In January 2021, the American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers issued recommendations for reducing exposure to infectious aerosols. WIKA’s air2guide line of pressure, temperature, and airflow sensors play an important part in minimizing COVID-19 transmission as the country reopens.
The more scientists learn about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the more they realize that transmission is airborne and rarely via surfaces. Now that more schools, businesses, and offices are reopening, an important safety factor is to reduce occupants’ exposure to infectious aerosols. Masks and social distancing are only part of the equation; public buildings also need to improve their ventilation and air filtration.
To that end, the American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Epidemic Task Force has issued a set of core recommendations. Many of them pertain to industrial HVAC and air distribution, areas where the WIKA air2guide line of measuring instruments can be helpful.
Industrial HVAC Helps Prevent COVID-19 Spread
Air handling units (AHUs) play a central role in achieving ASHRAE’s January 2021 recommendations:
- Maintain at least the minimum rate of indoor-outdoor air exchange as required by code.
- Limit recirculation of contaminated air.
- Use filters and systems that will achieve at least a MERV 13 level of air cleaning.
- Maintain an equivalent clean air supply for a certain occupancy rate.
- Flush spaces between occupied periods to achieve three changes of equivalent clean air supply.
- Keep temperature and humidity at recommended set points. (Studies suggest a correlation between higher temperature and humidity with reduced COVID-19 transmission.)
air2guide by WIKA
At the core of effective AHUs are high-quality instruments for measuring differential pressure, airflow and velocity, air quality, temperature, and relative humidity.
WIKA’s air2guide™ series comprises a wide range of filter monitoring and ventilation measuring instrumentation designed specifically for industrial HVAC applications. Our devices are routinely used to meet the demands of controlled air handling:
- Air exchange — The A2G-20 air velocity transmitter and the A2G-25 airflow transmitter accurately measure the amount of outdoor air that enters the HVAC unit.
- Air recirculation — Both the A2G-20 and A2G-25 can monitor indoor airflow to promote the mixing of ambient air without increasing person-to-person transmission.
- Air quality — The A2G-85 sensing system measures the level of CO2 in a room. The A2G-80 detects volatile organic compounds (VOC) as well as other vapors – body odor, tobacco smoke, food smells – in indoor air. Both devices are mounted in return ductwork.
- Filter quality — Mechanical or electronic differential pressure gauges (A2G-10, A2G-15), switches (A2G-40, A2G-90, A2G-45), and transmitters (A2G-50, A2G-55) measure air pressure on both sides of a filter to determine when it needs to be cleaned or replaced.
- Temperature and/or humidity — The A2G-60 temperature sensor, the A2G-70 temperature and humidity sensor, and the A2G-200 integrated room sensor (with CO2 sensing) help ensure a comfortable and safe indoor environment.
Ventilation and air handling are key variables in the safe reopening of public spaces. Contact the HVAC experts at WIKA USA for more information on the measuring instruments that help reduce the spread of COVID-19.