If you live in Middle Georgia, you’ve probably put a lot of thought into making sure you have plenty of good, cool air in your home or business in the summer. You’ve probably put at least some thought into staying warm through those occasionally chilly winter nights. But how much thought have you put into your indoor air quality?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) – solutions to control the dust, pollen, and other pollutants in a home’s air – is not a new thing in the world of heating and air. It has, though, become a much more common concern for homeowners in recent years. By 2000, products addressing air quality concerns had become a significant portion of the HVAC market – and in 2020, when COVID was at its most rampant, demand for IAQ solutions skyrocketed.
This month, we’ll look at five solutions that your local heating and air contractor can install in your home to improve your indoor air quality and your family’s health.
Why Should I Worry About Indoor Air Quality?
The average American spends about 24 hours each day breathing. With each breath in, your lungs are expecting to receive a life-giving dose of oxygen to nourish your body’s cells. Unfortunately, in bringing in that oxygen, your respiration also brings in anything else that’s floating around in the air alongside the oxygen:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold spores
- Bacteria and viruses
- Pet dander
- Foul odors
While some pollutants are really just a nuisance, like the smell that lingers after frying fish, others can be harmful to your health and that of your family. Getting rid of pathogens like bacteria and viruses, allergens like pet dander and pollen, and toxins such as those secreted by mold spores can reduce your family’s likelihood of developing:
- Severe allergies
- Asthma
- Respiratory conditions, including pneumonia
- Heart conditions
- Some types of cancer
So, how can your HVAC contractor get pollutants out and improve your indoor air quality?
Indoor Air Quality Solution #1: Complete Duct Cleaning
Your HVAC system’s air return filter does an excellent job of making sure that the air being drawn into your system is free of the largest dust particles. Some higher-end filters even remove tiny particles, down to the size of some bacteria.
Despite that, some pollutants will still find their way into your ductwork. Over time, dust, pollen, and other particulate matter can accumulate on the inside of your ducts. Mold and other fungal growths can also find a home in the dark crevices of your HVAC ducts. As conditioned or heated air passes through the ducts, some of the debris clinging to the duct walls dislodges and makes its way into your home.
Your HVAC contractor can perform a thorough cleaning of your ductwork, removing built-up dust and dirt, using a combination of special soft-filter brushes and vacuum cleaners equipped with HEPA filters.
If mold or other growths are detected in your ductwork, your contractor should apply a biocide that will kill the existing growth and prevent the issue from re-emerging.
Indoor Air Quality Solution #2: Filtration Systems
As mentioned above, your HVAC system already has filtration built into it. If you’re still experiencing the ill effects of indoor pollutants, however, consider giving your home’s filtration game a boost. Supplemental filtration systems can either be built into your home’s HVAC system or can be standalone units that use fans to pull air through special filters.
No matter what type of filtration system you choose, you’ll be able to select a level of filtration that meets your needs. While different companies use different rating systems to show each type of filter’s effectiveness, they all work on the same principle – higher-effectiveness filters are able to filter out smaller particles than lower-priced filters. Generally speaking:
- The least expensive filters block pollen, dust mites, everyday dust, and carpet fibers
- Mid-grade filters block all of that, plus mold spores, animal dander, and finer dust like cement
- High-quality filters block all of that, plus lead dust, particulates from auto exhaust, and even fine flour
- The highest quality filters block almost every type of particle, including some bacteria and viruses, tobacco smoke, and some microscopic allergens
Your HVAC contractor can work with you to determine what filtration solution is best for you.
Indoor Air Quality Solution #3: UV Disinfecting Systems
These magical devices usually work in conjunction with a very high-quality filtration system to give microbial pollutants a 1-2 punch. A UV disinfecting system passes your home’s air through and around one or more high-intensity UV-C lights.
UV-C is the highest-energy light there is. It’s the type of UV radiation responsible for sunburns in people and faded paint on cars and buildings. Exposing our bodies to unfiltered UV-C radiation is definitely a bad thing, and some bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and other pathogens react pretty poorly to it as well.
As air flows through the UV system, the intense UV-C light actively kills some types of microbes and deactivates many others, rendering them incapable of causing damage to you, your family, and your pets. The air then flows through a traditional physical filter, trapping the now-harmless particles and leaving you with clean, healthy air.
Indoor Air Quality Solution #4: Ionization Solutions
Another tactic for improving IAQ is to introduce ionized air into your HVAC system. (Warning: boring science stuff coming.) Ions are atoms that have lost or gained an electron and, as a result, have an electric charge. This charge causes them to be attracted to particles with the opposite charge and makes it very easy for ions to join together to create new compounds.
As it turns out, many of the compounds in everyday pollutants that cause us to get sick, have a bad reaction, or want to get outside for some fresh air can be rendered harmless by injecting ions into the atmosphere. These ions pair with the pollutants and make them more tolerable.
An IAQ ionization module is a simple addition to your home’s HVAC system that can dramatically improve your indoor air quality.
Indoor Air Quality Solution #5: Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers
Indoor air quality isn’t exclusively about removing pollutants from your home’s air. It also involves regulating the humidity levels inside your home. Excessive and inadequate humidity can have ill effects on both the home and its inhabitants.
A house that’s too dry will feel dusty, and every surface will collect static electricity. People in a too-dry home will tend to suffer more respiratory illnesses like colds and flu, are more susceptible to inflammation in the sinus cavities, and are more likely to develop dry, itchy skin.
A house that’s too damp is a breeding ground for mold, bacteria, and other nasty things. Breathing in an overly humid environment can exacerbate conditions like asthma, and the abundance of spores and other microbes means more allergies, more potential for serious respiratory issues, and other hazards.
When you work with a dedicated HVAC and IAQ contractor, they can provide you with either standalone or installed humidifier and/or dehumidifier solutions that help keep your home in the Goldilocks zone: not too dry, not too humid—just right.
The Team at Pruett Air Conditioning Is Middle Georgia’s Indoor Air Quality Experts!
Whether you need intensive HEPA filtration, a humidity-control solution, or just a good duct cleaning, we have your indoor air quality needs covered. Give us a call at and breathe easier!
Pruett Air Conditioning has offices in Warner Robins and Eastman, GA, so no matter where in Middle Georgia you’re located, Pruett is your local HVAC company.
- Bonaire, GA
- Byron, GA
- Centerville, GA
- Cochran, GA
- Dublin, GA
- Eastman, GA
- Fort Valley, GA
- Kathleen, GA
- Macon, GA
- McRae, GA
- Perry, GA
- Warner Robins, GA