EAPC offers HVAC upgrades and building maintenance strategies to improve indoor air quality and mitigate the spread of airborne infectious diseases.
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT
- Assess mechanical systems to ensure outside air quantities meet code and system capacities for incorporating more outside air
- Provide filtration upgrades and system capacities for improving the efficiency of your filters
HVAC SYSTEMS CONTROLS
- Verify current controls and provide options for improved indoor air quality
AIR CHANGE RATES
- Verify that occupied spaces have the recommended air change rates
CLASSROOM DENSITY ANALYSIS
- Determine the density based on outside air flow rates and current code requirements
HVAC SYSTEM UPGRADES
- Offer product solutions such as UV lights, Ionization, filtration, etc. to help mitigate virus spread
UNDERSTANDING HVAC SYSTEMS TO CONTROL MICRO-ORGANISMS
There are three basic approaches to using HVAC to control micro-organisms and other fine particulates. Generally, a combination of these is required for effective hazard control, and schools are doing these already. This is a time to thoughtfully review and adjust for the added hazard of COVID-19 as addressing one hazard may unintentionally create another.
Air Flow & Replacement Air
- Ensure proper flow of filtered/replacement air is maintained and replace as much air as is feasible with clean outside air
- Consider how opening and closing doors for noise or traffic control may affect the air flow of your building and adjust accordingly
Removal/Capture of Particulates/Micro-Organisms
- Increase filtration to a preferred MERV rating of 13 or higher if your system can handle it
- Add in-room air exchangers with a HEPA rating for larger rooms or hallways
- Maintain a relative humidity between 40% and 60%
- Consider an Electronic Particle Polarizing Filtration Media (this system can be large and hard to retrofit into existing systems)
- Install Bi-Polar Ionization Air Cleaning Units (be aware that some systems produce ozone which is harmful)
Sanitizing/Killing Infectious Micro-Organisms in the Air Stream
- Ultraviolet light sanitizing units in the 240-280NM wavelength (UVC) have proven effective aids to reducing infectious aerosols
- UV Light can be harmful to filter media if exposed
- Elements need cleaning and yearly replacement
- Direct UVC exposure is hazardous to humans; eye and skin damage can occur in seconds
OPTIONS FOR CONTAINING HARMFUL AIRBORNE PARTICLES
- Consider creating a negative pressure room for quarantining symptomatic students
- Neutralize pressure room with a negative pressure switch or continuous negative pressure room
- Creating a negative pressure zone in a single small room could be as simple as adding a bathroom exhaust fan directly to the outside and blocking the air returns
MAINTENANCE ITEMS CHECKLIST PRIOR TO OCCUPANCY
- Check supply, return, exhaust, and outside air louvers for blockages
- Address any areas of complaints or deficiencies from staff
- Complete any preventative or deferred maintenance items that could improve Indoor air quality
- Review all control sequences and verify operation
- ASHRAE checklists 1 and 2
- Air Flush: Operate HVAC systems in occupied mode for 1 week
prior to occupancy - Water Flush: Flush cold-water system for 5 minutes and hot-water
system for 15 minutes - Verify filter installation
- Verify outside air rates and increase to code minimums
- Verify temperatures
ONGOING MAINTENANCE
- Daily Air Flush: Run systems in the occupied mode two hours prior to occupancy
- Monthly control system check
- Monthly outside and exhaust air system operations
- Monthly checks of condensate drain pans and traps
- Monthly filter checks
HVAC SYSTEM OPERATION DURING A PANDEMIC
- Change the start of HVAC system operation hours to start earlier
- Run dedicated outside air systems and exhaust fans 24/7
- Disable demand control ventilation sequences
- Disable any energy recovery devices with cross contamination
- Increase to highest filtration possible for equipment
- Increase outside air to highest possible level
Walk through a COVID-Safe example school and learn how to best arrange and utilize spaces to avoid the spread of airborne infectious diseases.
Inspect existing facilities and systems and provide immediate and long-term options for re-opening.
Free virtual training courses including a brief overview of COVID-19 characteristics and how those characteristics impact cleaning procedures, hygiene, shared equipment, and more.