Allergens like pollen, dust mites, and mold are very high most of the year in our area. Other contaminants like pet dander, VOCs (smells), and chemicals can cause a lot of irritation as well. Unfortunately, most homes are not very well equipped to take care of these invaders. The typical air filters that you’ll find at the hardware store let most small contaminants through, restrict the airflow leading to poor system performance, or both. Worse yet are the electronic air cleaners that are almost guaranteed to let everything through but small birds.
So, what are the solutions?
PARTICLES- Dust, pollen, pet dander, and mold are the best place to start with cleaning up your air and making your home healthier. Thankfully, with the right type of air filtration, most of these particles are easy to catch. To do this, a high quality media filter with at least a MERV 13 rating works well. The Aprilaire Model 2410 is a great example. It captures around 98% of the pollen and works very well on most other particles as well.
VOCs, CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL- With the particles handled, that still leaves some contaminants in your air that can be a bit nasty. VOCs (volatile organic compounds), chemicals, and some biological contaminants can’t be captured with filters and can really effect the health and comfort of your home. In order to combat these, we have to neutralize or destroy them. The best tool we have found to do this is a high quality UV air purifier with an activated carbon cell. The APCO whole house air purifier is the best option we’ve found on the market. It is very effective and doesn’t produce ozone like most other UV air purifiers.
Is your home dry and full of static in the winter? Sticky or clammy in the summer? Controlling the humidity in your home can make a big difference in your comfort and your health.
LOW HUMIDITY can make us much more susceptible to germs and viruses, as well as making us feel cold in the winter. The only way to combat this is to replace the humidity our houses lose in the winter with a humidifier. Room humidifiers have to constantly be refilled and can be trip hazards. They also can produce large amounts of duct issues due to the minerals in the water. A whole home humidifier eliminates these issues and can control the humidity in your entire house. With an automatic control, it can eliminate the need for constant adjustments due to weather changes.
HIGH HUMIDITY in the summer can lead to mold growth and that sticky or clammy feeling. Air conditioning systems with a variable speed blower and multiple stages of cooling can significantly increase the humidity removal by up to four times in the summertime. Our more advanced thermostats allow you to optimize your system and control summer time humidity much more effectively.