Your Auburn, Alabama, home’s air quality is extremely important. You and your family spend a major part of their time indoors, and pollutants such as pollen, dust, pet dander, dirt, and biological growth can cause bad smells and make you and your family uncomfortable. You could experience headaches, rashes, sore throats, fatigue, eye irritation, allergy or asthma symptoms, or other health problems. To prevent these issues, use an air purifier, a UV lamp, an energy recovery ventilator, or carbon monoxide detector to improve your indoor air quality.
Air Purifiers
Indoor air purifiers or air cleaners have air filters similar to the ones in most heaters and air conditioners. They can help you take care of dust, smoke particles, pollen, and other tiny allergens. Models with a high MERV or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value ratings can even capture viruses and bacteria. However, they need more power to push air through their smaller openings.
An HVAC professional can install a whole-home air cleaner in your system’s ductwork, or you can use a portable version in one or two rooms at a time. You should change your air purifier’s filter once per month along with the air filter for your HVAC system. This easy maintenance will keep both of them working well. For additional protection, add a UV air purifier that can kill microorganisms or prevent them from multiplying.
UV Lamps
A UV lamp, also called a UV air cleaner or air purifier, creates a type of ultraviolet light that the atmosphere usually blocks. It damages the DNA of microorganisms and many insects, stopping them from reproducing or even killing them. That way, you can keep pests and biological growth from accumulating in your ductwork and other parts of our home. You won’t have to deal with unpleasant scents, and your HVAC system’s airflow will stay high. This prevents wear that could lead to inconvenient breakdowns and shorten your system’s life.
You can get a coil sterilization light placed in your heat pump or air conditioner, or you can have an air sterilization lamp installed in your ducts. For the best results, a professional should change the bulb once per year. A UV lamp can’t remove dust or other particulates from your home’s air, so you should remember to change your system’s air filter once per month as well.
Energy Recovery Ventilators
An energy recovery ventilator or ERV uses a heat exchanger similar to the one in a heat pump. It gets rid of stale air and replaces it with fresh air while conserving energy. ERVs move heat from outgoing indoor air to incoming air in cold weather and reverse the process when things get hot again.
They use filters to remove contaminants like pollen and particulates from fresh air, and they get rid of excess humidity and unpleasant smells along with stale air. In addition to improving your indoor air quality, having a whole-home energy recovery ventilator can increase the value of your home.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Carbon monoxide or CO has no color or smell, and can cause nausea, dizziness, blurry vision, fainting, and other health problems. Very high levels can even be deadly. This gas can come from many sources, including car exhaust, fireplaces, wood stoves, furnaces, and other gas appliances.
A CO detector displays the amount of this gas in your home. That way, you can have any issues with your HVAC system or other appliances repaired before they become dangerous. If CO levels get too high, an alarm will sound. You should leave your home immediately and call your fire department. They can find the source of the carbon monoxide, shut off the appliance that’s causing it if needed, and let you know when it’s safe to reenter your house.
Indoor Solutions, Inc. is a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer, and we received the Bryant Medal of Excellence for outstanding customer satisfaction. Our experienced technicians provide superior service, and we can install a variety of heating and cooling equipment. For help with all your HVAC and indoor air quality needs, call us anytime at 706-489-7470.
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