Air ducts are vital for the flow of air through buildings and controlling indoor climates. Without air ducts, things like AC would be difficult to operate. However, there’s a new worry around air ducts spreading airborne viruses. To ease that concern, here’s what to know about AC ducts and how they interact with viruses.
First, you must understand airflow inside a building or home with AC ducts. The system circulates air in the rooms and flows into the vents as the ducts bring in and take out air. This process helps bring in fresh air and cycles all the air inside the building.
A significant worry about viruses is certain strains traveling in the air. This concern grew during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing anxiety about the air drawn from the room of an infected person. The belief was that the air carried the airborne virus, brought it to other rooms, and infected more people.
It’s not easy to confirm if AC ducts spread airborne viruses or not. No evidence suggests viruses, specifically COVID-19, can travel in AC ducts and infect people. As long as you have good indoor air quality solutions , you should have no issues with AC duct work and airborne viruses spreading inside buildings or homes. However, increased outdoor airflow rates inside a room may have some positive influence on reducing the spread of viruses to people who share that room with a carrier.
This is what you should know about viruses and AC air ducts. While it’s difficult to say with full certainty, no study has found any link between AC ducts and viruses like COVID-19 spreading to others inside a building without being in the same room. You can rest easy using the AC inside your own home.