Shelter in Place
 

The local news reports a chemical spill or fire and says 'shelter in
place' rules apply. One of those rules is to turn off your air
conditioner.

But if I know that my air conditioner does NOT have an external
source of air - by that, I mean that the air is just recirculating
inside air, should I turn off my air conditioner?

My window unit and my car both have a control for introducing outside
air - which I can close. My central unit does not. I wish it did but
I can't afford an air exchanger.....

ps. I've used a water column to measure static pressure with the air
on and it is neutral. Neither positive or negative pressure inside
my home....

"JimL" wrote in message
...
The local news reports a chemical spill or fire and says 'shelter in
place' rules apply. One of those rules is to turn off your air
conditioner.

But if I know that my air conditioner does NOT have an external
source of air - by that, I mean that the air is just recirculating
inside air, should I turn off my air conditioner?

My window unit and my car both have a control for introducing outside
air - which I can close. My central unit does not. I wish it did but
I can't afford an air exchanger.....

ps. I've used a water column to measure static pressure with the air
on and it is neutral. Neither positive or negative pressure inside
my home....

Actually, a positive pressure inside your home relative to the outside
environment would be a good thing in case of a chemical/biological incident.
Keeps the nasty stuff out.

But snice the average person doesn't habe that capability, I would think
turning off all ventilation (blower too) would prevent a negative pressure
situation - even in a single room - that could pull contaminated air in from
the outside.

"JimL" wrote in message
...
The local news reports a chemical spill or fire and says 'shelter in
place' rules apply. One of those rules is to turn off your air
conditioner.

But if I know that my air conditioner does NOT have an external
source of air - by that, I mean that the air is just recirculating
inside air, should I turn off my air conditioner?

My window unit and my car both have a control for introducing outside
air - which I can close. My central unit does not. I wish it did but
I can't afford an air exchanger.....

ps. I've used a water column to measure static pressure with the air
on and it is neutral. Neither positive or negative pressure inside
my home....



Unless you have had a true blower door test on your unit and home, you have
no way of knowing what you have.
EVERY unit leaks. It will leak at the returns, it will leak at the supply
side....it will leak at the blower itself.
Your home breathes too...if your home allows air to leave faster than the
unit is putting additional air into the home from normal leakage from
outside sources, then you will get a neutral pressure reading.
If the units pulling in air faster than the home can let it out, then you
get a positive...

Shut it off, unless you have a mini split ductless.

DesignGuy wrote:

Actually, a positive pressure inside your home relative to the
outside
environment would be a good thing in case of a chemical/biological
incident.
Keeps the nasty stuff out.

That "extra" air resulting in the positive pressure comes from outside.
You could have one source of incoming air and run that through
filters, but it wasn't clear that's what you meant. But at that point
you're talking saferoom with a separate air supply. If you're house is
that tight, you'd probably have a stale air concern more than
biohazards.

R