Indoor air quality is increasingly becoming a bigger concern due to how many different things there are in the typical home that continually release pollutants into the air. The most common sources of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by building materials, furnishings and cleaning products, exhaust fumes from outside and pollutants produced when cooking.
IAQ is often worse during the summer as a result of allergens and because most people leave their windows closed and their AC running. Fortunately, there are effective solutions that can help you eliminate these issues to maximize your home’s air quality in summer and throughout the rest of the year.
Ensure You Have Sufficient Air Filtration
In terms of indoor air quality, one mistake that many homeowners make is buying only cheap, basic air filters for their HVAC systems in order to save money. The problem is that basic filters aren’t all that efficient and can only trap some dust and other larger particles like pet hair. You can tell how efficient a filter is by its minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating.
Standard 1-inch pleated filters designed for use in residential HVAC systems usually range between MERV 6 and MERV 12, whereas fiberglass and aluminum mesh filters are typically rated no higher than MERV 4. Using a filter with a higher MERV rating is an easy way to improve your indoor air quality, as it will be much more effective at filtering out pollen, mold spores, pet dander and other common household allergens. Higher MERV filters can also filter out things like particles from wildfire smoke and exhaust fumes.
The major concern is that the more efficient a filter is, the more it restricts the airflow in an HVAC system. If you use a filter that’s too efficient for your HVAC system, it can create significant issues in terms of cooling performance and energy efficiency. For many homes, a MERV 8 or MERV 10 filter will provide the best results in terms of improving indoor air quality without a noticeable reduction in airflow.
An even better option for improving air filtration and overall indoor air quality is to have an HVAC company retrofit your return air duct so that you can use a media filter. Media filters are typically between 4 and 6 inches thick, so they contain far more pleated material than a standard filter and work far more effectively. Most of these filters are in the MERV 12 to 15 range and provide a much higher level of filtration without restricting airflow.
If anyone in your home suffers from severe allergies or has asthma, you may want to consider adding a HEPA filtration system to your ductwork instead. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can remove over 99% of airborne particles. The only issue is that a HEPA filtration system will slightly increase your electricity bills, as the system uses a fan to draw air from the ductwork and force it through the filter.
Improve Your Home’s Ventilation
One of the biggest contributors to poor indoor air quality in the summer is a lack of sufficient ventilation. Without adequate ventilation, the air inside a house quickly becomes stale and more and more polluted. Insufficient ventilation is an especially common problem with newer houses, as they tend to be airtight. All the allergens and pollutants remain trapped inside, and there’s no way to bring in fresh air without opening the windows and letting heat in.
One way that you can help to improve your home’s ventilation is by always running the exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen when you bathe or cook to draw humidity and pollutants outside. The best way to ensure your home always has sufficient ventilation is to install an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or a heat recovery ventilator (HRV).
These devices work by using fans to pull the stale air out of the house and bring clean air in from outside. This creates a similar effect to what you get if you open windows on different sides of the house to create a through-draft.
The difference is that ERVs and HRVs have a heat exchanger that enables them to pull heat out of the incoming air so that it cools before being blown into the building. That way, you have sufficient ventilation without the device causing your house to get hotter and forcing your AC system to work harder.
Control Your Home’s Humidity Level
Humidity control is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to indoor air quality, especially in places like San Diego that can experience high humidity due to summer monsoon rains. One concern if your home is frequently too humid is that it increases the chances of indoor mold growth, with your cooling system circulating mold spores around the house. Dust mites are another major air quality concern, as they thrive in humid conditions.
The best way to avoid these issues is to keep the relative humidity level inside your house under 50%. Using portable dehumidifiers can help a bit with humidity control, but the most effective option for preventing issues with high humidity throughout the entire house is to add a whole-home dehumidifier to your HVAC system.
This machine will run alongside your air conditioning and work to ensure that the cool air your AC puts out is much drier. Installing a whole-home dehumidifier won’t just help you avoid certain air quality issues. It will also make your house feel cooler and more comfortable and help your AC to work more efficiently.
Upgrade to a Whole-Home Air Purifier
There are several different types of whole-home air purifiers that can help you tackle various indoor air quality issues. For instance, UV air purifiers are an effective option for destroying airborne bacteria and viruses along with mold spores. When exposed to UV-C light, all these microorganisms suffer DNA damage that makes them unable to reproduce or cause an infection.
Another option is an air purifier that uses an activated carbon filter. This type of filter is effective for removing gaseous chemicals like VOCs along with various odor-causing pollutants.
Other types of air purifiers work by releasing ionizing agents in the air that attract and stick to pollutants. These agents react with airborne chemicals and transform contaminants into less harmful compounds like water vapor and carbon dioxide. When the agents stick to solid particles like pollen, mold spores and dust, they make the particles heavy enough that they fall out of the air and settle onto floors, counters and other surfaces so that they no longer circulate around the house.
The best air purification systems combine multiple methods to combat the full range of air quality issues. Most of these systems have a high-efficiency filter to remove particulate matter along with other solutions like an ionizing purifier, UV purifier or carbon filter.
At Elite Heating & Air Conditioning Services, we have years of experience providing professional indoor air quality solutions and will help you find the best option for your home. From professional air quality assessments to ventilation, filtration and air purification, we have everything you need to ensure everyone in your home can breathe easily.
To schedule an air quality service or any other IAQ or HVAC solution for your San Diego home, contact us today.
