ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - 84

The Role of Louvers in
Combating Infectious Aerosol
Transmission in Buildings
By: James Livingston, Sales and Application Manager, RuskinĀ®

W

ith the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, building
managers and HVAC designers have been challenged to
provide a comfortable indoor environment that is as safe
as possible for its occupants. A recently published document from
ASHRAE offers several strategies for the design and operation of
HVAC systems that may help reduce infectious aerosol transmission.
Among the strategies identified, increasing outside air ventilation
and running HVAC systems longer (around the clock, if possible)
are suggested for indoor air dilution and replacement.
Bringing in the Air-Not the Water
For systems that use intake louvers, increased airflow and longer
operation cycles could increase water penetration through existing
louvers, causing building damage and indoor air quality issues.
Retrofitting with more efficient louvers might be a consideration.
For new systems, proper louver selection is vital in designing an
effective HVAC system.
Wind-driven rain resistant louvers like the RuskinĀ® HZ700 double
frame extreme performance louver can provide superior rain
protection, making them some of the best choices for new system
designs and retrofits. AMCA 500-L wind-driven rain Class A rated
louvers like the HZ700 allow only a few ounces of water penetration
in an hour vs. several gallons through a traditional, drainable louver
in storm conditions.

Ruskin offers a wide variety of high-performance
solutions for wind-driven rain. The HZ700 is
a double frame, extreme performance louver
featuring a horizontal front blade design for
architecturally pleasing aesthetics.

Wind-driven rain louvers are available in horizontal and vertical blade models. Horizontal models can often be sized comparably
to traditional louvers for a given airflow with similar pressure drop and high rain rejection effectiveness. Vertical blade models that
provide the best rain resistance and lowest pressure drop usually will handle the highest air volumes through a given size. For the
most demanding applications, AMCA 550 compliant models are available, providing 99% rain rejection effectiveness when subjected
to hurricane-level wind and rain conditions.
Selecting the Right Louver
Providing constant airflow and outside air circulation while keeping water out of a building reduces damage and limits the opportunity
for mold and dampness. Both of these are proven to be negative contributors to indoor air quality (IAQ). Referencing ASHRAE
Position Document on Infectious Aerosols, additional moisture in the air system can also rehydrate and propagate infection.
Utilizing wind-driven rain resistant louvers for HVAC system intakes offers the highest airflow capacity for increased dilution and
minimizes water infiltration for building protection and acceptable indoor air quality. AMCA offers Certified Ratings and Listed
Label programs that verify the published performance of louvers. Specifying louvers with these credentials is highly recommended
for all louver applications.
Visit AMCA.org to see certified and listed louver models and access the testing standards documents referenced in this article.
Or visit ruskin.com to learn more about Ruskin wind-driven rain resistant louvers and other high-performance products.

ruskin@ruskin.com | 816-761-7476 | ruskin.com


http://www.AMCA.org http://www.ruskin.com http://www.ruskin.com

ASHRAE Journal - March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - March 2021

Contents
ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - 3
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ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - March 2021 - Cover4
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