HVAC contractors can guarantee cleaner air - Contracting Business
HVAC contractors can guarantee cleaner air - Contracting Business |
| HVAC contractors can guarantee cleaner air - Contracting Business Posted: 31 Mar 2020 07:22 AM PDT The coronavirus (COVID-19) is spread by person-to-person contact and coming into contact with contaminated surfaces. Coronavirus can survive on surfaces for an extended period of time. Even the most powerful air purifiers can only capture particles as small as 0.1 microns or larger, and the vast majority of air purifiers will only capture particles 0.3 microns or larger. Mold, pollen, and pet dander are all larger and can be caught and eliminated by a standard HEPA filter. Viruses are roughly 100 times smaller than bacteria, and typically range from 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size. This means even the best, most efficient air filters wouldn't necessarily clear the air of viruses. COVID-19 belongs to a family of viruses known as coronaviruses. The 2013 SARS epidemic was also caused by a coronavirus, which was 0.1 microns in size. The size of COVID-19 is approximately 0.125 microns. Even if a HEPA filter traps the virus, it won't be destroyed. Instead, it will remain alive inside the filter for as long as the virus survives. In some cases, this can be for as long as nine days. PCO UV Lights A PCO UV light will not only kill microbes and destroy airborne viruses, it also cleans surfaces. UV light, particularly UVC, destroys viruses, bacteria, and mold by damaging their DNA and RNA, so they can't multiply, however, the exposure to the light isn't long enough to do so. A PCO UV light mounted in the airstream relies on creating hydrogen peroxide to clean the air and surfaces. A catalyst in a PCO UV light reacts with moisture in the air to create hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide created by the UV light settles on surfaces and continues to kill microbes. Hydrogen peroxide is the safest disinfectant around. It's been used by the medical community for 170 years. I'm not aware of a specific test on the effectiveness of UV lights on COVID-19, but PCO UV lights have been thoroughly tested and proven effective on airborne and surface bacteria and viruses like MRSA, e-coli, Norwalk virus, and SARS, (which is a coronavirus) so there's no reason to believe it won't have the same success against COVID-19 as it has with these other contaminants. I have PCO UV lights in my own home. I can get exercise induced asthma, so I kept an asthma inhaler on a table in the hallway that leads into my workout room. I was in the habit of taking a hit off it just prior to exercising as a "pre-emptive strike" against an asthma attack. I had my PCO UV lights installed in my home for a month before I realized I was no longer using the inhaler. Also, even my ex (to her bitter disappointment) came over for a visit a month after I had them installed and had to admit that the house, which didn't smell bad to begin with, smelled even better. Ionizers When the ions come in contact with viruses, bacteria or mold, they remove the hydrogen atoms, thereby removing the pathogens source of energy, consequently destroying them. Ionizers create positive and negative ions. These ions break pollutants and gases down into harmless compounds like oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor. The ions also attach to allergens like pollen and other particles, causing them to band together until they are large enough to be caught by the HVAC system's air filter. Recently, I purchased a 40-year old manufactured home. I immediately replaced the ductwork and had the system thoroughly cleaned. When it became occupied, the occupants complained of a musty smell. I installed an ionizer and the complaints went away. I've been in there myself and it now smells like a brand new home. There is now a combination PCO UV light and ionizer, which would provide the most comprehensive protection. A Word of Caution We can't guarantee cures, but we can guarantee cleaner air. Invest in a particle counter, and take a particle count prior to installing any indoor air quality products. Then, if their effectiveness is ever questioned, take another reading and see if there are fewer airborne particles. We're not doctors, so never give anyone medical advice. Don't guarantee that they won't get coronavirus. Viruses tend to travel short distances between people or land and linger on surfaces. An air purifier, even if equipped to kill a virus, can fail to catch a virus before it comes into contact with a person or surface. ASHRAE announced a group-wide effort to respond to the current global COVID-19 pandemic and provide guidance on how to ensure that buildings are prepared for future epidemics. The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has been established to help deploy ASHRAE's technical resources to address the challenges of the current pandemic and future epidemics as it relates to the effects of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems on disease transmission in health-care facilities, the workplace, home, public and recreational environments. The task force will also provide recommendations for setting up temporary field hospitals in convention centers, arenas and indoor stadia to deal with surges. The primary role of the task force is to maintain communication with members, industry partners, building owners, facility operators, government agencies and the general public. Specific responsibilities of the task force include:
2013-14 ASHRAE Presidential Member William Bahnfleth, Ph.D., P.E., will chair the task force. "We have assembled an outstanding group of experts to serve on the task force," Bahnfleth said. "They are high-level building professionals with collective experience in design, construction, operations and research, who are well-qualified to offer guidance on how to protect building occupants and support health-care facility needs during the uncertainty of an epidemic." Leading experts in medicine and public health will serve as consultants to the task force. Members of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force are as follows: Voting Members:
Corresponding/Nonvoting Members:
