COVID-19 & Your HVAC System: Facts & Fiction
Like everyone throughout our community, our team at All-Temp Heating & Cooling is greatly concerned about the rapid spread of coronavirus. Our top priority has always been to provide high-quality HVAC services while maintaining the utmost standards of health and safety. In addition to taking extensive precautions to protect our customers during standard service calls, we are also proud to offer a range of indoor air quality systems that can help you breathe easier. With huge swaths of people working remotely or unable to leave their homes, the importance of these systems has never been greater.
About COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, first made its appearance in China in December of 2019. Since then, it has spread around the world, causing symptoms such as cough, fever, tiredness, and difficulty breathing. In individuals who are over 65, as well as those with compromised immune systems, the symptoms may present much more severely, and may even be fatal. The disease is spread by contact with respiratory droplets produced by an infected individual when they sneeze or cough.
How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Health
If there is a building or home that causes you to start sneezing and coughing as soon as you walk in, poor indoor air quality is almost certainly to blame. Even under normal circumstances, indoor air quality is ranked among the EPA’s top five environmental risks to public health. When more people than ever are needing to stay home, you want to be certain that your HVAC system is up to the task of maintaining high levels of air quality.
Equipment that Can Clear the Air
Air filters and purifiers can serve many functions, including improving humidity levels, removing air that has gone stale, and even killing bacteria. For most types of equipment, these systems are designed to integrate directly into your existing HVAC system.
There are several products that you may want to consider, such as:
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UV lamps: Ultraviolet light is used to combat biological contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, mildew, mold, and other pathogens. While research suggests that this may be a useful tool against COVID-19 specifically, neither the EPA nor the World Health Organization has explicitly confirmed its effectiveness.
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Whole-house air filtration: These systems trap dirt, dust, pollen, and other particulates from continuing to circulate throughout the house.
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Whole-house air purifiers: While many air purifiers also have filtration systems like those mentioned above, they also have the ability to trap much smaller contaminants, even odors, to keep them from reentering the air. Some models of air purifiers also come equipped with UV lamps to increase their effectiveness against bacteria and viruses.
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Humidifiers and dehumidifiers: Maintaining a healthy and comfortable level of humidity in your home is critical to minimizing both bacterial growth and the proliferation of dust throughout the property. These systems can help you stay comfortable no matter what the season brings!
Reduce Your Chance of Spreading the Virus
It is critically important to remember that even systems that are effective at stopping the growth of viruses are not a replacement for the hygiene and sanitation practices being recommended to everyone.
WHO officials recommend that all individuals:
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Wash their hands frequently for at least 20 seconds
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Avoid touching their face unless their hands are clean
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Sanitize commonly touched surfaces such as door handles, handrails, light switches, etc.
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Maintain a safe distance of at least three feet from people in public, particularly if they are displaying symptoms
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Self-isolate if they feel sick
Until more effective treatments or preventative measures are available, these best practices are your main line of defense against being infected or spreading the illness further.
Committed to Keeping You Safe
At All-Temp Heating & Cooling, we are doing everything in our power to ensure that we are able to safely provide quality service even during this difficult time. We have established several new protocols both for our in-office team and for our technicians out in the field.
While in the office, all office personnel will:
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Regularly sanitize commonly used surfaces such as light switches and doorknobs throughout the day
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Spend extra time sanitizing hands and cleaning beneath fingernails with warm water and soap throughout the day
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Use the provided paper towels to touch door handles whenever possible
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Ensure that the office is fully stocked with soap, paper towels, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer
While in the field, all technicians will:
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Have hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes readily available at all times
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Dispose of all trash, including used wipes, in a trash can in the vehicle
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Clean out the vehicle and carefully dispose of all trash each day
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Regularly sanitize vehicle door handles and steering wheel, as well as shared equipment, tools, or keys
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Cover their mouth after coughing or sneezing, and wash their hands immediately
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Use hand sanitizer before and after every job
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Politely decline a handshake of greeting
If you have any questions about how we are approaching our continued service or want to learn more about your options for indoor air quality systems, call us at (540) 999-1656 today!
