Coronavirus pandemic: Safe to use AC in homes, offices but follow guidelines, says industry body

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The Refrigeration and Air Conditioner Manufacturers Association (RAMA) said the use of air conditioners (ACs) do not pose any additional risks of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

RAMA has joined hands with Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) to implement guidelines issued by the latter for usage of ACs in homes and offices.

This is after infectious disease experts across the world talked about COVID-19 thriving in cooler temperatures.

In a statement, RAMA said a temperature band of 24 to 30 degrees Celsius and relative humidity between 40 and 70 percent is ideal to boost immunity and to resist the infection.

Also read: Live updates from COVID-19 in India

RAMA and ISHRAE have planned to run a nationwide awareness drive on the air conditioning and ventilation guidelines to optimise residential, commercial and hospital buildings for COVID-19 prevention.

Gurmeet Singh, President, RAMA and CMD, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India, said, “Room ACs for residential application are used within a single occupied zone. Installed for a single room application, the entry of occupants into such spaces is controllable. There is negligible chance of infected person contaminating the room or entire home. It is also recommended to keep the room ventilated (doors or windows left open) whenever the AC is not in use.”

In its guidelines for room ACs, RAMA said the temperature should be kept between 24 to 30 degree Celsius. Here, 24 is for humid climate and 30 for dry weather. The units are designed to maintain humidity between 40 and 60. In dry climate, where humidity is less, it recommended increasing humidity by keeping water in a shallow pan.

“Ventilate the room adequately by keeping the window slightly open while running the AC with the exhaust fan running in the adjacent bathroom if possible and by keeping doors and windows open when the AC is not operated,” it added.

The association said the frequency of filter cleaning should be increased for room ACs. This cleaning can be done at home with the help of video tutorials available online.

With respect to central AC systems used in offices and other commercial applications, contrary to the general perception that it is a closed-air system, RAMA said these systems are in fact well-ventilated.

A standard central air conditioning system design includes a mechanical ventilation-cum-filtration system that draws in adequate fresh air. A central air conditioning system also maintains relative humidity between 40-70 percent, which is ideal for avoiding the propagation of COVID-19 virus. Hence, central ACs are safe to use,” RAMA said in the statement.

For commercial ACs, RAMA said protocols given in the ISHRAE guidelines should be followed while starting a system after a prolonged shutdown.

It added that the temperature setting can be between between 24 and 30 degree Celsius. However, RAMA said that during non-working hours and weekends, it is recommended to keep the air circulation system running at all times without cooling.

The exhaust ventilation system in washrooms should be kept operational 24/7 and service providers may be advised to clean the filters more frequently, it stated.

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