IMPORTANT NOTICE - COVID-19 (coronavirus) & HVAC

Greetings from Affordable Air Experts

Caring for the safety and well-being of our customers past, future and current will always be Affordable Air Experts most important priority, especially during challenging times like these. As global health concerns continue to develop from COVID-19, we are working working diligently behind the scenes, how best to proceed with the safety of being in your home whether it is for routine maintenance checks, service calls to repair or installing new equipment or air purifiers.

As guardians of the indoor air we breathe, HVAC contractors and technicians stand alongside public health workers in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). As with the SARS outbreak in 2003, the airborne nature of the new coronavirus (part of the same family of viruses as SARS) puts the epidemic — and its prevention and containment — front and center for HVAC professionals.

When you need us, we will be ready! If it is when we need to do routine maintenance and service repairs our company has implemented for your safety and our own the following:

** At all times in your home any representative from our company will be practicing the following safety measures: **

• Wearing disposable latex gloves

• Wearing a RZ M2 Mask. 360-degree seal, adjustable nose clip. Dual one-way discharge valves. 99.9% active carbon filters. The filters have been independently tested at Nelson Laboratories and tested at 99.9% efficiency against particulates down to .1 microns is size.

• All technicians are using hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes on all areas they come in contact with. 

• All employees are practicing social distancing, such as no longer shaking hands and being no closer than 6 feet to any customer.

• If you require service, please know that we will not send anyone into your home who is sick / not feeling well.

We feel that it is important for our customers as well as our employees and everyone’s family and community to take this step. I hope that this offers a little peace of mind in these uncertain times.

Please stay safe and let’s help one another in these uncertain times.

AFFORDABLE AIR EXPERTS

WASHING HANDS FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

Microbes are all tiny living organisms that may or may not cause disease.

Germs, or pathogens, are types of microbes that can cause disease.

Hand-washing can help prevent illness. It involves five simple and effective steps (Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) you can take to reduce the spread of diarrhea and respiratory illness so you can stay healthy. Regular hand-washing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it can keep us all from getting sick. Hand-washing is a win for everyone, except the germs.

Let’s break down the various options that are available and what they can or cannot do for you and your home air quality and protection with viruses.

Filters:

Any air cleaner that removes particles from the air has some potential to reduce exposure to coronavirus. The question lies in what efficiency of filter is required to be effective enough to have a significant impact on how likely people are to get infected by the airborne route.

“Filters are an exceptional means to trap particulates and sub-micron contaminants including PM2.5 (particles that have a diameter of less than 2.5 microns),” he said. “The smaller the contaminant’s diameter, the denser the filter media must be to capture.” HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arrestance) filters, commonly used in critical care environments within healthcare facilities, are 99.97 percent effective at trapping particles down to 0.3 microns in size.

Even HEPA filters that have been tested in the laboratory with viruses will have some level of penetration, Not much — a few percent.

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FRESH-AIRE UV Lights:

UV disinfection systems for HVAC complement conventional filtration, by addressing microorganisms that are small enough to pass through filters. UV germicidal systems have also been shown to reduce microbial load and pathogens that are found within the HVAC system and drain pan that would otherwise be introduced and distributed throughout.

Placement of the lighting system is important for high effectiveness. The UV purification lights must be mounted next to the evaporator (cooling) coil and on the downstream (cold air side) of the coil. The UV rays must shine both on the air conditioner cooling coil and on the water drain pan underneath the coil (if installed) because this is the main area where mold spores grow.

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 when they are exposed to the UV-C energy in a matter of seconds.” Kill ratios up to 99.9 percent on a first-pass basis have been modeled, and concentrations are further reduced each time the air circulates.

Surface-cleaning UV systems, 24/7 irradiation of HVACR components to destroy bacteria, viruses, and mold that settle and proliferate on coils, air filters, ducts, and drain pans, preventing the growth of pathogens that can eventually become airborne and get circulated by HVAC systems. UV disinfection has been employed for decades in water treatment; these micro-watt values have been used for reference to gauge UVC efficiency against a large cross-section of microorganisms. While FreshAire UV systems have not been specifically tested against coronavirus, they have been tested and proven effective against similar pathogens, some that require an even greater dosage for inactivation than coronavirus. UV disinfection systems for HVAC are an ideal proactive measure to complement filtration.

According to ASHRAE, the germicidal wavelength can kill 90 percent of all microorganisms living on HVAC air ducts and evaporator coils, depending on wavelength intensity and length of exposure. Although the germicidal wavelength was effective in killing other varieties of coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, scientists do not yet know about the impact of UV on COVID-19.

For those who want to be extra cautious, industrial air purifiers which can more thoroughly clean the air are available. While they might be more effective at preventing the spread of illnesses such as coronaviruses, they tend to come with a much heftier price tag.

Surface-cleaning UV systems, 24/7 irradiation of HVACR components to destroy bacteria, viruses, and mold that settle and proliferate on coils, air filters, ducts, and drain pans, preventing the growth of pathogens that can eventually become airborne and get circulated by HVAC systems.

Customer Calls & Concerns:

From our experience, the important thing to keep in mind is that infection control usually doesn't have a silver bullet or a 100% checklist. Risk reduction involves doing a number of different things, like putting in better filters or putting UV into your home / building — is not the only thing you should do.

Things like hygiene, being careful about whether you touch your face, whether you're shaking hands with people, whether you're washing your hands frequently … those, in many ways, are just as important.

Paying attention to your home’s relative humidity. The recommendation for a long time has been to try to keep minimum relative humidity between 40 and 60 percent, because viruses are least viable in that range. A well-maintained home humidifier that keeps your relative humidity at the recommended level is a good idea.

Solutions like UV lights can help address coronavirus concerns that come up as news and new cases of coronavirus continue to surface. According to ASHRAE, the germicidal wavelength can kill 90 percent of all microorganisms living on HVAC air ducts and evaporator coils, depending on wavelength intensity and length of exposure

Customers are looking for peace of mind, and as contractors want to provide the best for their customers. But when so many variables play a factor, we would never want to over promise. Again, there are many layers to prevent and a UV light is just one option to the layers of defense.