Are Your Indoor Air Quality Needs in the Right Hands?
Is your home polluted? When most of us hear about the pollution we think of a highway filled with smog, or a factory puffing out smoke. But what about what’s happening inside our homes with our indoor air quality? Recent environmental research on pollution in our homes is providing shocking results.Leading environmental health researchers have discovered that indoor air is often two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Most of us spend the majority of our day indoors, which may be more hazardous to our health than we realized.
Without paying attention to our indoor air quality in Greenville, IN and surrounding areas, we may be causing more problems for our children and family than ever before. The first step is to gain awareness of the risks and then move forward with improving our conditions and preventing future issues.
What is indoor air quality?
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality inside and around buildings and structures.
IAQ is specifically related to the health and comfort of those who work or live in the building. In some cases, you can identify poor air quality quickly and easily.
Perhaps you walk into a room and find it harder to breathe, or your eyes start to water. You may enter a building and start to cough or experience congestion in your nose or throat. These are simple signs of poor air quality.
Most of the time, identifying indoor air quality is not so simple. Subtle pollutants like airborne contaminants, radon, bacteria, mold, and dust can cause subtle problems like headaches and fatigue.
Many of us would contribute these feelings to a long day at the office. However, over time, the pollution in Greenville, IN and surrounding areas, homes and office buildings may cause long-term problems, like asthma, severe allergies, and even heart and lung diseases.
With today’s technologies in filtration and proper humidification, airborne contaminants and pollutants can be drastically reduced to help the members of your family breath easier.
How to Measure Levels of Indoor Air Quality
Among the greatest causes of indoor pollution in New Albany, IN and surrounding areas is volatile organic compounds or VOCs These are gases that are released through everyday products like cleaning solutions, carpets, building materials, plastic, etc. Many homeowners use VOC products every day without a second thought.
You can measure your indoor air quality by using a VOC sensor. This measures organic compounds and can pick up even small levels of pollutants and chemicals. VOC sensors should be used only by a professional to ensure the equipment and the readings are accurate and reliable.
Air Purification: Improving the Air you Breathe
Once you know more about your indoor air quality and what is causing your VOC levels, you can take steps to improve it. There are three simple things you can do to improve the air quality in your home right away.
First, eliminate the source. If your VOC reading indicates any asbestos, mold, or gas problems, eliminate these problems from your home as soon as possible. This may require professional cleaning or removal services.
Next, increase the ventilation of your space. An experienced New Albany, IN HVAC contractor, can help you do this through your HVAC system. You can also increase ventilation by using a ceiling or standing fan throughout the space. Even just opening the windows can make a big difference. Although these are ways to increase ventilation, these are not efficient options. Our experts at Allegiance Heating & Air, LLC can help discuss these options with you.
Lastly, you can invest in a variety of air cleaning products on the market. Several indoor air quality products can make a big difference, but it’s important to do your research and choose the one that’s best for you. Allegiance Heating & Air, LLC is also here to provide the best indoor air quality that fit your home’s needs, contact our team today if you have any questions!
Home Indoor Air Quality Products
There is a complete range of indoor air quality products to help your family breathe easier with cleaner, healthier indoor air.
- Whole Home Ventilators: A Recovery Ventilator removes stale air and replaces it with fresh air that circulates continuously throughout the home. We offer recovery ventilator products made by York and General Aire. A ventilator works with your existing HVAC system to supply fresh air throughout your New Albany, IN home. There are two different types of whole home ventilators – one for circulating warm air and one for cool air.
- Home Humidifiers: If you live in a particularly dry climate, increasing the moisture in your home can also increase the air quality. A whole-home humidifier makes your home more comfortable while decreasing contaminants. We offer humidifiers from some of the best brands in the industry, like York, General Aire, and April Aire.
- Dehumidifiers: In the humid environment of New Albany, IN, too much moisture can be a problem causing mold and bacteria growth in your home. A dehumidifier can clean up the air by removing excess moisture. A dehumidifier integrates with your air handler to remove the continual infiltration of water into the air. At Allegiance Heating & Air, LLC, we’ll offer dehumidifiers from respected brand names such as York, General Aire, and April Aire.
- Electric Air Cleaners: An electric air cleaner is ideal for homeowners who may be sensitive to airborne viruses, bacteria, or mold particles. The electric charge causes airborne particles to be drawn to metal plates. This can be effective at removing allergens, mold, and even dust particles from the air inside your home.
- Media Air Cleaners: A media air cleaner traps bacteria and spores in a filter while providing for the removal of virus-sized particles. You can easily see how much pollution your home has as you change the filters regularly. We offer media air cleaners from trusted brands such as York and Honeywell.
- Ultraviolet Air Cleaners: UV light is a very low-maintenance system that can be very effective at eliminating mold and bacteria.
Air Purifiers vs. Air Filters vs. Air Cleaners
You may hear these terms used interchangeably because they are very similar in their efforts of improving indoor air quality. A purifier, filter, and air cleaner all work to trap or remove particles or contaminants from the air.
Purifiers
Air purifiers remove impurities from the air using UV lamps in conjunction with your HVAC system to provide cleaner, healthier air for you and your family.
Filters
An air filter is a pleated mesh of some sort that can be used to screen out particles. Chances are, your HVAC system has a filter involved. However, if you suffer from an allergic or adverse health symptom, it may not be enough. We offer products and filters that can help with allergies, contact our team today for more information!
Cleaners
An air cleaner is built directly into your HVAC system and installed between the air duct return and the HVAC equipment to clean all of the air flowing in your home’s ductwork. Air cleaners can prevent dust, dirt, and debris while also prolonging the life of your heating and cooling systems.
If you’re not sure what type of system you need to improve your indoor air quality, discuss your concerns with an Allegiance Heating & Air, LLC team member. They can test your current air and provide expert recommendations on what products will make the biggest difference without breaking your budget.
Work with an Expert: Improve Your Quality of Living
Allow Allegiance Heating & Air, LLC to work for you to improve the indoor air quality for your New Albany, IN home and family. Our professional HVAC contractors receive extensive training in the causes and solutions for common indoor air quality problems in Indiana homes.
Although we’re based in Greenville, IN and surrounding areas, we’re proud to serve the following areas: New Albany, Jeffersonville, Sellersburg, Clarksville, Floyds Knobs, Georgetown, and Corydon as well as the Louisville, KY area and more.
Contact us today for more information!
FAQs
Indoor air quality is a serious concern, especially since homeowners typically spend more time inside their homes than outdoors. It may be hard to believe, but studies show that indoor air quality is typically much worse than outdoor air quality.
To help improve the air in your home, an Allegiance Heating & Air technician can install devices like UV lights, advanced air filters, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, electronic air cleaners, and more. Since poor indoor air quality has been linked to various health issues, enhancing your home’s air quality is a valuable investment.