"ASHRAE is a global, grassroots organization of more than 57,000 members in 130 countries, so we have boots on the ground around the world," Bahnfleth noted. "Our members and chapters take the initiative to help wherever they are and are already addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. That is also true of our technical and standards committees. When called upon by circumstances to assist in situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, they act within their spheres of competence to do whatever they can to help." Members of ASHRAE's Healthcare Facilities technical committee (TC 9.6) and ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170-2017 — Ventilation of Health Care Facilities committee have been working with members of the American Society for Health Care Engineering to produce guidance that can be implemented immediately to help hospitals and clinics cope with the increasing volume of COVID-19 cases. Standard 170 already has had a beneficial impact by providing guidance for the design of existing infection isolation, intensive care and critical care rooms in countries that have been most severely affected by this virus. An extensive presentation has been prepared and is being presented to various groups and organizations, including ASHRAE chapters. The presentation includes guidance on how to create additional observation/segregation rooms for a small-scale admission surge as well as the establishment of wards/suites for a large-scale surge. Questions and requests for technical guidance and interpretations should be submitted to the following email address: COVID-19@ashrae.org. For more information on the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force, including resources and updates, visit the ASHRAE COVID-19 Preparedness Resources webpage at ashrae.org/COVID19.  |
| The 10 Best Home Air Purifiers, According to People Who Have Used & Loved Them - Yahoo Lifestyle Posted: 23 Mar 2020 12:00 AM PDT  View photos On a normal day, Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors. Add a self-quarantine and thatstat has likely risen to somewhere around 99.9 percent. Since we've been stuck at home, Cloroxing every surface and spraying Lysol like it's our job, we've been thinking a lot about the germs, dust and bacteria in our breathing space. Cue the uptick in searches for a home air purifier (especially since we can't cleanse the air with a disinfectant wipe). But do these devices actually do what they promise? Let's investigate. What does an air purifier do? Think of an air purifier as a catchall for the microscopic dust and bacteria particles floating through your home. Using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, these machines remove harmful particles and allergens (think pollen, mold spores, dust mites, pet dander, smoke and even airborne bacteria that might come from human coughing or sneezing) from the air. How can we tell if an air purifier is effective? Just because we can't see the dust and airborne bacteria floating around doesn't mean it's not there. In fact, research from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that indoor air can be "more polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities." That point resonates even more if you've ever cleaned the air filter out of an AC unit or air purifier and have seen the grime firsthand. We're talking about those grayish fluff balls that are a sneezing fit waiting to happen (you know the ones). Does an air purifier reduce allergy symptoms? Because an air purifier traps common allergens, it can also help reduce those annoying allergy symptoms (yep, including sneezing, itchy nose, watery eyes, the works). In another recent PureWow article, editor Sarah Vazquez explains, "According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year, and with the season beginning a good two to three weeks earlier than usual across the country (thanks to our warmer than average winter) allergy sufferers are in for a long battle. While stocking up on your go-to allergy medication and soothing eye drops (we're looking at you, Zaditor) is a must, there's one product that should be at the top of your shopping list: an air purifier." How many air purifiers do you need? Any number of purifiers is better than none. But in general, models are built to filter the air in a room of a specific size, whether that's 200 square feet or 400. The experts at Blueair state, "For optimal results, your air purifier should be placed in the room where you spend the most time, or where the air quality is the worst. If your asthma or your allergies keep you awake at night, running your air purifier in your bedroom sounds like the best choice." If you need it with you at all times, some compact purifiers are easily portable, making it effortless to move it from room to room. But for the best results, it's also important to consider where in the room to place the purifier, with extra thought placed on air flow and circulation. The Blueair experts explain, "Air purifiers have an inlet where the polluted air is drawn in and filtered, and an outlet where clean air is pushed out. Place the air purifier where the air can circulate freely in, out and around the unit, away from walls, furniture and other objects that may stop the air flow." They also recommend putting your air purifier at least four inches away from any potential obstacles but as close as possible to the pollution source (e.g., windows), while avoiding tucking it into a corner. Ready to breathe a bit easier? Here are the ten best home air purifiers for filtering out dust, allergens and bacteria at a time when we need it most. RELATED: The Best Vacuums on Amazon for People Who Have Pets  View photos Designed to accommodate rooms up to 361 square feet, this stylish and surprisingly small air purifier is a favorite of Linda Chu, PureWow's director of events. She says, "I have really bad hay fever, so I need air circulation since I can't have my windows open. This air purifier is super quiet, and the auto feature makes it so I never have to turn it off." It also has a four-stage filtration system that captures and reduces up to 99.97 percent of particles in the air, including pollen, pollutants and other allergens like dust, mold spores and pet dander. And as Chu mentioned, the purifier has a timer that allows you to set it for one-, four- or eight-hour cycles. View photos All of Dyson's products are game changers, but Abby Hepworth, PureWow's associate editor, thinks this product is top-notch. She says, "I know it's expensive, but I love my Dyson air purifier. It's almost entirely silent, and it can also act as a heater and a fan. But really, the most fascinating thing is that you can track the quality of your air on the app (as well as the little screen on the purifier itself) so you can see exactly what it's pulling