Keep a Check On Humidity And Ventilation Of Your Commercial Spaces

Alternate Title: Mitigate COVID Risks by Controlling Temperature & Humidity

Americans spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, at home, work, and school. All this time inside in shared spaces is especially ominous, as of late, given the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, it is possible to ensure a healthy indoor environment and reduce COVID-19 risks with the right indoor air quality strategies.

Reduce Infectious Disease Risks in Your Commercial Space with These Tips

• Think of your building as a tool for health.
  Adopting healthy practices now will deliver benefits long after the coronavirus threat has passed, protecting your employees, safeguarding productivity, and reducing healthcare costs.
• Reduce building population to minimize risk.
  Minimize risk in active outbreaks by having as many people as possible work from home, keeping only minimal, essential staff members in the building.
• Ensure sufficient personal space.
  People who work closely together in open spaces with no barriers between them call in sick more frequently than those with their own office space.
• Eliminate viral contaminants in indoor air.
  Increasing the ventilation and filtration of indoor air is crucial to diluting viral contaminants in the workplace. Talk to your commercial HVAC service company about ways to increase the rate at which indoor air is exchanged with outdoor air, as well as opportunities for removing dangerous pathogens from the air using improved filtration, UV light air purifiers, and other methods.
• Control humidity levels to reduce the lifespan and spread of viruses.
  Humidity levels of 50-60 percent reduce the lifespan of viruses and also prevent the spread of pathogens. This middle range is key. Humidity levels that are too high lengthen the lifespan of undesirable microorganisms. Levels that are too low can cause particles to remain airborne longer. Proper levels can be easily maintained with commercial dehumidification systems and humidifier additions.

Arm Your Building for Success

It is possible to retrofit your existing building for the new post-coronavirus reality. A layered approach, incorporating multiple measures, will be most effective at mitigating the risk of transmission. Your commercial heating & cooling system can incorporate a host of these helpful measures, offering Improved HVAC air filtration, air purification, and UV light disinfection, to name a few. It can also incorporate humidifier/dehumidifier solutions and airflow adjustments that help minimize risk in shared/open plan spaces.

These solutions are accessible for businesses at all levels, offering affordable solutions to preventing potential health and liability issues. Before the pandemic, it was hard to get Americans to take the steps necessary to preventproblems, but now we are facing a new reality. The benefits are clear, not just for those with friends and loved ones at high-risk of complications from COVID-19, but for employees concerned about catching the coronavirus within the walls of your building.

Take proactive steps to protect your employees. Learn more about ways to ensure a healthy workplace from H & H Commercial Services today.

This blog was originally posted at https://hhcommercialonline.com/keep-a-check-on-humidity-and-ventilation-of-your-commercial-spaces/

Guide To Checking Your HVAC Systems Before Your Commercial Spaces Reopen

It’s been a few months since your commercial heating and air conditioning unit has been put to the test. While under restrictions, your building – or large portions of it – have likely remained unoccupied. For this reason, your HVAC system has probably been used minimally, if at all. Before reopening for business, make sure your HVAC system is operating safely and efficiently. What maintenance should be performed on your HVAC equipment prior to allowing occupants back into your building?

Post-COVID-Reopening Checklist for Commercial HVAC Equipment

Our HVAC commercial contractors recommend treating your building as you would one opening after new construction, beginning these tasks 1-2 weeks before reopening.

• Schedule inspections.
  Check with local building officials to determine if any inspections are necessary prior to returning equipment to service, such as boilers, steam generators, and components linked to your fire safety system.
• Verify HVAC is in good condition and functioning properly.
• • Catch up on neglected maintenance and ensure proper operation. Contact your HVAC system installer to verify your system is running efficiently, within safe operational parameters. (Should the need for future shutdowns occur, we recommend continuing maintenance through these unoccupied periods whenever possible.)
  • Start fresh with clean air filters. Consider upgrading to better-performing products such as HEPA filters and UV light filtration to reduce the incidence of airborne particles and contaminants like coronavirus.
  • Check your outdoor unit(s) for debris, landscaping overgrowth, insect/bird nests. Visually inspect for signs of damage, leaks, dust/dirt accumulation, and fungal growth on all HVAC system components, including the coils, casing, drain pan, ductwork, and surrounding nearby building finishes (ceilings, walls, etc.).
  • Make sure damper seals are intact, and dampers, actuators, and valves are functioning properly. Check to ensure bearings are lubricated, and drive belts and direct drive fans are functioning properly.
  • Check space ventilation rates, and ensure outside airflows are balanced to the correct parameters.
  • Verify the function of your Building Automation System.
• Carefully examine chillers and boilers.
  If you’ve left chillers and boilers off, it is imperative to call for professional commercial HVAC service before operating your equipment. This is not recommended. Stagnant water supports the growth and microorganisms that can negatively impact the performance and lifespan of your equipment.

• Consider recommissioning systems 3-5 years passed their initial commission date.
  A commissioning provider can help you prepare these plans, ensuring your system is performing based on operational parameters, overseeing functional performance testing of your HVAC system based on ASHRAE standards/guidelines.

Tested Equipment is Safe Equipment

When your building is shut down, the integrity of your HVAC system can rapidly deteriorate. To safeguard its lifespan and the health of your employees, be sure to check all components prior to reopening thoroughly.

Already have a long to-do list? Take a load off with the help of H & H Commercial Services. We can help you make sure your system is performing properly, to ASHRAE COVID-19 recommendations, so you can get back to more pressing matters. Contact H & H Commercial Services to schedule post-shutdown service and maintenance today.

This blog was originally posted at https://hhcommercialonline.com/guide-to-checking-your-hvac-systems-before-your-commercial-spaces-reopen/