Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Experiment worth trying
Earlier I hypothesized that the EPA requirement of hermetically sealed apartments and skyscrapers was a major factor in NYC epidemics. This has been verified.
There's another variable besides the seal itself, which might lead to a useful experiment. Earlier NYC apts had steam heat. Newer bldgs have forced-air HVAC systems. Steam heat doesn't move air between rooms or units, and pretty much requires open windows. Forced-air systems share pathogens through the whole building evenly, and energy efficiency requires sealed windows.
In other parts of the country the alternative to forced-air varies. Here in Spokane it's electric baseboard heaters. In Oklahoma it's natural gas floor furnaces. Electric doesn't require open windows; natural gas does.
Would it be possible to compare epidemic contagion between those categories in existing buildings? Compare apts that still have steam radiators or electric baseboard, vs similar apts converted to forced air.
Labels: Carbon Cult, Constants and Variables
¶ 8:06 AM
