Types of Air Filtrations and their effectiveness to work against COVID-19

clean air conditioning unit filters to trap dust a P5WXLZ6


The fear of global pandemic known as COVID-19 is spreading faster than the virus itself. Businesses and homeowners are figuring out ways to protect themselves, their families, employees, and customers from the virus. Now we know that one of the ways the virus spreads is through respiratory droplets. Thus, air quality improvement using air filters, air cleaners, or air scrubbers is an essential tool to reduce the virus’s chances of spreading. In this hour of crisis, we all require an air conditioning service that is reliable and takes all the safety measures.

Vital AC Solutions in Florida comes to your rescue, we have emergency air conditioning repair, installation, inspection, and maintenance services at your doorstep.

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Let us see some of the facts behind the ways to reduce COVID-19 infection from airborne exposure:

  • The COVID-19 virus transmits through the air on droplets of human respiratory liquids. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, this virus can be inhaled into the lungs by other people.
  • Currently, there isn’t any data that shows that the virus can be airborne without the droplets.
  • The best way to clean the air, which can potentially have infectious droplets, is to clean the medium that is fine enough to catch even the invisible and small droplets.
  • HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration should be there in spaces where infected people are sharing space with non-infected ones to reduce the chances of viruses, especially in the hospitals.
  • UV lights also increase the chances of killing viruses or bacteria present in the room.

Effectiveness of air filtration system against COVID-19

Afterall, it doesn’t matter which filtration system you have in your premises, the only way it can filter the virus is if you or anyone else brings the virus into the house. If you are careful and keeping sanitization in check like washing hands and taking baths and changing your clothes once you leave the house. Make sure that you have personal protection equipment when you step outside the house like disposable gloves, hand sanitizers, masks (preferably N95), and wipes for things like doorknobs or handles.

How to clean and repair filters?

The viruses are small enough to pass easily through gaps in the filters. It’s possible that viruses or bacteria can be trapped by the filters, thus use gloves when you want to remove old filters and place them into the sealed garbage bag. Later, throw it outside of your house in a trash can. For repairing purposes, you require professionals as you don’t know where you are getting your hands into without ample knowledge about it. Thus, consult a professional team who can assist you with the air conditioning repair in Margate, FL in an emergency as well.

Types of Filters and their efficiency in fighting COVID-19 virus.

  1. 1) High Efficiency Air Filters

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters can filter out dust, microbes, and particles as small as 0.3 microns. Most of the viruses are small, and they can only be trapped by hitting the fibers in the filter. That is the way there is a probability that at least some of the virus will pass by and continue in the air distribution system. HEPA filters can filter out with a 99.97% efficiency rate. Hospitals usually prefer HEPA filters, but even they deny to be utterly dependent on them for sanitizing the air.

How does it work for Covid-19?

HEPA filters encompass a mixture of filaments and fibers that have a static charge, which can lure various microbes and particles like a magnet. The particles are captured and retained within the filter.

HEPA air purifiers, such as the Vital AC Solutions , captures aerosol particles in that size range

A HEPA air purifier is not an ultimate solution as it can only filter particles it captures. Many airborne particles can still be present in the air, which can land on surfaces or travel around before getting captured by an air purifier.

Hence, proper disinfecting procedures are required, and wearing masks, gloves, and following methods to regularly disinfect are all critical factors in reducing the spread of any contagion.

  1. 2) Electronic Air filters

Electronic Air filters trap most of the particles which are present in the air in a prefilter. Any of the viruses that pass through the prefilter goes to an electrically charged filter. The contaminants that are way too small to get caught by the prefilter are usually charged by the electronic air filter and are attracted to the oppositely charged plates that are part of the filter.

How does it work for Covid-19?

It is studied that ozone-generating products can kill coronavirus. It can be as effective as killing 99% of virus cells when exposure amount and length of time to ozone is sufficient.

  1. 3) UV Lights

There are many different versions of UV lights. It takes time under UV light to damage the DNA sequence and kill the bacteria or virus. Just like too much UV light from the sun can damage your skin, human-made UV lights will cause harm to a person when exposed to it for any length of time. Now, how a virus might travel in a ducting system wherein the air is traveling at 400-450 cubic feet per minute. Thus, the stationary UV light would not have the time to kill the virus as it passes by the light in the ducting system.

    How does it work for Covid-19?

It is proven that UV lights work for viruses like MERS and SARS, although it isn’t proven yet that it kills COVID-19. Hence, to get the proper distance and the amount of light required to kill the virus will also do a lot of destruction to you, so you should never disinfect yourself or a surface with a UV light that you will be exposed to as well. They are not very efficient in ridding any virus away from the ducting system as they cannot be disclosed to the UV light for a more extended period to do damage.

  1. 4) Air Scrubbers

There are many air scrubbers’ versions and types available. Microscopic oxygen and water molecules which are present in the air enter the purification space, and inside this space/unit, the molecules are transformed into oxidizers that can be released back to the mainstream. This way, oxidizers can destroy viruses within 6 hours of treatment in most of the cases.

This product has more advantages than other ones mentioned above as it has more potential to kill bacteria, viruses, mold, or any other contaminants present in the surrounding. Some of the models also have UV lights, which act as added protection.

Key Takeaways:

  • There are no such indoor air quality products tested for the effectiveness of coronavirus though most of these products can be effective against the virus to some extent but cannot hold them long enough to kill them.
  • Air quality indoors is essential for the overall health of people, and we strongly suggest some of the air filtration products for air quality. Still, it shouldn’t be thought of as a preventive measure from getting the virus.

Products like HEPA filters can restrict your airflow. Thus, a static pressure reading should be taken before installation, and at times duct modifications are essential to let the system work smoothly. We recommend that installing, modifying, or repairing should be done by experts who are familiar with your product, HVAC system, and the process.

Please contact Vital AC Solutions anytime to know more about our services, including emergency air conditioning repairing or any other services.