After a long week of work for most people, nothing sounds better than enjoying a nice dinner out with your loved ones. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, many restaurants have scaled back their operations from their menu to their hours and staffing which could make it difficult to find a place to eat and enjoy your evening. As a business owner, it’s also hard to keep operations running at normal capacity during this time. With sanitization and social distancing safety measures in place, it’s more difficult to operate as we did a year ago. This doesn’t mean you have to shut down your restaurant or continue to scale operations back completely though. Thankfully, HVAC systems and technology are evolving allowing for clean indoor air that is safe for not only your customers but your employees as well. Here are some ways that you can keep your restaurant safe and operating smoothly during a pandemic.
Upgrading Your HVAC System
MERV13 and HEPA filters have been proven to help eliminate and capture bacteria and coronavirus particles. Unfortunately, not every HVAC system is up to date or powerful enough to run these advanced filters without damaging the system. The maximum lifespan of a typical unit is 20 years. If your HVAC unit is 15 years or older consider replacing your unit since these units are very rarely compatible with higher-rated filters. By replacing or upgrading your system you will be able to run higher-rated filters as well as have a better performing unit. New units also are compatible with new HVAC technologies such as bipolar ionization which can destroy coronavirus particles and prevent them from spreading.
Ensuring Proper Ventilation
One of the most important reasons to have good ventilation in your restaurant is it will keep clean air circulating throughout the building. Air that is not properly ventilated can become stagnant which could lead to an increase in bacteria and covid19 particles in the building. Ventilation ensures that any stagnant air is filtered out through your HVAC system and replaced with clean air. To ensure that your building has good ventilation check in with your HVAC technician for an inspection of the unit or during a preventative maintenance checkup. Another easy way to keep clean air moving throughout your building is by natural ventilation such as an open window.
Routine HVAC Maintenance
From filter changes to coil cleaning, routine maintenance helps keep your HVAC system clean and running smoothly. During routine maintenance, any debris within the system is removed to keep it from circulating back into your building. Dirty air filters are the number one cause of poor indoor air quality which makes it very important that your air filter is changed frequently. Higher rated filters such as MERV13 or HEPA filters should be changed monthly to prevent dirt buildup. Routine HVAC maintenance will also ensure that your HVAC system is in optimal working order to keep it running smoothly at all times.
Ensuring Safety Measures
As a business owner, one of the easiest ways to ensure safety for your customers and employees is by following safety regulations that have been put in place by your local government. Some of these could be social distancing measures, masks, sanitization stations, temperature checks, and limited capacity seating, all of which will help keep your restaurant clean and safe. Not only will these new safety measures keep your restaurant safe, but it will also prevent you from running into expensive fines for not following safety regulations.
A properly maintained and serviced HVAC system will help your restaurant be a much safer and comfortable dining experience. To learn more about how our HVAC professionals can keep your indoor air clean and comfortable for your guests and employees nationwide give us a call at (800) 382-3150.
