For better indoor air quality, run air before services and after to get allergens out of the air, church building experts suggest.
Whether it’s COVID, the flu, or just the common cold, churches are now more laser-focused than ever on keeping their congregations safe and protected against virus transmission. Which is why a lot of efforts have gone into improving air quality over the past few years, with church designers working with churches on ways to progress current HVAC systems or installing new air quality tools and systems.
Today’s churches are urged by professionals to consider improving air quality and air movement in accordance with the American Society for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) airborne infectious disease mitigation recommendations.
Tim Cool, founder of Smart Church Solutions in Charlotte, North Carolina, has worked in the church facility realm for more than 34 years, starting in church construction, with the last decade being more focused on facility stewardship. His company is known for being a trusted expert on the maintenance and care of church facilities, due to years of expertise and for offering a popular software program (eSPACE) that is a church management solution.
When it comes to the air quality of a church, Cool recommends a series of things churches should be doing.
1-Keep doing what they’re doing
In other words, stay the course with the preventative steps that were being done before COVID was even a thing.
“Things like changing filters regularly, cleaning coils and doing those things that are good preventative maintenance which will help with air quality,” Cool says. “At the very least, they should get back to the basics of doing those things.”
2-Keep air circulating through the building
This is something that a church may need to get outside help on, be it their designer or HVAC expert, to figure out a way to ensure quality air is being distributed throughout the church.
“Running your air before services and after services, to get all of the allergens in the air out,” is important, Cool says. “If they move to a MERV 13 filter, it captures 97%-99% of particulates. So, going to a higher density filter like that would be a big move with minimum cost impact.”
The MERV 13 filters only cost about $20 extra per filter, so it’s a minimal investment for the good they do. This is something that also doesn’t require any professional help.
“If they move to a MERV 13 filter, it captures 97%-99% of particulates. So, going to a higher density filter like that would be a big move with minimum cost impact.”
Tim Cool, Founder Smart Solutions Group, Charlotte, NC
“This is probably where I would suggest a church start as it’s something they can do on their own and for a nominal cost,” Cool says.
Additionally, utilizing portable, self-contained high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems in high-occupancy areas can help a church create a negative pressure isolation room that will meet both Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) TB guidelines at a low cost.
3-Improve HVAC wherever possible
Ultraviolet lights (UV) have long been used by hospitals since they are known to kill certain bacteria, which is why they now often come in air purifiers to improve indoor air quality.
The lights can be placed within the HVAC system to better guard against bacteria, mold, mildew, and other allergens and toxins.
But there are mixed reviews on UV lights at churches, which is why some worship facilities are considering an alternative.
“The ionization filters that you can add to units seem to have a little more acceptance,” Cool says. “These are components that you add on to your duct work and it ionizes the air and kills all the viruses in it.”
These cost about $2,000 per HVAC unit, while the UV lights are more than double that. The one problem with ionization filters in late 2021 is supply chain issues that are causing them to be harder to come by.
Both options should be done by certified technicians.
4-Clean ducts, period
This might seem like something basic, but it’s a step that many churches don’t do, and it should be done at minimum every 3-5 years, according to Cool.
“Clean the grills; get the dirt off your supply and return vents ... we find this is an area that has been grossly overlooked."
Tim Cool, Founder Smart Solutions Group, Charlotte, NC
“Most of the time, churches don’t think about this, but you have these big pieces of metal that are attracting dirt and dust and other stuff, and it’s laying in there and starts getting moved around,” he says. “Clean the grills; get the dirt off your supply and return vents. This is stuff that should have been happening all along, but anytime we [make] an assessment, we find this is an area that has been grossly overlooked.”
For those that were ignoring it, Cool explains how the likelihood of dirt being blown down on occupants is very high whenever the air is turned on. This creates an unsafe germ environment.
“And don’t forget the bathroom vents,” he says. “They should be run more regularly and cleaned, because you are pulling air out of those restrooms. You need to think about all the apparatuses in your building to keep the airflow as strong as possible.”
5-Stay on top of new trends and learn from them
"There’s going to come a point when churches will need to use more air quality sensoring—which will tell you if you have air quality issues or not.”
Tim Cool, Founder Smart Solutions Group, Charlotte, NC
Ever since the pandemic reared its ugly head, there have been new innovations that help with air quality, and it’s important that church leaders keep up with what’s new and working.
Cool notes that more is expected in 2022 and 2023.
“There’s going to come a point when churches will need to use more air quality sensoring—which will tell you if you have air quality issues or not,” Cool says. “It’s not here yet, but from people that we’ve talked to, it’s something that could be coming down the line.”
