The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world as we know it, and this certainly applies to the HVAC industry. One area which has seen the biggest impact of the pandemic industry-wide is in monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ). Always an area of importance here at Armstrong Plumbing, Air & Electric, IAQ became even more prominent once health experts warned that COVID-19 could be transmitted through airborne particulates.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & COVID-19
Your home’s indoor air quality goes a long way towards determining how healthy your family is – and remains. Ensuring that the air you and your family breathes in your home is as free from pollutants as possible is vital to a healthy lifestyle, especially if any family members suffer from ailments such as asthma or allergies. These pollutants include everything from pet dander and dust to airborne germs and bacteria. And now, COVID-19 adds a new threat to your family’s IAQ. During the past year, our industry has developed enhanced practices to combat poor IAQ and COVID-19 and has also formulated a few recommendations along the way.
- Increase Ventilation with Outside Air. One of the ways that indoor air quality can go from OK to bad to worse is because much of the indoor air is simply circulated through your home via the HVAC system without much of an infusion of fresh air. If possible (weather permitting), open up screened doors and windows and allow outside air to circulate into your home. A useful tactic is opening a window on the highest floor and one on the lowest floor to help create a draft through your home. Turning on an attic fan to draw air in or perhaps a few indoor fans to push air from one room to another can also help.
- Use HVAC System & Change/Upgrade Filters. Just as your HVAC system can circulate poor indoor air, one of its main jobs is also to filter the air as it circulates it. Try running the system a little longer than usual. Also, making sure your air filters are checked and replaced regularly can help your HVAC system do this to the best of its ability. As COVID-19 particulates are smaller than most normal air pollutant particles, upgrading your system’s air filter to a more high-efficiency model tailored to filter out smaller particles can help.
- Invest in IAQ Equipment. There are many available solutions for enhanced IAQ, including air purifiers, whole home humidifiers and other bacteria and allergen removers/killers such as ultraviolet equipment. Call Armstrong today to learn about all of our IAQ solutions from leading manufacturers such as Healthy Climate, Honeywell, AprilAire, R.G.F., Dynamic, Kidde/Nighthawk, and AirAdvice.
BE SAFE, FOLLOW HEALTH GUIDELINES
While employing these recommendations/practices will help, they are not enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please follow all CDC recommended guidelines in your home such as washing hands frequently and sanitizing common surfaces. For more information on IAQ, please call one of our HVAC experts.
