Services HVAC SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE CORONAVIRUS AIR FILTRATION FAQ HVAC DESIGN APPOINTMENTS Coronavirus Air Filtration Frequently Asked Questions CAN AN AIR FILTER HELP REMOVE SARS COV-2, THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS, FROM THE AIR? According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through the air is sufficiently likely that airborne exposure to the virus should be controlled. Changes to building operations, including the operation of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems, can reduce airborne exposures. With a higher rated MERV filter, finer particles such as bacteria and viruses are substantially removed from the air stream. WHAT EXACTLY IS MERV? MERV is a rating. It stands for Minimum Effective Reporting Value. In other words, it’s a measurement showing how small the holes are in the filter. The higher the MERV number, the smaller the holes, and the less that can pass through. MERV-16 is the highest rates MERV filter, with a 95% removal rating down to .3 micron, and a 90% rate down to .01 micron. But as we’ll show, bigger isn’t always better. WHY WOULDN’T A BIGGER NUMBER (SMALLER HOLES) BE BETTER? There’s a sweet spot. Of course, your space should be safe, and so you want the right filter that will block out all the usual suspects. The problem is, most HVAC systems aren’t rated to handle this much. That means, if you’re using a filter with holes that are smaller than recommended, you’re essentially plugging up your HVAC system. And that can be expensive. Current residential and light commercial systems are likely designed for filters rated MERV 1 to 6. WHAT IS A MERV 16 FOR THEN? MERV 16 filters are often used in places like hospitals, where there are a high level of unknown airborne bacteria and viruses — things that can spread through the air ducts. It’s also for the reason hospitals use a much heavier HVAC system to scrub their air clean of these potentially deadly contaminants. I’D LIKE TO UPGRADE TO MERV-16 FILTRATION, BUT MY HVAC SYSTEM WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR IT - HOW CAN YOU HELP? We’ve designed a retrofit kit that will attach to your existing return duct, essentially increasing the surface area of the filter section to accommodate the pressure drop from the MERV-16 filter, at a low cost. A estimate to retrofit a five ton system, with a plenum type return system would be $2,999, using Lennox Carbon Clean 16 filters. LEARN ABOUT HVAC ENGINEERING CLIENTS VINCO MECHANICAL , 103-21 98TH STREET, QUEENS, NY, 11417, UNITED STATES(718) 835-6820ADMIN@VINCOMECHANICAL.COM © 2020 VINCO MECHANICAL