What you should know about Indoor Air Quality
Since the onset of COVID-19, we’ve all been hearing a lot about the importance of indoor air quality. One of the top ways to improve your indoor air quality is through Ultraviolet (UV) Lighting, Filtration, and clean ductwork (your environment’s indoor air distribution system). At Wighton’s Heating & Air Conditioning, we’ve been helping homes & businesses improve their indoor air quality for over 60 years. Since we’re all spending more time indoors, and working to prevent the spread of airborne viruses, we’ve put together this report to help you learn more about improving your indoor air quality.
The truth about indoor air quality…
Your Home CAN Make You Sick:
There are many cities throughout the world that have become grossly polluted – but most people don’t think about the pollution that can be occurring right inside their home, no matter WHERE you live! Your health can be severely affected by particulates and biological matter that you may be breathing…without even knowing it. Here are 2 things you need to be aware of when checking your home’s air system:
It’s in the AIR You Breathe!
Dirt, mold, bugs, mites, and other “stuff” are all living in your duct system. The peskiest are Dust Mites. For creatures you can’t even see, dust mites can stir up a lot of trouble. About 20 million Americans are allergic to these little bugs. You may feel as if you have an endless cold or even asthma.
2. Mold (Bacteria):
Homes now retain more humidity and airborne pollutants, which cause longer life-spans and more productive cycles of microbial activity within the home, such as mold, germs, bacteria and viruses.
5 Ways to Clean the Indoor Air in your Home or Office
1) Clean or replace your ducts:
The ductwork in your home or office distributes all of the air for your indoor environment.According to the largest flexible duct manufacturer in the United States, all flexible ductwork manufactured prior to 2009 is inferior to today’s flexible ductwork in both strength and insulation value. Nothing is cleaner than brand new ductwork. Daily, Wighton’s Champion Technicians measure high static pressures in undersized ductwork and find many improperly sealed duct joints. Our technicians also find duct layouts that were designed & installed improperly. As a result, the system will perform extremely inefficiently, pull dirty air from the attic or basement areas of your home, and will not deliver the comfort you expect from your heating and air conditioning system. Contact Wighton’s to find out if your home (or office!) would benefit from duct cleaning or duct replacement.
2) Install a UV Light Air Scrubber:
Wighton’s has found the most successful way to eliminate airborne mold spores, viruses, bacteria, and the accumulation of mold on AC coil surfaces is with Ultraviolet (U.V.) germicidal lights; originally designed by the US Navy for maintaining the air quality in submerged submarines and currently used by NASA. For most people, the original motivation for installing U.V. germicidal lights is to abate indoor air quality complaints and / or allergies. However, they are also pleased to learn that many airborne viruses & bacteria are also eliminated with U.V. technology. An Ultraviolet Light Air Scrubber mounted in your supply ductwork kills nearly 100% of airborne viruses & bacteria!
3) Install a High-Efficient Air Filter Cabinet:
Most heating and cooling systems still use a basic air filter in the return air grille or inside the furnace. These filters were designed to protect the equipment and not the people served by the equipment. However, there are several types of filter cabinets available in various efficiencies that can help you filter the air you breathe in your home by removing airborne particulates. If you suffer from allergies, asthma, hay fever or other breathing difficulties, there is a high efficiency filter cabinet than can help you. Wighton’s can even provide you with the same type of air
filter used in hospital surgery rooms.
4) Indoor Moisture Management:
Excess moisture can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Exhaust ventilation, humidification and de-humidification are all ways to help manage the indoor moisture of your home or office.
5) Consider the Outside Air:
Most often, the outdoor air on the Central Coast is in the top tier of air quality in the nation. Bringing that outdoor air into our homes can work miracles on our health! Fresh air ventilators, Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV), and for Commercial HVAC / ducting systems are all great options.
Wighton’s goal is to keep you and your family healthy! We encourage you to have your indoor air quality checked by one of our professional technicians.