- (507) 454-7689
The Ins and Outs of Indoor Air Quality
Ah, indoor air quality (IAQ)—the often overlooked aspect of home comfort. Most homeowners think that as long as their furnace and air conditioner are working, they’re all set. But because you spend up to 90 percent of your time indoors, it’s important to know the air circulating through your home is clean and fresh. IAQ represents the cleanliness of your air, including its humidity level, pollution level, and other related issues. Common IAQ issues—like dust, bacteria, viruses, pollen, mold, and humidity—could be affecting your family’s health. Poor air quality can result in lowered productivity, decreased home values, and even health concerns. Have our specialists perform an assessment to ensure the air in your home is healthy.
What Our Indoor Air Quality Specialist Certification Means for You
Earning our Indoor Air Quality Specialist certification was a necessity. We already had a proficient understanding and working practice of indoor air quality—the certification was the next step in showing our customers that we ensure “Healthy Home Air.” We have professional training and knowledge of how to accurately observe IAQ problems and recommend products that will alleviate them.
We stay up-to-date on our training and complete a test each year to maintain our certification. As new and improved products enter the market, our team becomes educated about them to better improve your home’s air quality. Our experts are here to help you breathe easy and enjoy ultimate comfort in your home.
Products That Can Enhance Your Home Comfort
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that indoor air quality is one of the leading health concerns affecting families. To ensure we’re effectively testing your air, we use the AirAdvice for Homes™ monitor. It’s a small device we place in your home and within 30 minutes, it provides a detailed report that tells us what issues, if any, are present. The monitor detects particles, chemicals, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, temperature, and humidity issues that could be affecting your health and comfort.
If there is an issue with your home’s air quality, know that there are a number of products available to resolve it. Our experts will diagnosis your air quality and recommend necessary products to keep your air purified and healthy. Here are a few common IAQ products and what they can do for you:
- Air purifiers are an essential part of your home comfort system. They remove airborne particulates like bacteria, viruses, pollen, and mold from the air. In fact, they can remove up to 99 percent of irritants and are 40 times more effective than a standard furnace filter.
- Ultraviolet (UV) lights help to eliminate the circulation of bacteria, viruses, mold, and other irritants by sterilizing your cooling coil and zapping any mold or bacteria that’s growing on it. UV lights are simple to install and only need to be replaced once every couple of years.
- Humidifiers add moisture to the air when it’s too dry to maintain a balanced level somewhere between 35 to 50 percent. They can even help you save on energy costs during winter because humid air feels warmer, which means you’ll feel comfortable at lower temperatures.
- Dehumidifiers remove excess moisture from your air when levels rise to uncomfortable levels (above 50 percent). They, too, can help save you money on energy bills because you will feel comfortable at higher temperatures during the summer.
- Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) bring fresh air into your home and remove stagnant air. These systems are ideal for our Minnesota climate because they minimize heat loss to ensure it’s as efficient as possible.
- Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) exchange stagnant, contaminated air with pre-filtered, outdoor air to lower pollution levels without wasting your energy. These systems are ideal for warmer climates since they don’t minimize heat loss.
- CO alarms monitor your air quality and alert you at the first sign of a carbon monoxide leak. Because carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas, even the smallest of leaks can be deadly. Make sure you change your batteries regularly and have a working alarm at all times.
Give our IAQ experts a call if you’re concerned about the quality of your air—or have us assess it the next time we’re out for furnace or A/C maintenance.
