According to guidelines released by the World Health Organization, airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains a high risk. People who spend long periods of time in poorly ventilated and crowded rooms are particularly more vulnerable. Proper maintenance of air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems can help reduce the spread of coronavirus by improving ventilation, purifying air and controlling airflows.
Security experts, building managers and others can take several steps to optimize airflow and ventilation and limit the spread of viruses in their facilities. Maintaining a well-maintained HVAC system should be a priority for building managers.
HVAC systems and airborne infections
There are several factors that come into play when measuring how effective an HVAC system is in preventing the spread of airborne infections. The age and type of HVAC systems tend to vary widely between buildings. For example, emergency response facilities and hospitals have advanced filtration and ventilation systems compared to schools, apartment buildings, commercial facilities, fitness centers and office buildings.
However, there is no denying the fact that HVAC systems can prevent the spread of viruses by creating ideal temperature and humidity and complete distribution of fresh air.
Role of HVAC maintenance in preventing the spread of Covid-19
Air conditioning and heating systems are vital to our daily lives. These systems help create an internal environment that suppresses or discourages the viability and growth of fungi, bacteria, and viruses. In fact, with ideal humidity and temperature, the basic resilience of the occupants' immune system is strengthened. This improves health outcomes even if the individual becomes infected.
However, the quantity and quality of fresh air intake are fundamental to this result. Other things to take into consideration are airflow patterns, air circulation, temperature and humidity. Building managers must also consider air treatment and filtration strategies depending on the building's function and purpose. Maintenance of these systems is essential to keep them in good condition.
Performing a cleaning and maintenance check
You should hire a commercial facility engineering and maintenance services provider to examine your ductwork and indoor air handling units. The recommended cleaning schedule for duct cleaning before Covid was 3 to 5 years. However, ducts must be cleaned before reopening a building post-Covid.
You should also have professional building maintenance and engineering technicians perform an inspection to determine if all air filters are clean or replaced. Pressure gauges must be checked throughout the filter bank. Filters should be replaced if the pressure drop suggests a loaded or dirty filter.
Ensuring adequate air intake
Fresh air is important for maintaining a healthy IAQ (indoor air quality). You should hire an experienced commercial building maintenance and engineering company to determine the amount of fresh air drawn into the system. You should ask them to inspect the operation, positioning of the fresh air and mixed air intake dampers, and control sequence to ensure correct balance.
Air balancing agents can also be used to measure the amount of fresh air that needs to be drawn into the building. You should consider increasing the proportion of fresh air in your building to prevent the circulation of stale or infected air. A mechanical consulting engineer should be able to help you determine how much fresh air can be introduced into the system to maintain comfortable environmental conditions.
Inspect return air inlets and air diffusers throughout the building. You must ensure that they are free of blockages and have not been tampered with.
Importance of maintaining humidification equipment
You must ensure that the humidifier is cleaned, maintained, and working properly if your HVAC system has humidification equipment. Humidifiers require considerable maintenance. Building operators used to defer maintenance costs and efforts by decommissioning them earlier. However, they are important in today's post-pandemic times.
Buildings with frequent and varied occupancy must maintain adequate humidity levels. Relative humidity level between 40 – 60% is ideal for general human health and immune system performance. It is vital that the effects of indoor humidity on building envelopes are considered during cold winter climates. Building managers must understand that appropriate humidity and temperature levels can strengthen the immune system and help keep occupants healthy, even if they cannot prevent the direct spread of infections.
Review of control system set points and sequences
In addition to maintaining the HVAC system, facility managers also need to ensure control systems are fine-tuned. The building maintenance and engineering services company you call for maintenance should be able to help review the control systems that bring the mechanical systems in your building to life. These are the brain and nervous system of the HVAC system.
Without the correct control system, you are invariably left with an ineffective collection of ducts and tubes. You need to ensure that the system is able to adapt to changes in indoor activities and climate to provide adequate cooling, heating and ventilation.
There is a significant impact on the effectiveness of a system by how it is controlled and operated. A system will not function effectively or efficiently if the decision and programming points built into the control system are not configured correctly. This is crucial work and should be performed by an experienced and knowledgeable commercial facilities maintenance and engineering services provider.
The right professional can help ensure that the system reacts properly during certain conditions. You must update the control system if necessary. This would help you notice significant improvements in energy efficiency, effectiveness, and indoor air quality.
Review of energy consumption data
A properly maintained system will consume adequate amounts of energy. Cooling, heating, ventilating and humidifying consume energy. Building managers can assess adequate consumption by scheduling a review of energy consumption data. This should also allow facility managers to see spikes and gradual changes that have occurred over a period of time.
There is a lot that energy consumption can say about the efficiency of a system. Your system is probably not working as it should if power consumption is trending upward or has changed from its original points.
Additional Steps to Mitigate Virus Transmission Indoors
There are several steps that a capable and professional facilities maintenance and engineering services provider can take to help prevent the spread of coronavirus in a building. For example, the technician visiting your facility should be able to configure the duct system to increase the exchange rate with fresh air and reduce recirculation.
They can also adjust settings to help maintain efficiency by increasing air replacement and minimizing airflow speeds. In certain cases where a building has an inflexible or aging system, the technician may consider upgrading the HVAC hardware. They may include the following to ensure greater efficiency and improved system performance that will ultimately contribute to reducing the spread of airborne particles:
- Improve airflow control by installing variable-speed fan motors in place of fixed-speed fan motors. This will allow for lower velocity airflow.
- Install better airflow control systems that allow smooth adjustment of airflow and are more sensitive to pressure.
- Installation of air purification systems with higher performance.
Final word
HVAC maintenance in commercial buildings impacts indoor air quality and is extremely important to ensure the safety of employees who are gradually returning to physical work spaces. Updating and maintaining HVAC systems in the building demonstrates employers' commitment to putting safety first.
Author:
Bryan McMinn
Co-owner of Servi-Tek Facility Solutions since early 2006. Bryan has focused on all aspects of business growth, but is highly skilled in Finance, Accounting, Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, Mergers and Acquisitions, Contract Negotiations, Culture Business, Human Resources Resources and Marketing.
