Air filters and climate control filters can help reduce the amount of indoor air pollutants, including viruses, that are present in the air. However, these filters alone are not enough to protect people from the virus that causes COVID-19. HVAC systems can also incorporate ion purifiers, ozone generators, and other devices to clean the air. To determine how effective a filter is at cleaning the air, one should look at its minimum efficiency report value (MERV). Upgrading HVAC systems by incorporating higher quality filters can be expensive and may not always be feasible.
Before installing new devices or upgrading HVAC systems, technicians should identify how air moves around rooms. Particles that are too small for standard HVAC filters to trap may be removed by HEPA filters. To improve the air quality in your home, you can upgrade the filter in your HVAC unit. Many people are trying to protect themselves from COVID-19 by upgrading their HVAC filters and purchasing air filtration systems.
The Reme Halo is an integrated whole-house air purifier that produces a hydrogen peroxide plasma that moves around your home and purifies contaminants at the source. Unlike a normal HVAC filter, it does not require contaminated air to pass through the filter to work. To determine how well a filter cleans air, one should look at its minimum efficiency report value (MERV). A True HEPA filter captures at least 99.97% of particles of at least 0.3 microns in size by DOE standards.
Only some air conditioners can accommodate HEPA filters, and technicians must configure them correctly and replace them regularly. This is also a good time to think about improving air quality in buildings by significantly changing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems or making physical changes to manage indoor air flows. The most commonly used filters are in the MERV 13 to 16 range, which will capture lead, humidifier dust, nebulizer particles, charcoal dust, legionella, insecticide powder, sneeze cores from copier toner, automatic fumes and bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends upgrading at least one MERV-13 filter or higher to protect against disease-spreading particles.
MERV 13 and above can be used as a final filter in cleanrooms, operating rooms, inpatient hospital care, and smoking rooms.