Many people are unaware of the fact that the air in their homes is usually far more polluted compared to the air outside. Day-to-day activities like cooking and cleaning contribute to indoor air pollution. Many common household items like furniture, building materials and electronics can also release a variety of contaminants in the air, worsening the home’s air quality. That’s why it’s important that you look for ways to overcome these issues to improve your air quality and protect the health of you and your family.
The Importance of Good Indoor Air Quality
One of the most crucial things for maintaining a healthy environment inside your home is focusing on indoor air quality. All homes have a variety of things within them that can contribute to air quality problems and result in an unhealthy level of pollutants and airborne contaminants. Continual exposure to airborne pollution is a major health issue, as it can lead to people developing a variety of short- and long-term issues.
Some types of indoor air pollution put you at an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer or cardiovascular and respiratory problems. For instance, poor indoor air quality can make it more likely for younger children to eventually develop asthma. Maintaining the air quality in your home by eliminating bacteria and viruses is especially important for protecting infants, the elderly and anyone with a weakened or compromised immune system.
Another essential step in improving indoor air quality is eliminating allergens from the home. Common allergens like pollen, dust, pet dander, mold spores and dust mites are present in virtually all homes and can contribute to worsened allergy symptoms, more frequent asthma attacks, etc.
The increasing number of wildfires Colorado and other surrounding areas have experienced in recent years presents yet another challenge that further contributes to air quality issues. Even if you keep your doors and windows closed, some of the smoke can still get inside your house and then get circulate around as your air conditioning runs. The particulate matter in wildfire smoke is a serious concern as it can create breathing issues and health problems even for people who are otherwise perfectly healthy and in good shape.
Effective Options for Overcoming Air Quality Issues
You have a few different options for improving your home’s indoor air quality, depending on what your specific concerns are and what problems you’re facing. The most common ones are air purifiers, UV lights and carbon filters, each of which is designed to overcome certain air quality problems.
Air Purifiers
Whole-home air purification systems are designed to tackle the majority of air quality issues by eliminating over 90% of allergens and particulate matter from the air. This type of system is installed as part of the home’s HVAC system so that it filters, cleans and purifies the air that flows through the home’s ductwork. That way, your HVAC system doesn’t continually move all of the allergens and pollutants around the house and instead blows out clean air.
Some purification systems use an extremely efficient air filter, which creates a physical barrier that traps and removes even the tiniest particles from the air. If you opt to install something like a HEPA filtration system, it will work effectively, eliminating approximately 99% of all airborne particles within the home. This includes things like dust, pollen, pet dander and other allergens. The best systems can even remove many of the common airborne chemical compounds found in most homes.
An air purification system is the ideal choice if anyone in your household has allergies or asthma, as it will help lessen their symptoms and allow them to breathe much more easily. It’s also a great choice if you’re concerned about wildfire smoke since it will eliminate these particles as well.
UV Light Purifiers
A UV light purifier is recommended if you have infants, elderly people or an immunocompromised person in your house. This type of unit is specifically designed to eliminate any bacteria and viruses circulating in your home. It’s also useful for people with mold allergies as it will also destroy any mold spores flowing through your HVAC ductwork.
There are three wavelengths of ultraviolet light or UV radiation: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. Although the sun emits all three wavelengths, only UV-A and UV-B reach the Earth. UV-C gets blocked by our atmosphere. All types of UV light cause some amount of damage to DNA, which is why long-term exposure to sunlight can result in a person developing skin cancer. UV-C radiation is the most powerful and almost immediately results in severe damage.
When bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, like mold spores, get exposed to UV-C light, their DNA instantly suffers so much damage that they are essentially destroyed. The UV rays technically don’t kill the organisms, but they do alter their DNA in a way that makes them harmless.
There are two different types of UV light units designed for HVAC systems. One is an air-sanitizing light, which eliminates germs from the air flowing through the ductwork system. This type of unit can be either standalone or part of a whole-home air purification system.
The other is a coil-sanitizing light, which serves a much more specific purpose of preventing mold and bacterial growth on an air conditioning system’s evaporator coil. This type of unit also improves air quality, but its primary purpose is to help the AC system cool more effectively and prevent the air the system produces from smelling moldy and musty.
Carbon Filters
Many whole-home air purification systems have a carbon filter in addition to a standard air filter, but you can also find standalone carbon filters. Activated carbon filters are extremely effective at eliminating odor-causing substances from the air, meaning this type of filter can be a huge help in ensuring your home always smells cleaner.
A carbon filter is a great choice if anyone in your home smokes, as it will eliminate the smoke and tobacco odor. It’s also perfect if you enjoy cooking since it will get rid of any unpleasant cooking smells. Under normal circumstances, all of these odors normally get spread throughout your house as a result of your HVAC system running. A carbon filter will remove the odor-causing particles from the air so that they don’t get blown into other rooms.
Our Team of Experts
As the number one HVAC and plumbing company in Wheat Ridge and the Denver Metro area, Fox Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is ready to provide expert heating and cooling service whenever you need it. We’ve been in business for over 20 years and bring a customer-focused approach to all that we do. Our experienced team can manage all aspects of your home comfort and ensure you have the highest level of indoor air quality possible. Whether you’re looking to install an air purification system, UV light or carbon filter, we have a variety of options that will meet your needs. If you’re unsure of which option or options is best for your home, we can also advise you and help you make a more informed choice.
To get help overcoming whatever air quality issues you’re facing, contact us today.
