covid concern about gas heater multi-dwelling

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gghrt000

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Earlier I posted about my concern about turning on A/C in multi-dwelling units like apartments. Now winter approaching I am concerned about using gas heater. It appears my apartment does use gas heater (I see a big round cylindrical shaped tank outside on my balcony in a separate compartment). I am looking through how the heater air circulates around the multi-dwelling apartment and whether covid-19 aerosol can get from one unit to another. Does any have any sugestion or concern about this? I am concerned about it.
Since I heard about one of the cruise ship infection where residents in several of the ships compartment got infected with corona possibly through air circulation between rooms.
 
Each separate unit should have their own separate circulating system, it's how individual units can determine their own comfort level.
 
yes that makes sense, so i am assuming air will not circulate from from unit to another. But would you turn on your heat on your apartment if you are living there? Still concerned. Can air circulate back to the system, get its temperature adjust and flown to another unit? Haha, i am just erring on the side of caution. There is nothing worse than getting covid and admitted to hospital. For now, I will keep enduring in chilly temperature inside my place.
 
Maybe, if the complex was built in the 1920's and converted to individuals in the 1930"s.

Other than that, they are pretty much stand alone.
 
Where do you live?
Do you get an individual bill for your heat, or gas and electric?

It is extremely unlikely that you are exchanging air with your neighbors’ heating systems.

Just wear your mask in all common areas.
 
San Jose North in bay area. The unit is built in 2006 fairly new, decent upper-middle scale complex, however I will say management and employee moral is pretty low.
 
Even if there was shared air circulated between units, the air would be processed through an HVAC system (heat exchange, fan, etc.) that would absorb most of the aerosols that potentially carry the coronavirus. Taping filters over your air ducts would further lower the number of aerosols making it into your unit.
 
Do you have a closet somewhere in your apartment that has a water heater or a furnace in it? If that is the case, you definitely do not share air with other units through your HVAC system. If you have a thermostat where you control the temperature in your unit you most likely do not share HVAC with anyone. The age of your building would indicate that you would have fire stops or other practices to limit fire extension between units that should isolate you from your neighbors even more. Highly unlikely you are sharing air with other units. I understand it is serious concern, but I believe you can breathe without fear. My 2 cents worth.
 
Thinking more on my previous comment, it should be ignored. I'm somewhat confident that some virus-carrying aerosols will tend to condense on the surfaces of HVAC equipment, but there might be others that make it through. This occurred to me when I considered all those outbreaks in nursing homes.
 
Do you have a closet somewhere in your apartment that has a water heater or a furnace in it? If that is the case, you definitely do not share air with other units through your HVAC system. If you have a thermostat where you control the temperature in your unit you most likely do not share HVAC with anyone. The age of your building would indicate that you would have fire stops or other practices to limit fire extension between units that should isolate you from your neighbors even more. Highly unlikely you are sharing air with other units. I understand it is serious concern, but I believe you can breathe without fear. My 2 cents worth.
Yes I do and as a matter of fact, I took picture of it, I will try attaching
 
Thinking more on my previous comment, it should be ignored. I'm somewhat confident that some virus-carrying aerosols will tend to condense on the surfaces of HVAC equipment, but there might be others that make it through. This occurred to me when I considered all those outbreaks in nursing homes.
I am assuming nursing home tragedies were they were mixing all infected and uninfected individuals in one room with no separation and no way to keep the people separated which made those establishments sitting duck.
 
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