As air conditioning contractors, we spend most of our time helping people lower the temperatures in their home. But as comfort specialists, we know that temperature is not the only factor in home comfort. Indoor air quality is just as important to your comfort and to your health.
Unfortunately, most indoor air quality solutions (like plug-in portable air purifiers) don’t truly resolve problems with germs or particulate in the air. For that, you need a whole-house solution, and we’ve got some suggestions for you.
UV Lights
Ultraviolet light is one of the best improvements you can make to your indoor air quality, especially during this long tremulous cold and flu season (that seems to be stretching into spring). The spread of germs like bacteria and viruses is tough to prevent when they are airborne. But a UV light system can help.
A set of UV lights installed in the ductwork is perfectly harmless for humans and pets. But when contaminated air passes through the ducts, the light instantly kills and sterilizes germs, rendering them completely safe to breathe in since they can no longer reproduce.
Proper Air Filtration
Proper air filtration is an important part of air quality control, and a filter may not quite give you what you need. Of course, it’s important to have a filter in place and to keep it clean, as this helps to protect your air conditioning and heating equipment from damage. But you can supplement your air filter with an additional, powerful filtration system.
You don’t want a filter that is too powerful, as this can actually block airflow from properly circulating. That’s why it’s so important to call in technicians any time you think you want to upgrade your air filtration. They can help you find a pleated media filter mounted within the HVAC system that catches far more particles than the average filter.
Electronic Air Cleaners
Some electronic air cleaners use ionization rather than UV lights (or a combination of both). Ionizing air purifiers add a charge to the particulate in the air. Those particles then cling to a surface of the opposite charge, so they are no longer airborne and can be safely vacuumed up the next time you clean. Your local HVAC technician can recommend the right electronic air cleaner for your home.
Clean Filters
If your budget isn’t entirely open to a brand-new whole-house air cleaning system, perhaps this minor upgrade is doable. And it’s important! Cleaning reusable air filters, or replacing disposable ones, every 1-3 months ensures proper airflow and keeps your home a little healthier.
You can also search for filters at the local hardware store that have a higher MERV rating (minimum efficiency reporting value) which means they will pick up even more of the airborne pollutants you don’t want to recirculate. Again, however, we recommend consulting with technicians before any major upgrade to your air filter so that you know it won’t do anything to hinder proper system airflow.
Hire an HVAC contractor in Miami, FL who cares about your comfort and your health. Contact Air On Demand today!