Most homeowners rightfully think of their heating and air conditioning systems as a way of keeping comfortable throughout the year. Your HVAC system is a vital part of your household and regulating the temperature is a matter of health and safety as well as comfort. But it’s not the only factor that goes into your home’s comfort levels.
Indoor air quality plays a huge role too, whether it’s the humidity levels, the amount of dust in the air or the presence of germs and other bacteria. With the weather warming and our heating systems slowly being turned off until next year, now is a terrific time to evaluate your HVAC system and see if the inclusion of an indoor air quality product is worthwhile.
The precise type of indoor air quality product you require depends on your home’s needs. Every home is unique, and what works for one might not be the best fit for another. That’s why it’s important to speak to a service technician and discuss your options before making a decision. That said, there are a few common choices that you should think about: comparing them against your current needs and determining what specific issues you need to address. We’ve included a list of some of the more common choices below.
Colds and Illnesses
You may have concerns about the spread of germs and other contaminants in your home. Homes with newborns, the elderly and those afflicted with allergies or similar conditions are especially vulnerable, but every home wants to limit colds, flus and other forms of sickness. A UV air purifier makes a great solution for such households.
UV light is harmless to us, but lethal to germs. Placing UV lights at the apex of the ducts allows them to “scrub” the air clean of biological contaminants every time you run your heater or your air conditioner.
Dust
Dust can be a huge impediment to your quality of life: creating cleaning issues, lowering the quality of your air and even leading to sneezing and similar problems when it gets into your sinuses. HVAC systems come equipped with basic filters, but they need to be cleaned or replaced periodically. An electronic air purifier ionizes particles that pass through it – even microscopic ones – and pulls them from the air to stick to a collection pan. That provides more comprehensive coverage than any normal filter could.
Humidifiers
Low humidity levels are typically a winter problem, since cold air is dry air. But if you’ve experienced problems with dry air in the last few months, then consider the installation of a whole-house humidifier before next fall. It’s essentially just a wick or a pad filled with water from a reservoir. A fan blows across the pad to release moisture into the air when your heater runs, restoring humidity in your home to comfortable levels.
If any of these indoor air quality products sound like a good fit for your home, contact the friendly pros at Wm. Henderson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Inc.