Managing COVID 19 and HVAC in Buildings for Emerging Economies

This webinar aims to provide essential technical information to people of emerging economies to manage and tackle COVID-19 and its implications to HVAC systems in buildings such as hospitals, commercial and residential settings
Speakers:
Dr. Bill Bahnfleth, Chair of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force and Former ASHRAE President
Luke Leung, Team Lead for Commercial/Retail on ASHRAE’s Epidemic Task Force
Chandra Sekhar, Team Member for Residential on ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force

[trooper]

Can I have the PowerPoint presentation keeping in mind that I will give credit to the presenters.

[itsleo]

Great presentation, I saw and read the FAQs as well, not understanding completely. Is it relatively safe to operate your own apartment AC? Living in a relatively small complex with 10 units, any assistance is appreciated.

[Tarbabyification]

sheet metal workers were in the habit of wrapping ducts in
insulation as they were installed. Insulators rightfully objected that insulating ducts was
their
job and that greed on part of the sheet metal union was impacting their wage-earning
capacity.
To sidestep this issue and maintain their advantage, the sheet metal union directed their
crews
to insulate ducts on the inside in their shops prior to installation at the job site. Simple
greed
and corruption drove this practice and I’ve felt for many years that there would be a
price to be
paid.
It’s important to understand that ductwork is made of galvanized metal. The
galvanization
process, which involves dipping sheet metal into molten zinc, produces a naturally
antibacterial
surface. When galvanized ductwork is installed in residential and commercial facilities,
the
metal surface passively prevents the adhesion, proliferation and spread of bacteria,
mold,
fungus and other biological agents potentially injurious to human health. Additionally,
such
ductwork is easily cleaned to remove dust and debris that accumulate over time.
The presence of interior insulation in such ducts, however, changes everything. Cozy,
fibrous
insulation and warm air create a breeding ground for microorganisms (and some not-so-
micro)
that is entirely absent in a clean, galvanized metal duct. Additionally, the dust and
debris (e.g. ​
hair, dead skin cells, etc.) accumulate dramatically over the years as a duct with interior
insulation can never be cleaned. I’ve been personally involved in the demolition and
removal of
old duct work of this sort and, frankly, the thought of breathing air that had passed
through this
system is appalling. There are other elements of typical HVAC systems that are nearly
as
concerning, but for the purposes of this letter, I’m confining my focus to interior
insulation.
While the ductwork in private residences is almost never insulated, commercial
buildings such
as schools/dormitories, apartment buildings, retirement facilities, hotels and office
buildings
frequently are filled with ductwork with interior insulation. This insulation, having
collected
every sort of particulate since it was installed, could easily be breeding diseases we
don’t even
know about. I’ve expressed my concerns about these dangerous installations for many
years
but am unaware that any agencies concerned with the welfare and safety of American
citizens
have ever looked into the matter.
I’m not a biologist and am not suggesting that the prevalence of Co-Vid 19 in the
settings I’ve
mentioned above is the direct result of HVAC insulation practices. But as we seek to
eliminate
opportunities for this and future viruses to proliferate, it seems especially important that
we
look into the cleanliness of the systems that carry the air we all breathe.