Can upgrading HVAC air filters protect against indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission? Can air purifiers reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission? Yes, improving air ventilation in your home by upgrading HVAC air filters and air purifiers can reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission. According to the CDC, Covid-19 can be spread indoors through airborne transmission. That means with poor indoor air ventilation at home, respiratory droplets of Covid-19 can build up in enclosed indoor space. These respiratory droplets will then infect people with Covid-19 via airborne transmission. You can improve indoor air ventilation at home by upgrading your home’s HVAC air filters and running air purifiers in heavy traffic rooms. Upgrading your HVAC air filters and air purifiers will reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission.
How to Improve Ventilation at Home to Reduce Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission?
Improving air ventilation at home is key to reducing indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission. There are 3 ways to improve indoor air ventilation at home to reduce Covid-19 airborne transmission. Three ways to improve indoor air ventilation at home is by 1.) Opening windows 2.) Upgrade your HVAC air filters to MERV 13 and 3.) Use HEPA air purifiers. Improving your home air ventilation can protect you and your family against Covid-19 airborne transmission.
Increase Ventilation by Opening Windows to Reduce Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
The easiest way to reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission is by opening the windows at home. Opening windows will let fresh air into your home which will increase indoor air ventilation to protect you against Covid-19 airborne transmission. Opening windows is the easiest and the least expensive way to reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission. However, it may not be practical and definitely not energy efficient to open your windows during the hot summer months when your A/C is running at full blast or to open your windows in the middle of winter (imagine the exorbitant gas bill!) Opening windows to increase indoor air ventilation is only realistic when the outside temperature is moderate.
Upgrade Your HVAC Air Filters to MERV 13 to Reduce Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
You should upgrade your HVAC air filters to protect you and your family against Covid-19 airborne transmission in indoor space. Improve air ventilation at home by upgrading your HVAC air filters to a higher MERV level. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values. MERV is a rating on the air filter’s ability to capture particles. The MERV rating on air filters run on a scale of one to 16, with 16 being the best in filtering out small particles. However, don’t just go out and buy a higher MERV rating filter for your HVAC system. Make sure your HVAC system can handle the higher MERV rating. Most residential HVAC system will come with MERV-8 air filter by default. Check your HVAC manual or ask a HVAC professional to find out what type of air filter is installed in your HVAC system. The higher the MERV rating the better it is in capturing small particles.
Air Filters should be MERV 13 to Reduce Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
In order to filter out small particles such as Covid-19 viruses from indoor air, you need air filters with MERV 13 or higher. Air filters with lower than MERV 13 levels will not be able to capture small viral particles. You should check with your HVAC guy or HVAC manual to find out the highest rated air filter your HVAC can take (hopefully MERV 13 or higher!). Then upgrade your HVAC air filters to MERV 13 so your HVAC system can efficiently filter out Covid-19 viruses from your home’s indoor air.
What if your HVAC can’t handle MERV 13+ air filters or you don’t want to strain your HVAC system with a higher MERV air filter? An alternative to consider to improve indoor air ventilation at home to protect against Covid-19 airborne transmission is to install ALVI Air Filter Units. ALVI can be installed in your furnace, ceiling return/intake or floor return/intake. ALVI Air Filter Units will give you HEPA-class air quality and protects your home from harmful viruses, bacteria, dust, and mold. ALVI air filter units also lowers your home energy consumption by reducing strain on your HVAC system. Compared to standard HVAC air filters, your home will heat up and cool down faster with ALVI air filter units extending the life of your air handling system. Installing ALVI air filter units is a good option to increase indoor air ventilation at home to protect you and your family against Covid-19 airborne transmission.
Change Your MERV 13 Air Filters Every 90 Days to Reduce Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
It is important to change your MERV 13 air filters every 90 days to reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission. Air filters remove impurities like pollen, dust, pet hair from the air in your home. If the MERV 13 air filter gets dirty, it will not work efficiently in filtering out small Covid-19 viral particles. In order to maintain good air quality in your home, at a minimum, you need to change your MERV 13 air filter every 90 days. You don’t need to hire a professional to change your MERV 13 air filters, it’s something you can do on your own without professional help. Most residential HVAC systems will have air filter slots which are easily accessible for air filter changes. Set an alert in your calendar to make sure you are changing your MERV 13 air filters every 90 days (or if you are like me, you can have your air filter store send you an alert when it’s time to reorder!). It’s especially important with the Covid-19 pandemic raging to have clean MERV 13 air filters in your home so you can prevent indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission.
