicidal wavelength can kill 90 percent of all microbial living on HVAC ducts and coils. However, it depends on wavelength intensity and length of exposure.
AVA Aircon ,as a saviour of hvac from corona virus
1- Conventional contractors in HVAC systems rely on thumb rules and estimates. However, at Ava Aircon we follow the guidelines set by OEM above all.
2- We use precise tools for accurate data collection for each and every HVAC units.
3- The design is based on actual field data and conditions and no guesswork.
4- We stride towards working in a technically sound manner.