Back in the 1970's when energy costs shot up, everyone was telling us to make our homes more energy efficient. We added insulation to our attics, replaced our old inefficient furnaces and some of us even replaced windows and doors to seal out drafts. At one point the Federal Government was giving "Energy Tax Credits" to people that had this work done. Builder's started to wrap homes with vapor barriers before siding went up and sealed new homes tight so they would be "energy wise."
FACT: Children are more likely than adults to be affected by polluted air. They breathe faster, inhale more air per body weight and are closer to the ground where concentrations are higher.
All this has added up to what we now call poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). There are four areas that need to be looked at to insure good Indoor Air Quality. The first one is Air Duct Cleaning. Your air duct system is the "lungs" of your home. It pulls air in and "breathes" it back into your house. If the duct system is dirty, it's breathing dirty into your home each time it runs.
FACT: Indoor air has been found to be up to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air.
We use the Duct Whip (R) system for cleaning your home's air ducts. This patented system cleans the entire duct surface. It's state of the art pneumatic cleaning action assures you of the finest possible air duct cleaning job on the market today. An air duct cleaned with the Duct Whip (R) is an excellent start at insuring good Indoor Air Quality.
FACT: 50% of all illnesses are either caused or aggravated by polluted indoor air.
The second area is Air Filtration. Once you have cleaned your air duct system you need to keep it clean. One of the most important things you can do is install a good air filter. FACT Most commercially purchased fiberglass filters are only 7% efficient in stopping dirt, dust pollen, etc. passing through them. There are four main types of air filters. They are as follows:
- Fiberglass or disposable- 7% efficient
- Washable or Electrostatic- 30% efficient
- High Density Media- 80% efficient
- Electronic- 95% efficient
- The cost of some of these filters may be deductible as a medical expense. Check with your doctor for recommendation on the type of filter for your allergies.
The third area is Humidification. Keeping your home properly humidified will limit the possibility of bacteria, viruses, fungi, mites and other respiratory irritants. You should have between 40% and 60% relative humidity. FACT 1 out of 6 people who suffer from allergies do so as a direct result of fungi and bacteria in air duct systems.
FACT: A buildup of .042 inches of dirt on a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease of efficiency of 21%
If there is evidence of growth of any of these in your duct system we can help by applying our EPA Registered sanitizer, QAS (R) Azure Blue. QAS (R) has been registered for use in air ducts. It contains no harmful chemicals that will damage ducts and does not require the removal of people or pets. QAS (R) has no unpleasant odor.
The fourth area is Fresh Air or Makeup Air. Every time you turn on an exhaust fan light the burner on the stove, use the gas dryer or when your furnace or water heater starts you are using up the air in your home. It's very important that this air be replaced. But since we have made our homes energy efficient there is almost no way for air to get in. There are many devices on the market that will automatically allow fresh air to be drawn in to the house. This is very important for Indoor Air Quality. Not having the proper amount of makeup air can cause negative pressure on the house which can cause flue gases to be sucked into the living area. These gases contain carbon monoxide which in large concentrations can be deadly.
All these areas may not be a problem in your home, but we would be happy to check them and make a recommendation to reduce your Indoor Air Quality problems.