Pro tip: You should always order double the number of air filters that you need so you always have an extra set handy when you do your air filter change every 90 days. Check out Airfilters.com, they carry a huge variety of HVAC air filters and will ship free to your home.
Air Purifiers to Reduce Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
With Covid-19 cases on the rise, you need to do everything you can to improve indoor air ventilation to prevent Covid-19 airborne transmission. There are 2 ways to improve air ventilation at home to prevent indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission. You can improve indoor air ventilation by 1.) using air purifiers and 2.) upgrading your HVAC air filters to MERV 13. The difference between air purifiers and HVAC air filters is that air purifiers are designed to filter the air in a single room while HVAC air filters are designed to filter air throughout your entire home. Using both air purifiers and HVAC air filters will help improve air ventilation at home to reduce the potential for indoor airborne transmission of COVID-19.
Think of air purifiers as a supplement to your whole house HVAC system. You can use air purifiers to help improve indoor air ventilation in certain interior rooms. For example, you can use air purifiers to improve air ventilation in rooms that have no windows like an inside hallway or interior bathroom. Sometimes in the winter, it can get stuffy because your HVAC fan is not constantly running. Air purifiers can help improve indoor air ventilation in stuffy rooms. And when its impractical to open windows due to rain, snow or extreme outside temperature, you can use air purifiers to increase indoor airflow at home. I always have an air purifier running in my bedroom, it improves the indoor air flow in my bedroom (and helps me sleep better!) Another advantage of having air purifiers is that it removes bad odors at home. Many air purifiers have carbon filters which is effective in filtering out bad odors. I always run an air purifier in the kitchen to remove odors from cooking. The air purifier is especially effective in removing food odors during the winter months when there is poor indoor air circulation and it’s too cold to open the windows.
HEPA Air Purifiers are Effective in Reducing Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
Don’t automatically assume that all air purifiers protect against indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission. You need air purifiers that can filter out Covid-19 virus. According to the EPA, in order to protect against indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission you need to make sure your air purifier meets at least one of these criteria 1.) your air purifier must be designated as High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA), 2.) your air purifier is Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) rated or 3.) the manufacturer states that your air purifier will remove most particles in the size range below 1 um. You need air purifiers with HEPA filter that captures small particles as small as 0.3 microns to reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission.
Air Purifiers that Reduce Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
Here are some air purifiers that meets the above EPA criteria to protect you against indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission. When choosing an air purifier, make sure the air purifier is suitable for the room size you are thinking of using it for. And double check that your air purifiers comes with a HEPA filter that captures small particles as small as 0.3 microns to reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission.
Quiet HEPA Air Purifier to Reduce Covid-19
Eureka Instant Clear 26′ Air Purifier
The Eureka Instant Clear 26′ Air Purifier has a True HEPA filter that captures 99.7% of dust and airborne allergens as small as 0. 3 microns such as household dust, model, pet dander, and pollen. The Eureka Instant Clean air purifier also has Charcoal filters that will remove the odors from pets, smoking and cooking due to poor indoor air circulation. There is a built-in UV LED that can effectively reduce bacteria, viruses and mold spores in indoor air. Plus the Eureka Instant Clean air purifier complies with the Federal Ozone Emissions Limit. You can adjust the airflow with its 3 fan speed settings for whole-room airflow up to 222 sq. ft. The Eureka Instant Clean Air Purifier has high CADR values (Smoke 143, Dust 145, Pollen 228). It also has long distance air circulation technology enabling the air purifier to establish good airflow even at low speed setting. It is ideal for bedrooms because it is “whisper” quiet at only 32dB in low setting, you can barely hear it unless you’re hyper-sensitive to noise. The UV LED in the Air Purifier brings Zero Light Pollution, offers a comfortable sleeping environment.
