Indoor air quality is essential to our health and wellbeing. HEPA air filters, bipolar ionization technology, and ultraviolet light safely and significantly minimizes the number of impurities within your home or business.
What Is IAQ?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of air in and around buildings and structures. Indoor pollutants release gases or particles which contaminate the environment. Inadequate ventilation keeps airborne impurities in circulation, leading to poor IAQ. It’s important to prioritize residential and commercial indoor air quality because poor IAQ contributes to sickness.
Discover Different IAQ Systems
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), tobacco smoke, radon, nitrogen, lead particles, asbestos, mold, and mildew all contribute to harmful indoor air quality. In addition to these impurities, we also breathe in allergens, pet dander, and dust. This is why mechanisms that specialize in removing germs and bacteria from the atmosphere are gaining popularity within homes and businesses. Learn more about IAQ systems and their similarities and differences.
HEPA Air Filters
A high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is made of multiple layers: a pre-filter, an electrostatic precipitator, a carbon filter, and a fan. HEPA filters use a straining process to remove at least 99.97% of harmful airborne particles, making them extremely effective. Harmful particles get trapped inside the pre-filter first, then the fan pushes out purified air. They are most often used by offices, hospitals, and industrial facilities.
Bipolar Ionization Technology
Bipolar ionization technology releases charged atoms into the air to purify it. These atoms attach to harmful substances like mold, bacteria, allergens, and viruses, and deactivates them. This technology first arrived in America in the 1970s and has since proven effective against illnesses including SARS, norovirus, and the flu.
Ultraviolet Light
Ultraviolet (UV) air cleaners are another effective defense against airborne contaminants. Violet is the highest frequency of visible light, so it’s mostly invisible to the human eye. The UV light the sun provides cleans our outdoor environment. Since there’s only a small amount of UV light shining indoors, it leaves us susceptible to air pollutants much higher than outdoor levels, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Health Issues Associated With Poor Air Quality
Air quality impacts health. Cleaner air prevents the onset of some diseases. However, children, the elderly, and people with asthma, lung conditions, and heart conditions are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of poor IAQ. Some sicknesses and afflictions associated with unclean air include:
- Respiratory illnesses
- Throat and nasal illnesses
- Coughing
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Watery eyes
- Itchy nose and throat
While there are several factors that are out of our control, contributing to harmful air, taking steps to improve indoor air quality is a worthy cause that leads to a healthier environment for yourself and those around you.
A Breath of Fresh Air
For more than 80 years, Air Comfort has been aware of the importance of indoor air quality. That’s why we pride ourselves on our capabilities and expertise in HVAC design and construction; our technologically advanced systems contribute to fresher air, stabilized indoor climates, and low indoor humidity levels. We offer energy-efficient methodologies and forward-thinking innovation that minimizes the harmful effects of low air quality and other issues that stem from inadequate HVAC systems.
The problem solvers at Air Comfort are well-versed within the HVAC industry. We perform a wide variety of services in addition to indoor air quality, including emergency HVAC repair, construction design and build, installation, and preventative maintenance. Our team is dedicated to keeping customers informed, providing practical, long-lasting solutions, and making ourselves available when they need us. If you need a new HVAC system or if the one you have needs an air filtration mechanism to improve air quality, give us a call and schedule a free walkthrough.
