Do you want cleaner air in your home?
You've probably heard that outdoor air pollution is bad. But did you know that the air inside your home is actually more harmful?
Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors where the air quality can be 2 to 5 times worse than outdoor air. That means what we're breathing inside is much more dangerous than we realized.
Your HVAC system is a huge factor in the indoor air quality that you breathe every day. If it's not set up properly, it could be recirculating pollutants and making the air inside your home worse.
In this guide you'll learn:
- The importance of indoor air quality
- How HVAC systems affect air quality
- Effective HVAC solutions that work
- Easy steps to breathe cleaner air today
- How HVAC systems affect air quality
- Effective HVAC solutions that work
- Easy steps to breathe cleaner air today
The Importance of Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is more than an overused buzzword that HVAC companies use to get you to buy stuff.
Poor indoor air quality has a real, negative effect on your family's health. It can contribute to allergy and asthma symptoms, headaches and fatigue, respiratory infections, and chronic health conditions.
Think about how much time you spend inside your home.
You sleep, work, relax, and play inside -- so you're breathing the air in your home constantly. And if the air quality is bad, those pollutants are lingering in your lungs.
Outdoor air pollution isn't great either -- over 131 million Americans live in areas with failing air quality grades. So even if your home is a clean air haven, outdoor pollution is still finding its way inside.
But you can do something about it.
This is where your HVAC system comes in.
How HVAC Systems Affect Air Quality
Your HVAC system does a lot more than just keeping you warm or cool.
It literally conditions the air that you breathe every day. A properly functioning HVAC system will filter, circulate, and adjust the temperature and humidity of your home's air. But if it's not working properly or equipped with the right technology, it can make your indoor air quality much worse.
Most HVAC systems come standard with basic filters that trap large particles. They do nothing for the smaller, more harmful pollutants that affect your health.
This is why choosing the right HVAC contractor matters.
Professional plumbing and HVAC services can review your existing system and suggest HVAC solutions that will improve the air you breathe. They have experience working with the advanced HVAC systems that work best in your home.
Effective HVAC Solutions That Work
This is the part you've been waiting for.
The HVAC solutions that actually make a difference in the air quality inside your home. These are the advanced upgrades that help your HVAC system do its job well.
High-Efficiency Air Filters
Standard HVAC filters use a MERV rating between 1-4. This means they barely do anything to improve the air quality in your home.
Instead you want a filter with a MERV rating of 8-13. Anything higher will stop larger pollutants like pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, and dust.
The higher the MERV rating the better it is at capturing particles. Just make sure your HVAC system is strong enough to handle the more resistant airflow of a HEPA filter.
UV Light Air Purification
UV air purifiers are a great addition to your HVAC system.
UV light uses ultraviolet radiation to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold as the air passes through your HVAC system. They help you stay one step ahead of cold and flu season by sanitizing everything that gets recirculated.
UV lights kill microorganisms by disrupting their DNA. This prevents them from multiplying and spreading throughout your home. Installation is simple too, they get attached to your air ducts or air handler.
Whole-Home Air Purification Systems
Whole-home air purifiers take air quality one step further.
Portable air purifiers have their place, but they only cover one room. Whole-home systems connect to your HVAC system and clean the air throughout your entire home -- not just the bedroom.
HEPA filtration, activated carbon filters, ionization, and photocatalytic oxidation are common in whole-home air purification systems. They work in tandem to filter out almost everything that's harmful.
Smart Ventilation Systems
Old HVAC systems recirculate the same stale air again and again.
Smart ventilation systems bring in fresh outdoor air and exhaust stale indoor air. They use a heat recovery ventilator or an energy recovery ventilator to accomplish this.
Why does this matter?
Fresh air dilutes the pollutants inside your home. Without it, the contaminants build up over time and make the air quality worse.
Smart ventilation systems have sensors that monitor indoor air quality, humidity levels, room occupancy, and time of day. They use this data to make real-time adjustments for optimal air quality.
Humidity Control Systems
Humidity is one of the biggest factors in air quality that people forget about.
Too much humidity breeds mold and dust mites. Too little humidity dries out your skin and respiratory system, which makes you more vulnerable to infection.
The goal is to maintain humidity levels between 30-50% relative humidity in your home. Whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers can work with your HVAC system to control the humidity year-round. This helps keep your family more comfortable and stop moisture-related air quality issues from forming.
Easy Steps To Breathe Cleaner Air Today
You don't have to replace your entire HVAC system tomorrow to improve indoor air quality.
Here are a few simple steps you can take right now:
Change your filters often. It's the simplest step on this list. Check them each month and change them when they're visibly dirty. Don't wait for the 90-day replacement schedule that comes on the packaging -- go by what you see.
Service your HVAC system annually. Annual maintenance keeps your system running smoothly and helps identify potential indoor air quality issues before they get bad.
Monitor your home's humidity. Pick up a cheap hygrometer to keep track of your home's humidity level. Then adjust it with portable humidifiers and dehumidifiers until you can install whole-home solutions.
Keep your home clean. Vacuum and dust regularly to keep pollutant levels down. Pick a vacuum with a HEPA filter for best results.
Final Thoughts On Clean Indoor Air
Indoor air quality is something that you can't ignore.
It takes the right equipment, consistent maintenance, and a proactive approach to cleaning to improve your indoor air quality. Your HVAC system is the most important tool for having control over the air that you breathe indoors.
You can start small with filter upgrades, or go all the way with a whole-home air purification system. The point is to take action today so you can breathe better air tomorrow.
Don't wait for someone in your family to develop health issues. Better indoor air quality is an investment in your health, improved sleep, and quality of life.
Your lungs will thank you.