We’ve invested in an HVAC system that will help keep you safe.
According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), eliminating pathogens from indoor air requires attention on three fronts:
- Adequate replacement of indoor air with fresh outdoor air
- Filtering the air with filters capable of trapping virus particles
- Disinfecting the air
Air Turnover
The Sanctuary, Stuart Hall, and Rainbow Room each have their own heat pump and associated furnace/air handler.
All of the fan motors are variable-speed. Even when no one is present, the air is constantly circulated at a low speed through the filtration and treatment systems. Altogether, our systems move about 6,000 cubic feet of air per minute, so the entire church volume of about 55,000 is filtered and treated 9 times per hour.
Heat exchangers introduce about 525 cubic feet of outdoor air per minute into the HVAC systems, which then distribute it through the church. That represents an exchange of 56% of our air volume every hour.
The heat exchangers are designed to recover the heat from the air being exhausted outside, and using it to preheat the air coming into the church, thereby saving money on heating and cooling costs.
Air Filtration
Our furnace filters are MERV-13, the minimum recommended for capturing virus particles.
A catalyst is used to cause airborne particles to aggregate into larger particles that are more likely to be trapped in the filters.
Disinfection
Our HVAC system includes an Air Scrubber that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect the air. As indoor air is moved through the church, it is brought through this ultraviolet system to kill any viruses that may be present.