There seems to be a great deal of confusion and controversy regarding air conditioning and COVID-19, and as such, we have created the following article in an attempt to make things a little clearer.
At Air Options, we literally take dozens of calls per week from people asking us if air conditioning can spread coronavirus, and the following two questions seem to re-occur most regularly:
CAN AIR CONDITIONING SPREAD CORONAVIRUS?
This really depends upon the technicalities of your air conditioning, what you have installed, how it is used, and the environment it is installed within. If the air conditioning or heat pump system is designed and installed with appropriate levels of fresh air, as well as being operated with COVID-19 or any pandemic in mind, it will in actual fact help to reduce the spread of coronavirus in-line with GOV.UK advice.
The term ‘air conditioning’ is generally misunderstood by the end user, and loosely used to describe a general HVAC system in whatever configuration this might be, from a large central system right down to a small split style system. Taking this into account, the simple answer to the question; will air conditioning spread coronavirus, cannot be given until your system is fully understood.
HOW CAN AIR CONDITIONING SPREAD CORONAVIRUS?
If your system’s function and design are not considered as part of your air conditioning COVID assessment, and your system has been poorly designed without a suitable fresh air supply, extraction, and cross contamination in mind, you could be making things worse. For example:
You work in an open plan space along with several other colleagues and have screens and the relevant social distancing in place. The workspace does NOT benefit from fresh air ventilation, or opening windows and is heated and cooled by a heat pump, air conditioning system or otherwise.
In this situation, the system has only been designed to recirculate the air within the space, and therefore, should any of your colleagues’ contract COVID-19, the air they exhale will be recirculated for everybody else to inhale.
To remedy this situation, fresh air and dilution rates are key, as without the relevant fresh air and ventilation, the chance of an outbreak within the workplace will be greatly increased, regardless of whether your heat pump or air conditioning runs or not.
Providing a source of ambient fresh air is vital in making your air-conditioned office COVID secure, and pandemic aside, there is clear guidance from the HSE regarding the provision of fresh air into spaces without the luxury of opening windows. As such, all employers are duty bound to provide clean, fresh air, either by mechanical means, opening windows, or otherwise – a fact that is often overlooked, or misunderstood.
For anyone thinking of turning off their heat pump or air conditioning system without understanding its function and whether it provides any form fresh air integration, should think again. There are studies that show turning your system off and allowing the air to stagnate, can be every bit as bad as leaving your air conditioning system running. As such, the question employers should be asking of their service provider or specialist contractor is: do I have adequate fresh air in my office? This question should prompt further discussion regarding the provision of a COVID secure air conditioning system, ensuring the safety of your employees in-line with the latest HSE guidelines.
ADVICE ON AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS AND COVID-19:
Understanding what type of heat pump or air conditioning system you have installed is crucial, as this will inform the correct action. Where necessary, designing and installing a brand-new system, or retrofitting your current air conditioning with coronavirus in mind is the single biggest step you can take, as this will aid the dilution of the virus through the introduction of clean fresh air, and the extraction of unwanted stale air.
In situations where the cost of a new system may prove prohibitive, we are often able to modify existing systems to increase the input of fresh air by means of a supplementary fresh air system, or other modification.
It should also be noted that by providing comfortable ambient conditions this will also help to mitigate the spread of the virus as staff will be more comfortable at work, and less likely to wander around, potentially spreading the virus to other parts of the building.
There is no short answer to the two most commonly asked questions detailed above, although the correct design and installation of your air conditioning or heat pump system can help to reduce the risks considerably.
Do not ignore the GOV.UK advice, and seek specialist guidance today!