Breathe easier by improving your air quality.
What is indoor air quality?
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of indoor air as it relates to your health and comfort. HVAC systems don’t just keep spaces warm and cool; they also control the humidity and the cleanliness of the air that passes through your ductwork. Besides comfortable temperatures inside your home or business, the indoor air quality matters too.
Ultimately the indoor environment has a significant effect on our immediate and long-term health. The air we breathe affects respiratory issues, including asthma, allergies, COPD, and more.
What causes poor air quality?
Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough fresh air to reduce emissions and carry the indoor air pollutants out of the building. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some contaminants.
Sources of indoor air pollution can include fuel-burning appliances, tobacco, building materials such as asbestos-containing insulation, flooring, furnishings, cleaning products, HVAC systems, excess moisture, and outdoor air pollution. Pollen can also be a significant IAQ concern to individuals who suffer from allergies.
IAQ issues develop over time and depend on location, season, and the condition of HVAC equipment. Some buildings with high moisture levels are also susceptible to mold growth, which can cause respiratory problems and worsen asthma symptoms.
The condition of your HVAC equipment is an essential factor in determining a building’s indoor air quality. Leaky or dirty ductwork can compromise the quality of the air you breathe.
How do you improve?
Everyone should have a safe and clean indoor environment. Solutions to improve your indoor air quality vary by your specific needs, whether it’s getting humidity under control or removing allergens and viruses for sensitive occupants.
Kill and control viruses, bacteria, airborne pathogens, mold spores, pollen, dust, VOCs, and odors.
These products are among the best in the industry for cleaning the air inside your home or business:
High-efficiency filtration
Air filters have holes that allow air and particles to pass through. The smaller the holes, the fewer particles that pass through. Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values, or MERVs report a filter’s ability to capture larger particles between 0.3 and 10 microns (µm). This value is helpful in comparing the performance of different filters. The higher the MERV rating the better the filter is at trapping specific types of particles.
Air Purifiers
Air purifiers pull contaminants directly from the air. Think of an air purifier as your first line of defense against common household air pollutants. The purification process is simple, effective, and beneficial to your health.
Electronic Air Cleaners
Trane CleanEffects™ uses a powerful, patented ifD corona field to charge incoming air, causing particles to adhere to the CleanEffects collection cells as air passes through. Asthma & allergy friendly™ Certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Humidification and Dehumidification
One factor that plays into IAQ is the humidity level. Humidity is damaging to your indoor air quality both when it is too high and when it is too low. High levels of moisture facilitate the growth of mold, and mold spores are damaging to your health. Low levels of humidity allow air pollutants to remain suspended in the air. They are inevitably being breathed in by a building’s inhabitants.
By controlling and maintaining a consistent, appropriate humidity, your air is healthier to breathe because air pollutants sink to the floor and are unlikely to be inhaled. Proper humidity levels also help to improve dry skin conditions and prevent wood furniture from cracking.
HEPA Filters
HEPA is a type of pleated mechanical air filter. It is an acronym for “high efficiency particulate air [filter]” (as officially defined by the U.S. Dept. of Energy). This type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm).
Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization
This technology uses an electronic charge to create a plasma field filled with a high concentration of + and – ions. The ions kill pathogens by robbing them of life-sustaining hydrogen.
Fresh Air Ventilators
Fresh air is one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality. Mechanical ventilators attach to your air distribution system and introduce a controlled amount of outdoor air into the home or business. As outdoor air draws into the ducts, an equal amount of stale indoor air removes from the living area. Replenishing your home with fresh air can make a huge difference in your home’s or business’s IAQ.
UV Lamps
Harmful bacteria pose a threat to your health. Installing UV lamps in your system’s ductwork can destroy harmful bacteria with ultraviolet light before they make it into your indoor air.
