NYC DOH hotline Q&A on building cleaning and HVAC maintenance,

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

D. Air Conditioners

• Is it safe to run air conditioners? How do you know if your air conditioner is contaminated? How should air conditioners be cleaned? If there is dust settled on the outside will it enter into the air inside? We recommend that you be diligent in replacing your air conditioner filters often since these filters serve as a trap for fibers and particulate matter. Outdoor air samples have indicated that air quality meets the current standards. However, if visible accumulations of debris are observed near the air conditioner’s intake, the accumulations should be cleaned using vacuums equipped with HEPA filters and wet methods.

• How should air conditioners be cleaned? (This question was incorporated above as the answer was the same as the above.)

• How often should air conditioners filters be replaced? This depends on the manufacturer’s specifications and recommendations. Residents should check the filters on a regular basis to determine whether they need replacement. They cannot be changed too often, so please err on the side of caution and replace them frequently (once a month while debris cleanup is still occurring outdoors?) (If fixed line 3)

• Can you buy a HEPA filter that will fit into an air conditioner? Some air conditioners are not compatible with HEPA filters. We are not aware of any air conditioner brands that can be retrofitted with a HEPA filter.

II HEALTH RELATED ISSUES A. Health Effects

• What is the DOH doing to protect residents’ health? (Some people report that they have asthma as a result of the air, as well as other symptoms. While symptoms have decreased over the past few months, there remain concerns about coughs, upper respiratory stress, etc.)

The DOH along with DEP and several other government agencies are performing a number of tasks including the review of air quality data, assessing and mitigating risks caused by asbestos containing material, enforcing the Commissioner’s Order to ensure that all

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