New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has released “Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Indoor Food Services in New York City. In addition to regulations for sanitization, social distancing, and other operating procedures, the document includes guidelines from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force. The Department of Health document lists requirements for restaurant HVAC systems based on system type.
The HVAC requirements from NYSDOH are listed on the following page. We have categorized them by three levels of requirements, as identified by the NYSDOH guidelines:
- Level 1 – central HVAC system with MERV-13 filtration
- Level 2 – central HVAC system without MERV-13 filtration
- Level 3 – restaurants without a central HVAC system
** For spaces with a central system capable of MERV-13 filtration, the additional ASHRAE guidelines shown in Level 3 are optional. For systems not capable of MERV-13 filtration or spaces without a central HVAC system, these additional ASHRAE guidelines shown in Level 3 are required (to the extent possible).
EP offers consultation and commissioning services to Owners looking to operate their restaurants in compliance with NYS . We will audit your restaurant and provide a complete BETTER AIR feasibility analysis, including all requirements for existing systems per NYSDOH.
LEVEL 1
Central AC System
- Install MERV-13 filtration on all systems
- Submit letter from engineer or other HVAC professional
- Optionally, perform Level 3 options
LEVEL 2
Central AC System MERV-13 not possible
- Conduct analysis to confirm MERV-13 is not possible
- Submit letter from engineer or other HVAC professional
- Perform all Level 3 items to the extent possible
LEVEL 3
No Central System
- Retro-commissioning, testing and balancing
- Increase ventilation rates or open windows (to extent possible)
- Run systems for longer hours / ventilation flush
- Disable demand controlled ventilation (where reasonable)
- Maintain 40-60% relative humidity (where possible)
- Open outdoor air dampers to reduce recirculation (where possible)
- Inspect/service all filters and seal edges of the filter to limit bypass of filter
- UVGI and/or portable air cleaners
Disclaimer: The COVID-19 pandemic is a situation that is evolving every day. The information here is based on the recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Please refer to these agencies for the latest information.