ASHRAE Standard 170 Summary

Recently, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) banded together to update their joint standard on Ventilation of Health Care Facilities.

Here is what’s new in ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170-2021 as it relates to air filtration:

• More granular approach to air cleanliness based on “Function of Space”
• Helpful reference tables to guide you as to particle efficiency requirements
• Normative Notes that accompany tables help ensure compliance with standard
• Stated recommendation for mechanical filtration as opposed to filtration that can degrade in efficiency

Depending on the type of space within your facilities, the required particle efficiency may be as low as MERV 8, or as high as HEPA. The good news is that the clean air experts at AAF Flanders can help you ensure that your spaces comply with this updated standard.

For more information on the revised standard, check out this handy blog post shared by the professional associations.

To better understand the implications of this updated standard for air filtration in your facility, download this infographic.

For an overview of air filtration solutions work to ensure clean air throughout your facilities, visit our Healthcare Market Insights page.