Indoor Air Quality
Purify the Air You Breathe.
No home is immune to indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. All homes can contain elevated levels of dust, dirt, chemicals – even mold and mildew. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside the average home is up to five times more polluted than the air outside. If untreated, poor air quality can cause allergy-like symptoms such as eye and throat irritation, sneezing, headaches and coughing.
Groff's Home Comfort Team help by doing an indoor air quality test in your home, and if needed, recommending the right air quality system. Contact a member of the Groff's team today.
Learn more about our Lennox Air Quality Systems [Healthy Climate Solutions icon and link to http://www.groffs.com/airquality2.html]
Benefits of good indoor air quality
- Health — breath air free of harmful contaminants
- Cleanliness — minimal amount of dust, dirt and odors
- Comfort — proper humidity, air distribution and temperature
Common indoor air pollutants
Some particulates found in indoor air are as fine as .01 microns in diameter or 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Commonly found substances include:
- Pollen and plant spores
- Dust
- Viruses, bacteria, and fungi
- Pet dander
- Human skin flakes
- Dust mites, droppings, and their carcasses
- Cooking, smoke and grease
- Mildew and mold
- Cigarette smoke
Three ways you can treat your indoor air problems
Source reduction.. This involves attacking particulates at their source. For some families this option involves some drastic measures, such as cutting out smoking and getting rid of pets. These solutions might not always be possible or practical.
Dilution.. Another solution is to dilute the concentration of particulates in the air with cleaner outdoor air. Air dilution is desirable because it helps decrease gases given off by carpeting, building materials, and other products. While some air is continually leaving your home, it may not happen at a very high rate, especially in tightly constructed homes. To speed up dilution, you can open windows and doors to let in more outdoor air. This, too, is not always practical or possible.
Filtering.. Filtering the indoor air supply can take several routes. Every home with warm air heating has at least a basic furnace filter, which prevents the biggest particulates, such as lint, hair and large dust, from getting into the furnace. These filters operate at a cleaning efficiency of about 5% at best (meaning that they remove about 5% of all the particulates in your air).
PureAir™ Air Purification System
The Lennox PureAir air purification system helps control everything from microscopic dust mites and mold spores to infectious bacteria and viruses. PureAir is the only indoor air quality system that safely removes and destroys odors and chemical vapors. Lennox gives you the innovative option for customizing your home's air and creating a pure, clean, comfortable environment.
The PureAir air purification system consists of a MERV 16 Precision PIeat™ filter, two 55-watt UVA lamps and a metal insert coated with a catalyst activated by an ultraviolet light. Together, these three elements work together to reduce concentrations of pollutants.
The MERV 16 Precision filter captures particles and bioaerosols as small as .01 micron. As the airstream flows over the UVA lamps it is exposed to the catalytic surface. The light energy and water vapor in the air activate the catalyst, which attacks the carbon components of the odor and chemical vapors, breaking them down into harmless carbon dioxide and water.
HEPA Bypass Air Filtration Systems
Healthy Climate HEPA bypass filtration systems are 99.97% efficient at removing small particles at 0.3 micron - contaminants that standard filtration systems can't effectively stop. The HEPA system minimizes your exposure to potentially harmful pollutants.
Humidifiers
Humidifiers replenish the humidity in the air in a safe, water vapor form. They are the right choice for a more comfortable and healthy home.
The most popular type of humidifier is the flow-through type. Called "flow-through" because a portion of the air from the supply side of the furnace is detoured to force it across a wetted humidifier pad. The humidified air is then routed back to the return side of the furnace, blended with air from the cold air returns, heated by the furnace and delivered to the conditioned space.
Bypass flow-through humidifiers are low cost and low maintenance. Depending on the hardness of the water supply, the only necessary maintenance is to replace the humidifier pad once a year. The drain tube should also be checked yearly and cleaned if there is mineral build-up inside.
Bypass flow-through models cost less than other models and are easier for contractors to install because there is no heating element and no fan or drum motor. Flow-through humidifiers do have a higher rate of water use than reservoir models.
The other type, the under duct flow-through type, is mountable on horizontal ducts and can be as small as 12"x 8". These in-duct humidifiers are easy to maintain and feature a unique mounting frame for easy cleaning or sensing. They have a durable, corrosion-resistant thermoplastic housing with an output capacity of 20 gallons per day.
Too much humidity in the home is never a good thing. It creates a haven for mold, mildew, dust mites and bacteria. The Healthy Climate Whole-Home Dehumidifier can tame humidity for greater comfort and enhanced indoor air quality.
Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Lights
powerful ultraviolet energy for effective air purification. They effectively reduce concentrations of airborne bioaerosols by 50% in as little as 45 minutes.
