It’s natural to assume that your home is a place of safety and comfort, but that’s not always the case. According to leading health authorities, poor indoor air quality may be putting you and your family unknowingly at risk. It’s a serious problem for residents of Asheville, NC, and the surrounding communities. Better health and peace of mind are within your grasp thanks to our full line of expert IAQ services.
Step Up Your Air Filtration Game
Firstly, the most direct way to confront an indoor air quality problem is to remove pollutants directly from the air. Modern HVAC systems employ air filters for this purpose, but they typically only remove large particulates. For finer particulates and other airborne pollutants, a whole-home air purifier or electronic air cleaner is a far superior option. Many high-efficiency filtration systems can remove more than 95% of airborne particles with ease.
However, despite their outstanding effectiveness, air cleaners can’t address indoor air quality issues at their source. In fact, one particularly common source of airborne pollutants comes from inside your HVAC system itself. Your air conditioner’s evaporator coil and drain pan are hotspots for the growth of bacteria and microbial. Installing a germicidal ultraviolet light system prevents this growth, offering ongoing protection against hazardous organic pollutants.
Enjoy Fresh Air Without Wasting Energy
As in most areas of the country, homes in North Carolina are typically built to be as airtight as possible. This prevents air leaks and helps make your home more energy-efficient, but it also comes with unintended consequences. With limited air exchange, there may not be enough fresh air coming into your home to flush out stale, polluted air. Airborne contaminants can quickly accumulate, potentially reaching concentrations that could be hazardous to your health.
The solution is an energy recovery ventilator. As the name implies, this type of whole-home ventilation system allows you to enjoy improved ventilation without major efficiency losses. By transferring heat and moisture between the air entering and leaving your home, you lose very little energy. The system exhausts contaminated air and replaces it with fresh, pre-conditioned air from outdoors.
Master Your Indoor Humidity
Do the humidity levels in your home often leave you feeling like Goldilocks? Too much moisture in the air is oppressive, but too little moisture can also be unhealthy. Getting your indoor humidity levels just right is an important, overlooked key to good health and comfort. Happily, whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers make it a cinch to bring your humidity levels under control.
To determine your needs, use a hygrometer or built-in humidistat to track your home’s normal humidity fluctuations. The ideal range is between 30% and 50%, typically with lower values in winter and higher values in summer. In some cases, maintaining a healthy range throughout the year may require both a humidifier and a dehumidifier. Note that a ventilation system may also help manage humidity issues in homes without proper ventilation. Therefore, you should also consider investing in such device.
Clean and Seal Your Air Ducts
Finally, as air circulates through your HVAC duct system, it often takes unwanted hitchhikers along for the ride. Dust and other particulates can easily spread through your air ducts, accumulating on various surfaces throughout your system. When they eventually enter into the air stream again, they can blow directly into your living space. Most ductwork is also leaky, providing gaps and holes for even more dust and dirt to enter your air stream. Having your ductwork professionally cleaned and sealed is a simple, cost-effective way to eliminate these issues and enjoy better indoor air quality. Once your ducts are cleaned and sealed properly, you can expect:
- Better source control and elimination of particulates.
- Less risk of microbial growth.
- More consistent humidity management.
Don’t let poor indoor air quality make you uncomfortable or unsafe in your own home. With proven expertise and affordable, high-tech solutions, Gentry Heating, Inc. (now Gentry Service Group) is Western North Carolina’s leading indoor air quality and comfort authority. Contact us today for more information.
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