from the air. Mine was a gift, but if you have the money to spend, this guy is really worth it." View photos If you're most concerned about allergies, this model from Blueair can help alleviate your symptoms. PureWow's senior software engineer, Grace Kim, has this model and can't stop raving about it. She says, "I have really bad sinus issues, in addition to allergies to dander and dust mites. This filter works like magic in cleaning and circulating my bedroom air. You can also wash and change the color of the outer mesh fabric, which makes it fun to customize. It also works well for background white noise, if you need it for sleeping." View photos Remember when the Blueair experts said to put an air purifier in the room you spend the most time in? Well, this one reaches a whopping 1,100 feet, so it could essentially purify your whole home—or at least one of the floors. You can also choose which particles you want to filter out with models designed specifically for allergies and dust, mold and bacteria, pet dander and odor, and smoke and chemicals. One user explained its power, saying, "We live in a high-rise building and have about 1,200 square feet. We have placed the unit in such a way that it can pull the air from both large rooms at the same time. We noticed after only a few days how the amount of dust on the furniture diminished. After about a week, no more sneezing, and after about three weeks, no more congestion." View photos You can take our word for it, or you can read through the 9,000 positive reviews. Either way, this under-$100 air purifier is highly praised for its quiet air technology, which means you can leave it running all night without interrupting anyone's sleep. It's also super effective at filtering out pet dander for those with allergies. One formerly sniffly user says, "This item is a life changer. I suffer from terrible cat allergies and awful sinus problems. My parents have a cat, which is how we discovered I was allergic, and nothing has ever helped. We bought this on a recommendation from a friend, and I was skeptical as I had tried so many different types of things to stop my constant asthma attacks, stuffy nose and constant eye streaming, let alone sleeping. I used this the whole week I was at my parents' house and I slept all the way through the night, no waking up not being able to breathe, no allergic reactions and no getting sick when I arrived home." View photos It's no shock that air purifiers aren't the chicest appliances. But hey, sometimes function trumps fashion. That's not the case with this large-room air purifier from The Pure Company. It has a 360-degree filter that reaches rooms up to 750 square feet and a minimalist design that makes it look more like a piece of art than any other air purifier we've used. Mary Kate McGrath, Gallery Media Group's chief content officer, is obsessed with hers for more than just its looks, proving that it's actually a great device. She says, "It has this feature that allows you to turn off all its lights while it's still on, so it's allowed in my completely blackout slumber-centric bedroom." In addition, it features an auto mode, which self-adjusts the fan speed to the room's air quality level without your having to tinker with knobs or buttons. View photos Being allergic to pets doesn't make them any less cute, and it definitely doesn't stop us from cuddling with a brand-new puppy. Or at least it doesn't have to, thanks to this powerful machine. Featuring a charcoal HEPA filter, it easily traps the pet dander and hair that could trigger sneezing fits, and it even removes strong odors from puppy-training accidents. To top it off, the Germ Guardian also comes with a UV-C light designed to kill airborne germs and bacteria for an extra deep clean, making it a smart choice for homes without pets too. View photos Have you ever seen a cuter or more stylish air purifier? From the sleek, statue-like design to the felt handle for easy transporting, it will almost look like a piece of artwork on your nightstand. Plus, it's super high-tech—you can control the speed from an app, whether or not you're in the same room, which is ideal for keeping a sleeping baby, well, sleeping. You can even get fresh filters delivered to your door every six months, so you don't have to set a reminder to change them. And although it's small, it's super effective. One reviewer states: "The Molekule has literally changed our lives. My 6-year-old son, who suffers from severe allergies and asthma, has been experiencing the benefits of the Molekule… After two days of using it we experienced what I call a miracle! He woke up being able to breathe through both nostrils, without any medication." View photos What better place to put an air purifier than right on our desk? This one is small enough to sit atop any surface, yet powerful enough to filter out 99.97 percent of dust, pollen, smoke, odor and pet dander. But the best part? It weighs in at just over one pound, making it super easy to pick up and tote from room to room with you. It also plugs right into your computer via USB cable. One reviewer uses it daily at the office to help with asthma symptoms. He says, "What I like about this product is the ease of use and how quiet it is to have at your desk. I am always answering phones or speaking to parents. This air purifier is very quiet, and it really does clean and purify the air in front of you. I had a very bad asthma attack at work after being outside with staff, [but] this little guy really helped." View photos If you don't need the heating capabilities of the Dyson Hot+Cool, this Pure Cool model is the perfect alternative. Rachel Bowie, PureWow's director of special projects, uses it in her son's room to help monitor the dust. She says, "I'm a huge fan of the Dyson Pure Cool Air Purifier. We run it 'round the clock in our son's room, and I love being able to keep watch over the air quality in his room via an app. Living in a city like New York, there is a ton of pollution, and this purifier keeps clear tabs on things like VOCs and other particles and gases it detects, which helps me breathe a bit easier—literally." In addition to its being really stylish, you can also control it using Amazon Alexa to turn on auto mode and to get updates on the indoor air quality. RELATED: A Brutal Allergy Season Is Upon Us. Here Are 7 Air Purifiers To Help You Survive PureWow may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from PureWow's editorial and sales departments.  |
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