For most homeowners, a healthy home environment is essential. Having a home heating and cooling system that operates properly is one of the primary ways homeowners can keep their homes comfortable and safe, but some homes need a little help regarding indoor air quality or IAQ. This can be especially true during the winter months when heating systems are running frequently and there is little fresh air being introduced into the home.
Fortunately, there are many IAQ products available on the market today that can help homeowners keep their indoor air fresher, cleaner, and free of contaminants like dust, dander, bacteria, and viruses. If you’ve been thinking about improving the air quality in your home, this article will help you learn more about IAQ – how both older and newer homes can benefit from it, and the types of products available. Keep reading to learn more!
What types of homes usually need indoor air quality products?
Generally speaking, most types of homes can benefit from improved air quality. Sometimes, people with newer homes don’t think they need IAQ products, but this can be far from the truth. Conversely, people with older homes might not realize there are products that can help keep the air cleaner and free of dust. Here’s why both older and newer homes often need advanced indoor air quality solutions:
Older Homes
Many older homes were built with centralized heating systems, such as furnaces. Most of the time, homes with furnaces have what’s called forced air heat. Often, homeowners with these types of systems notice that there is a lot of dust in the air in their homes. The air ducts that deliver heated air to rooms throughout the house can often become dirty, and if the furnace filter isn’t changed regularly, those particles have nowhere to go but into the air in the home. While most people aren’t necessarily allergic to dust, they’re often allergic to dust mites, microscopic bugs that live in house dust. This causes sneezing, runny nose, and even wheezing and difficulty breathing.
Newer Homes
While it may seem counterintuitive, the indoor air quality in newer homes can be poor, too. That’s because modern homes are built to be more efficient. And that’s great when it comes to saving money on utility bills, it also means that newer homes are built to be “tight”, allowing for very little outside air to enter the home. This means that the air that flows through the HVAC system is circulated time and time again, and along with it, any particles or contaminants. It can also leave the home more susceptible to mold and mildew growth, which contributes to poor air quality and can make the people living in the home sick, especially those with allergies.
What types of products are available that can help improve my home’s IAQ?
At T.F. O’Brien, we take a comprehensive approach to indoor air quality. While the process we use and the equipment we recommend depend on your heating and cooling system and can vary from one home to another, we generally take a three-step approach.
- We filter the air by installing a highly efficient air cleaner. This is a much more effective solution than standard filters.
- We install a photocatalytic oxidizing air purifier to chemically treat the air to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are the byproducts of common household materials like paint, carpet, vinyl flooring, air fresheners, cleaning products, and more, as well as other pollutants.
- We install ultraviolet germicidal lights that kill up to 99% of airborne contaminants like mold, bacteria, and viruses.
- We may also recommend equipment to regulate your humidity levels.
I’d like to learn more about improving my home’s indoor air quality.
That’s great! We’d like to help. If you’re ready for a whole-house air quality solution that will ensure a safe, healthy environment your family and guests can truly enjoy, call us. No two homes are the same, and we’ll be happy to send one of our Home Comfort Advisors to meet with you at your convenience to evaluate your unique situation, make recommendations, and provide you with the products you need to start seeing improvements in your home’s IAQ right away. Simply contact us online or give us a call at 516.488.1800, and we’ll be happy to schedule an appointment with you.