Multi-Functional HEPA Air Purifier to Reduce Covid-19
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HEPA Air Purifier
The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HEPA Air purifier is multi-functional- it is a Space Heater, Tower Fan, and HEPA Air Purifier all in one unit! It automatically detects airborne particles and gases, then diagnoses and reports them in real time. The sealed HEPA filter in the Dyson air purifier captures allergens as small as 0.3 microns making it an ideal air purifier for allergies, pets, dust, pollen and mold spores. The Dyson air purifier projects purified air throughout the whole room with its Air Multiplier technology delivering over 77 gallons per second of smooth, yet powerful airflow and up to 350 degree of oscillation directs airflow where you need it. The Dyson air purifier also has a sleep timer, 10 Air Speed settings and automatic shut off if tipped over.
HEPA Air Purifier for Small Rooms to Reduce Covid-19
Homedics TotalClean® 4-In-1 Small Room Air Purifier
Homedics TotalClean® 4-In-1 Small Room Air Purifier is ideal for small rooms such as a bedroom or small office. It has a 360-degree HEPA-Type filtration that removes up to 99% of airborne allergens like dust, smoke, mold spores, and germs, as small as 0.3 microns. There is also a carbon odor filter that reduces household odors. The Homedics TotalClean Air Purifier has CADR rating of 58 for smoke. It also has an optional ionizer that releases negative ions to assist in the purification process. The Homedics TotalClean® 4-in-1 Air Purifier also features 2 speeds, a night-light with on/off, and a replace filter indicator to remind you when its time to change the filter. Plus, it has an aroma slot with 3 pads (included) to add a unique scent whenever you feel like it.
Smart HEPA Air Purifier to Reduce Covid-19
Toshiba Smart WiFi Air Purifier
The Toshiba Smart WiFi Air Purifier is a smart Air Purifier that can be turned on and off through the Alexa App or any Echo devices. It makes it easier to purify the air in your home from anywhere with just one-command. It is also a very efficient air purifier with True HEPA filter and high CADR ratings: dust (145) pollen (228) and smoke (143). The Toshiba Smart WiFi Air purifier is meant for medium to large rooms up to 222 sq. feet. There is a built in UV Light Sanitizer that kills airborne viruses such as influenza, staph and rhinovirus. It also has a carbon filter that can remove bad odors. Toshiba Air Purifier is a pretty quiet air purifier at a 32dB low setting which sounds like gentle white noise perfect for sleep.
HEPA Air Purifier for Large Rooms to Reduce Covid-19
LEVOIT Air Purifier for Large Rooms
LEVOIT Air Purifier for Large Rooms is ideal for allergies and pet owners. There is a washable preliminary filter that traps pet fur, hair, and lint. The activated carbon filter absorbs odors from pets, cooking, and smoke. And the H13-grade True HEPA filter captures 99. 97% of airborne particles as small as 0. 3 microns, such as pet dander, pollen, mold spores, dust. The Levoit Air Purifier has a high CADR of 130 CFM / 221 m3/h, perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, offices, nurseries, and kitchens. Its rapid purification covers 500 ft² in 30 minutes, and 300 ft² in only 18 minutes. It is also 100% Ozone Free for your peace of mind. It is compact and portable so it never gets in the way, and the built-in handle makes it easy to carry from room to room.
Final Thoughts: HEPA Air Purifiers and MERV 13 HVAC Air Filters are effective in reducing Indoor Covid-19 Airborne Transmission
Air purifiers and upgrading HVAC air filters are effective in reducing indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission by improving air ventilation at home. Improved indoor air ventilation can significantly reduce potential airborne transmission of Covid-19 at home. You can reduce indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission with HEPA air purifiers and upgrading your HVAC air filters to MERV 13. However, relying solely on improved indoor air filtration is not enough to protect people from indoor Covid-19 airborne transmission, you also need to practice the CDC recommended best practices of social distancing, mask wearing, hygiene and disinfecting surfaces. Stay Safe Everyone!
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