International. As schools make plans and take precautions to reopen in the fall, Carrier announced the launch of its OptiCleanTM 1500-cfm dual-mode air scrubber and negative air machine, ideal for helping to keep indoor air quality clean and healthy in classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, gyms, restrooms and more.
The new unit joins the existing OptiClean 500-cfm unit, which was launched in April to help create infectious isolation rooms in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients and is now used in hospitals and dental offices and is ideal for individual classroom use.
The new model extracts air from the interior of larger spaces, removes many pollutants and discharges clean and filtered air.
"Schools and school districts across the country are making very difficult decisions about how to properly prepare to reopen in the fall while keeping their students and teachers safe," said Chris Nelson, Carrier's HVAC president. "Our new OptiClean technology will provide a piece of the puzzle to help protect the health of students and teachers when they return to school. The new units can be plugged into a standard outlet in any room where students and teachers congregate during the school day to help reduce pollutants like the coronavirus, improve indoor air quality, and slow the spread of the disease."
Like the 500 cfm unit, the new 1500 cfm OptiClean unit plugs into a standard outlet and uses a HEPA filter of more than 99.97% efficiency and long life to significantly reduce the presence of coronavirus and other contaminants in the air. OptiClean units exceed the ASHRAE* school reopening recommendation that portable electric HEPA machines be introduced into each classroom and provide a minimum of two air changes per hour.
Carrier OptiClean units are portable, take up only about three square feet of floor space when vertically oriented, and can also be operated horizontally, allowing for convenient, unobstructed location in classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, or gyms. A 500 cfm unit can properly clean the air in a medium-sized classroom; The new 1500 cfm unit is designed for larger spaces. In both cases, multiple units can be used for more expansive spaces.
OptiClean is one of a number of solutions offered through Carrier's Healthy Buildings Program that can help school districts improve indoor air quality. Other product features and updates include filters with high MERV ratings; UV lights; Agion antimicrobial coating, which can be applied to protect against bacterial growth; economizers; and a Humidi-MiZer dehumidification system.
