Posts

The Lowdown on Indoor Air Quality

October 17, 2019/in Air Conditioning /by digital

Believe it or not, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems are responsible for more than just indoor temperatures. That’s because they take charge of indoor air quality, too. If you want to ensure that your air quality inside is tops, then you need to pinpoint any issues connected to it. The aim should be to do anything you can to enhance your indoor space.

Indoor Air Quality and the Unwelcome Presence of Dust

Awful indoor air quality can lead to irritation of the throat, nose, and eyes. In many situations, it can even result in splitting headaches. Questionable indoor air quality can sometimes to respiratory infections, allergies, asthma, and sinus issues. If you have breathing woes, then bad air quality indoors may be the culprit.

Have you heard people talking about indoor particular matter? The term refers to particles that people can inhale, and they can lead to significant health concerns. Particles from the outdoors that get inside are often part of this category, though it can also apply to particles that started inside. Candle burning, food preparation, and fireplaces can all bring on the presence of these frustrating particles.

Research indicates that air pollutants inside can sometimes bring on breathing difficulties. If you see piles and piles of dust at home, then you may be vulnerable to breathing woes of all kinds. Multiple dust chemicals often scatter throughout residential properties. Fragrances, oils, and cleaning formulas can all expose people to chemicals of all types, including harmful ones. These chemicals may relate to allergies, immoderate wheezing, and a chronic breathing condition such as asthma.

Go for Regular Filter Replacement

It’s critical to employ top-tier air filters, and it’s just as essential to swap them out at least twice a year. If you want your indoor air quality to feel like a dream, then you need to stay on top of all air filter matters. For optimal results, try filter replacement in intervals of just three months or so.

Employ UV (Ultraviolet) Devices

UV air purifiers safeguard the coils that constitute HVAC systems by stopping them from gathering mildew. They eradicate bacteria and mold before the substances accessing your indoor air, also strengthening the operations of your HVAC unit.

Shut the Windows

It can be tough to resist the urge to open windows at home. People often are keen on opening them in the evening to allow fresh air to make its way inside. Although open windows have their perks, it’s best to steer clear of them, as they can cause nasty pollutants to invade your indoor space. Don’t forget that immoderate humidity is the ideal breeding quarters for dust mites, which is why shutting windows can lessen allergy supplies inside of your residence. The objective should be to maintain indoor air that’s cool, fresh, and never stagnant. Clicking the “recirculate” button on the unit can help immensely. A+ ventilation practices can do a lot for indoor air quality.

Employ Indoor Air Quality Tools

Air filters and cleaners can do away with pollutant supplies. If you want to invest in things that can work with them, then you should try out designated “indoor air quality” offerings.

Air purifiers handle air filtering tasks, as they concentrate on the air in tighter sections of homes. HVAC systems’ filters clean the atmosphere in all different parts of residences. If you want your air conditioning unit to have flawless air quality, then indoor air quality options may go a long way for you.

Pay Attention to Clues

If your indoor air quality is anything but pleasant, then it may influence your wellness in a big way. It may make you develop severe issues that involve breathing. If you always feel like you cannot catch your breath, then bad indoor air quality could be the reason. Do your skin and eyes feel oddly dry all the time? If they do, you should think about air quality.

Other things that can often denote terrible indoor air quality are immoderate sneezing, coughing, sinus congestion, exhaustion, and persistent headaches. If your head often pounds for hours and hours on end, then you may want to look into strengthening your home’s indoor air quality.

Find the best indoor air quality solutions in Jupiter, Florida, with Edwards Air Enterprise. Contact us to find out more!

Indoor Air Quality Troubles and Your Filter

July 2, 2019/in Air Conditioning /by digital

Air Quality Inside and Your Filter

Air quality is a big deal. If you want to revel in optimal wellness, then you need to do anything in your power to keep the air quality inside of your living space fresh and clean. There are many perks to strong air quality indoors as well. Some of these include sleeping more soundly at night, keeping humidity levels in check, healthy breathing patterns, decreased horrible smells and even doing away with pesky allergens. If the air quality inside of your residence is strong, it may even slash your monthly energy expenses considerably. It doesn’t matter if you want to say goodbye to allergens or save cash. Enhancing the air quality in your home should always be among your top priorities. That’s exactly why you should zero in on the state of your filter. If your air quality is amiss, then your filter could actually be responsible for things. Your filter may not be doing its job of making your air quality inside better.

