How Are Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC Systems Combating COVID-19?
What Is a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) System?
Before we dive into the benefits of VRF systems, you may be wondering what a VRF HVAC system is in the first place! (Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here.) A VRF, also known as a Variable Refrigerant Flow system, is a wide-ranging ductless HVAC system. With VRF technology, buildings with several units or areas can run on the same system.
Another great feature of VRF HVAC systems is that there are different models to provide you with your ideal heating and cooling needs. For example, there are outdoor air source units for large-scale buildings, compact water source units when space is limited, and smaller indoor units for individual use.
The Problem with Poor Indoor Air Ventilation
What does COVID-19 have to do with VRF systems? As you may know, one of the primary causes of the spread of COVID-19 is respiratory droplets when an infected person sneezes, coughs, etc. Large droplets will break into smaller droplets that can be easily spread through airborne transmission. (Covering your mouth when you sneeze doesn’t cut it here, folks.)
Early on in the pandemic, it was found that public places with poor ventilation became “super spreader” locations for the virus. As you can imagine, this is a major problem for restaurants, office buildings, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities.
How VRF HVAC Systems Improve Air Quality
There’s a reason many restaurants converted a large portion of their seating to be outside or, at the very least, have more outdoor air ventilation. Circulating the same air in a small area will increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission. However, when you have a fresh air source replacing the air around you, it lowers the risk of airborne infection.
With VRF HVAC systems, the airflow in your building is constantly being replaced with fresh outside air.
A few of the benefits of VRF systems include:
- Supplying clean air to those occupying your building
- Contraining and/or replacing the contaminated air from your building
- Cleaning and filtering the air within your space
The Benefits of VRF Systems Against COVID-19
How are the benefits of VRF systems measured against the spread of COVID-19? According to a scientific study from PMC Labs, the amount of the virus exposed to a person, the time a virus comes in contact with a person, and its ability to infect someone are significantly lowered with proper indoor air ventilation.
Donwil VRF System Solutions with Hitachi
Staying true to our mission to keep your systems always running, we provide our customers with a variety of Hitachi VRF units that increase the quality of your indoor air ventilation while maximizing the energy efficiency of your HVAC system. Because when it comes to the HVAC products you choose, you deserve the best of both worlds.
Interested in learning more about other Donwil products that assist in improving your indoor air quality? Click here to read how ultraviolet cleaning systems can eliminate germs and pathogens through your HVAC system.