All About Airflow

All About Airflow

What air flow means inside your space and what it means for disinfection

 

Think about a hot, sticky summer day. You walk into a room where windows are closed and there is no ventilation, air conditioning, fans, or air movement. It feels thick and heavy. Your body begins to sweat and breathing becomes heavier. This is a physical reaction to experiencing high levels of moisture and heat.

Now think about walking into a busy, steamy kitchen. Your senses are hit with warmth and aromas from the dishes being cooked. 

These are examples of common indoor air quality experiences, which change dramatically based on how a space is set up and the activities happening within that space.

Poor indoor air quality typically exists in spaces without good airflow. In these types of spaces, like a busy kitchen or a hot room with closed windows, air can build up with high levels of pathogens, moisture, gasses, odors, dust, and other air pollutants.


So what can I do to improve my air quality?

The good news is: There are plenty of tools out there to improve a space’s air quality. Double check your HVAC system is functioning well by ensuring it's fitted with clean filters, open windows, and use fans. All of this helps improve air circulation. You can also leverage stand-alone HEPA filters as an extra layer of air filtration.


That’s great - but what does air quality have to do with disinfecting my space?

Fresh outdoor air and filtered air play a key role in diluting indoor air pollutants and pathogens. 

Take the kitchen example. If the cook uses a hood to help vent the stove, they can move the air pollutants– the smoke and odors coming from the cooking– out of the space. This movement of air disperses pollutants, as well as any pathogens like bacteria, and helps decrease them within the space.


Can I just open my windows to increase airflow?

Sort of. While air circulation and ventilation are essential for healthy indoor air quality, pathogens can hang around in the air and on surfaces, and many can replicate quickly. Because of this, it’s a good idea to layer disinfection tools for optimal disinfection for cleaner, improved airflow.

Combining proper ventilation with disinfection tools like Beacon will help eliminate airborne pathogens that could land on surfaces and transmit disease.