It is time that homeowners reevaluate their approach to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). For the purposes of this blog, instead of envisioning the millions of tiny particles, allergens and pathogens affecting the way you live and breathe, we’ll compare IAQ to something more elusive and unsettling: The Annoying, Toxic Ghost that Haunts Your Home.
Your IAQ Ghost is silent, and nearly invisible, but it constantly lurks near your mouth and nose. The best time to prove the existence of this ghost is after you return home from vacation. The house, that ordinarily seems so warm and welcoming, smells foreign and unfamiliar. What is that smell? The house didn’t actually change. Your nose did. Just a couple days away from home reveals just how much your IAQ Ghost has an impact on the air you breathe. And if just a few days away makes you realize how many odors and particles are floating around in the air, it’s time to immediately exorcize that little beast!
The Birth of the Indoor Air Quality Ghost
Indoor Air Quality is pretty big deal, and it affects homeowners across America. But why has it taken so long to become common knowledge? And why did it take so long to gain traction?
It all started back in the 1970s, when almost everyone had an air conditioning unit. Gas prices hit an all time high and so energy prices began to reflect higher energy bills. Everything was rising and no one could figure out how to make that bill come down. It wasn’t until the 1980s that professionals discovered that the cool, comfortable air was actually leaking out of people’s houses! Easy fix, right? Everybody got to work sealing their homes.
What they didn’t know is that they were also sealing in bad air that contained potentially harmful chemicals, allergens and airborne illnesses. The bad air settled into these homes, haunting them with unpleasant odors and possible health issues.
So, if you lose money when your air goes out, but suffer from poor IAQ when air stays in, what’s the solution?
Help!! Indoor Air Quality Ghost Exterminators
Help!! Air Conditioning participated in an astounding HVAC study, completed by The LSU Extension Service, that discovered that regular HVAC System maintenance can help you save a lot of money on energy bills.
As it turns out, regular HVAC maintenance can also help create a better Indoor Air Quality experience for you and your family. But buyer beware! There are plenty of online sales that say they can get rid of your IAQ Ghost for unbelievably low prices, or unproven methods. At Help!! Air Conditioning, we’re not manufacturers, and we’re not trying to sell you products. We want you to be able to make the most informed decisions as possible by taking advantage of our years of experience. We can tell you which products and procedures actually work.
The most important lesson we’ve learned about Indoor Air Quality thus far is that to defeat your IAQ Ghost, you need to treat the symptoms by getting to the root of the problem: The Three IAQ Pollution Phases.
- Germs and Infections Agents
- Chemical Gases and Odors
- Particles and Allergens
We will cover each phase and what we can do to help you and your family breathe cleaner, healthier Air.
Phase 1 (Particles and Allergens)
The first phase of IAQ Pollution involves the wispy allergens you can see floating in a sunbeam. These are submicron particles, such as dust, pollen, lint, dirt, smoke and pet dander, that are inhaled into our lungs, causing asthma and allergies.
There is only one way to deal with these particles and that involves consulting with a professional to decide which is the best filtration system for your home. Some so-called “allergy filters” can do more harm than good. Allergy Filters designed not to let any of these particulates through also stop the airflow your air conditioning system requires to survive. These filters can restrict your HVAC’s airflow, drastically shortening its lifespan. And when there is a lack of airflow, the ductwork of your HVAC becomes a breeding ground for mold and mildew, contributing even more allergens into your air!
The perfect filter will encourage healthy motor capabilities in your HVAC unit, while also preventing particles and allergens from reentering your air flow. I, personally, like the 5-inch thick media filters mounted directly to my indoor section of my air conditioning system. These filters can last 6 months to a year depending on the HVAC’s location and the number of children and pets in the house. On the other hand, the best 1-inch filter that can fit into your existing grill location is the Air Ranger Polarized filter. There are several other filters that do an even better job cleaning the air, but require a lot of time, money and maintenance. Your air conditioning professional will be able to determine the right size filter for your unit and will be able to list a few filter options so you can decide which filter fits your schedule and budget.
Phase 2 (Germs and Infectious Agents)
Whatever you do, do not feed the ghost anything from Phase 2! Germs and Infectious Agents are biological pathogens like cold viruses, viral infections and bacterial infections. These pesky germs can cause upper respiratory infections, throat infections and ear infections.
Thankfully, there’s an HVAC solution for everything. Manufacturers have learned from Mother Nature that UV Rays from the sun will kill most infectious agents and can recreate the intense UV Light that it takes to kill airborne germs. The trick to making this work is to put them in the lungs of your home (the air conditioning duct work). These germs become sterile and die as they pass by the UV light. Installed correctly, the UV Light Kits can also help keep your evaporator coil clean, which will help keep the drain pan clean (preventing clogged drain lines).
Phase 3 (Chemical gases and Odors)
We might be able to forgive the IAQ Ghost if only it didn’t smell so bad! The nose knows when something isn’t right. And while you might associate the smell of a clean home with cleaning solutions, you certainly don’t want to breathe in all of those chemicals. Personally, I’d rather my home smell fresh, like the yard smells after a strong, summer thunderstorm.
Beyond cleaning products, we need to look at other gases present in our homes. Items like new furniture, flooring, cabinets, paints and glues all contain chemicals that can muck up your Indoor Air Quality. It takes chemicals to build many household items and UV Light alone won’t get rid of all of these gases.
A professional will OXIDISE these items to neutralize the chemical impact and make them a non-issue towards your family’s health. Sometimes, what seems like an allergic reaction may simply be a reaction to the IAQ Ghost.
Contact Help!! Air Conditioning Today!
Help!! Air Conditioning is the only company in the area with Clean Air Defense products. We offer packages that can take care of each phase individually, or we have packages that can take care of all three phases of Indoor Air Pollution. Let us help you exorcise your IAQ Ghost once and for all, so you can get back to breathing clean, healthy air.
Korey P. Knobloch