Inadequate Flow

If you’re wondering why your air quality inside is lacking, then you should think about the possibility of inadequate flow. There are sometimes issues that relate to filter and dust sizing. This can lead to system pressure boosts. This, in turn, can decrease the flow of air dramatically. It’s also rather common for people to neglect the need to swap their filters out routinely. This can bring on lessened air flow and intense pressure.

Insufficient Runtime

The concept of insufficient runtime is rather shocking to many people. Filters are solely able to do their jobs when they have air that’s actually traveling within them. That means that turning systems completely off does away with any and all filtration, end of story. The solution, though, isn’t to go for a HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system that’s a lot more compact. This can lead to different issues altogether. Systems that are more compact can decrease the flow of air.

If you truly want to do away with the hassle of runtime that’s insufficient, then you need to make a point to meticulously assess all of your size necessities. Refrain from placing your fan in “on.” Your aim should be to boost your filtering factor substantially. Try to concentrate on mechanical ventilation and the sealing of air. Don’t panic if those strategies are fruitless, either. If they are, then it may be time for you to introduce the help of a fan that’s independent. Get one that’s equipped with a filter. These kinds of fans can give you the advantages of filtration volume that’s superior. Their running abilities are superior all the same.

Filter Positioning Woes

If there’s an issue with the air quality that’s inside of your home, then you should think at length about the specific location of your filter. That’s because it could be in a spot that’s totally inappropriate and ineffective. If a filter doesn’t take any action whatsoever, that means that it doesn’t have air that’s traveling within it. A filter that has this issue may have severe positioning woes. If you realize that your air quality inside is amiss in any manner, then you should investigate your filter’s spot without a second of hesitation.

Mechanical Ventilation Troubles

Mechanical ventilation is a vital element of a filter that does its job correctly day in and day out. Ventilation often aims to employ cooling and heating ducts for the purpose of spreading air from the outside around. It isn’t unheard of for HVAC contractors to sometimes err. An HVAC contractor may fail to concentrate and attach air ducts that are outside to inappropriate filter sections. This can bring on unpleasant results as well. It can cause air from the outside that isn’t filtered at all to go in the ducts. This can trigger the soiling of cooling and heating elements alike. It can trigger the soiling of the blower and the ducts as well.

Taking Action

You should go the extra mile to zero in on the status of your filter and HVAC system. It can be favorable to monitor your ducts. You need ducts that are 100 percent devoid of grime and debris buildup. Ducts that are free of these undesirable things can give your residence access to air that’s markedly fresher and more pleasant at all times.

Don’t forget to switch your filters out frequently. Doing so is particularly crucial for people who have issues with allergies.

Look at your doors and windows with great care. Do you spot leaks at all? If you do, then you need to take the time to close them up meticulously and prudently. If your residence permits the entry of air that’s just not cutting it, then you may have a system that’s actually causing you harm. It may actually transport problematic air all throughout your living space. If you make the effort to do away with any and all leaks, then you can see to it that your system exclusively spreads around air that’s fresh and conducive to optimal well-being.

Is Your Indoor Air Quality Lacking?

If your air quality indoors is lacking, then you may realize that easily. You may have allergies that act up all of the time. If you and your family members are constantly sneezing and getting splitting headaches, your air quality could be the issue. Contemplate the way that air spreads all throughout your home, too. If you pick up on certain sections of your home that are always strangely hot or cold, then your filter could be behind everything. If you want professional assistance with air quality, filters and beyond, then you need to call our trusted company today. Call us A.S.A.P. to set up an appointment with an HVAC contractor who is seasoned and adept.

