Its safe to use AC during pandemic, says manufactures suggesting guidelines

Refrigeration and AC manufacturers on Monday said that it is safe to use air-conditioners during the COVID-19 pandemic and these do not pose a risk of spread of the disease.

Referring to the ongoing debate on the usage of Room AC at home and public space during pandemic,the Refrigeration and AC Manufacturers Associations (RAMA) said that it is absolutely safe to use with few additional precautions.

It has joined hands with the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) for implementation of air conditioning and ventilation guidelines in the residential and commercial spaces.

It has recommended guidelines, suggesting to keep the temperature of theroom AC between 24-30 degree24 for humid climate and 30 for dryers, said RAMA in a statement.

According to it,room AC units are designed to maintain the humidity between 40 and 60. In dry climates where humidity is less, it is recommended to increase the humidity by keeping water in a shallow pan, said RAMA.

It has also suggested ventilate the room adequately by slightly keeping the window open during running with the exhaust fan running in the adjacent bathroom if possible and by keeping doors and windows open when AC is not operated.

Besides, it has also suggested to increase the frequency of filter cleaning.

While for the central air conditioning system, it has recommended the start-up of the system after a prolonged shutdown should follow protocols given in the ISHRAE guideline adopted by CPWD.

It has suggested keeping the temperature setting between 24 and 30 degrees and during non-working hours and weekends,to keep the air circulation system running at all times without cooling.

RAMA and ISHRAE have planned to run a nationwide awareness drive for the air conditioning and ventilation guidelines to optimise residential, commercial and hospital buildings for COVID-19 prevention issued by ISHRAE.