Camfil USA experts explain how to mitigate COVID-19 risks by upgrading air filtration

Ideally, according to Camfil’s air filtration experts, if your budget allows for it, you should contact an HVAC mechanical contractor who can advise you on the feasibility of extending the unit size in order to accommodate larger and deeper filters. The more space you have, the more air filter options you’ll have.  Having a wide range of air filters to choose from will allow you to install the highest quality air filtration available to ensure you’ve taken steps to mitigate your risk from COVID-19. 

Most air filters in rooftop HVAC units with 2-inch tracks are only able to protect the coils and circulation equipment from harmful debris. They are not capable of significantly improving indoor air quality. By investing in a mechanical retrofit of your existing air handling unit so it can hold larger filters, you’ll reap the benefits that come from more effective, efficient air filters.  

Option 2: Opt for a MERV-A Rated Air Filters that Provide the Same Protection. 

If you can’t afford to dramatically modify existing HVAC equipment, you can still find MERV-A rated filters, but they will have a higher operational cost. Many MERV 13 rated filters (note: non-A-rated filters)  use an electrostatic charge to improve the efficiency of the air filter without having to use larger amounts of filtering material. Over time, this charge dissipates and the effectiveness often degrades to approximately the equivalent of a MERV 8 filter. 

Filters with a MERV-A rating have been manufactured to a MERV value without relying on an electrostatic charge, so they maintain the indicated efficiency for their entire service life. There are MERV-A 14A rated air filters that are 2-inches deep, but they will have a higher pressure drop and shorter service life. However, they will deliver MERV-14 performance so you have to decide if the operational cost is feasible in your situation. If not, one alternative would be a MERV-A 9A air filter which spends the majority of its service life performing at a higher level than charged MERV 13. “The reality is, you’re going to be getting longer life and closer to that MERV-13 recommendation,” says Randolph, 

Option 3: Consider an In-Room Air Filtration Unit.

If you need or want extra protection, but can’t manage either of the above options, there are supplemental l air filtration systems available that you can use. In-room air purifiers equipped with HEPA air filtration don’t require any special infrastructure and provide among the highest level of protection commercially available. 

“A stand-alone air cleaner is going to be plug and play. You’d put that air cleaner in a conference room or a lobby or a classroom, plug it into a standard outlet, and you’d be able to provide clean air to that room,” says Randolph, “The great thing about these products is that it far exceeds the CDC recommendation or even the air quality that we see in some areas of a hospital.”

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions 

For more than half a century, Camfil worldwide has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, they  provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Camfil has been applying their decades of experience in biosafety containment, healthcare, and other sectors of the air filtration industry to provide technological solutions for the public as well as in hospitals and healthcare facilities. 

Disclaimer: The views, suggestions and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Forbes India journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.