Removing Household Odors with an Air Purifier

July 2, 2019/in Air Conditioning /by digital

Our homes can be filled with smells, both good and bad. The flowers that smelled so lovely when they were first placed in a vase begin to wilt and smell of rot. The odor of the delicious fish dinner is less appetizing when it lingers in the kitchen in the morning. Strong odors can affect your quality of life. If you are sensitive to smells, they can trigger nausea and other allergic reactions. Installing an air purification system can get rid of the chemicals that cause the odors.

Why Indoor Air Quality Matters

When most homeowners think about air quality, they think about temperature and humidity. Yet there are all sorts of irritants that can float around in your air. On a sunny day, you might be able to see dust and dander floating in a sunbeam. There can also be mold spores and pollen.

There are also impurities that you cannot see. Bacteria and viruses can float in the air. Small droplets of cleaning products and aerosol products linger after use.

Another important group of irritants are volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These are molecules from several sources that can get in your air supply. Microscopic droplets of oil can float around after preparing fried food. As plastics, paints and adhesives breakdown over time, they also release chemicals into the air.

If indoor air quality issues are not addressed, it can lead to health problems:

Headaches
Nausea
Trouble sleeping
Fatigue
Respiratory issues

Where Do Odors Come From?

Your nose is a powerful tool. It can discern thousands of unique smells. Most of the odors you smell are the result of VOCs that come into contact with the smell receptors in your nose. Whether it is a smell of fresh-baked bread or cigarette smoke, it is the result of a molecule that has been floating in your air.

One of the problems many homeowners face is the fact that human beings tend to get used to common smells. If it is always present, you may not recognize a bad odor. However, the guest coming into your home will be surprised.

There are some simple solutions to dealing with temporary odors. Whenever possible, you should try to remove the source of the odor.

Store trash outside the house.
Open windows in the kitchen for fresh air when cooking.
Keep cigarette smoking outside.
Address mold and mildew quickly.

Professional Solutions for Odor Removal

It is often tempting to try covering up unpleasant odors with air fresheners or scented candles. These can help for a minor odor problem, but they are only replacing one set of VOCs with a stronger smelling set of VOCs. To permanently remove odors, you must get the chemical signatures out of the air. This is where filters and air purifiers come into play.

There are several systems that can help improve air quality and remove odor. These are usually installed in the ductwork of your climate control systems. As air travels through the ducts, it is forced to flow through the air purification system. Small, portable units can be used to improve the air in a single room.

HEPA filters
Activated charcoal purifiers
Charged media filters
Electrostatic precipitators
Photo Electrochemical Oxidation Purifiers

HEPA Filters

HEPA filters are especially effective at removing small irritants from the air. A true HEPA filter can remove almost all the particles that are larger than 0.3 microns. To put this in a perspective, a small grain of sand is about 50 microns in size. While this sounds like it should handle most of your home’s particle problems, viruses, bacteria and VOCs are all smaller than 0.3 microns.

HEPA filters can be an important part of an air quality system. They can remove several common irritants and their associated smells from the air.

Pet dander
Dust
Ash
Pollen

Activated Charcoal Purifiers

Activated charcoal has long been a way to remove toxins. This substance was once considered a cure-all for poisons. Some people still use it as a natural remedy.

This form of carbon has been especially heated so that it is more porous than normal charcoal. Chemically, it has a slightly negative charge and so attracts many compounds as they float through the air. This means that it can remove VOCs from the atmosphere, which will remove odors from your air.

There are some things to consider when using this system:

The amount of charcoal in the filter increases its lifespan.
The carbon slowly gets saturated and needs replacement.
UV-light combined with activated charcoal can remove chemicals and kill viruses and bacteria.

Charged Media Filters and Electrostatic Precipitators

Another style of purification system involves using electrostatic energy to trap particles. A charged media filter uses electrostatically charged fibers to trap particles that are smaller than 0.1 micron. This will handle many impurities, like cigarette smoke. However, most VOCs are still much smaller than this very small size.

An electrostatic precipitator relies completely on the power of an electric charge to remove impurities. The air passes through a series of charged metal plates. Fine particles are attracted by the electrostatic charge and stick to the plates. The plates need to be removed and cleaned periodically. However, there is no filter to replace.