Improve Your Indoor Air Quality with Air Conditioning Maintenance
While watching Spectrum 9, the meteorologist forecasted moderate-high pollen levels over the next week. Even though we’re not facing extremely high levels, people with allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and respiratory conditions may still suffer indoors and out when the air quality is compromised at any level.
Outdoor pollens that are currently prominent include oak, myrtle, and grass, and these may be worrisome through May. These allergens can certainly be transferred indoors, but there are other pollutants in our homes that can build-up over time making them equally troubling, like pet dander, mold, bacteria, and dust mites.
Additionally, there are chemicals that we don’t even think about that are released into the air in our homes from furniture, carpeting, personal care products, pesticides, cleaning products, air fresheners, and dry-cleaned clothing, all of which negatively impact our indoor air quality.
According to Environmental Protection Agency data and HGTV TV star Anthony Carrino, “Research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Today’s homes are better insulated, more tightly sealed and more energy efficient; however, these factors can trap indoor pollutants, making indoor air up to five times less healthy than outdoor air.”
Homeowners can improve indoor air quality with air conditioning maintenance and HVAC products in the Tampa Bay area.
Air Conditioning Maintenance & Air Quality
Air conditioners are a major investment and a necessity of home and business and property owners in Florida, so air conditioning maintenance is crucial to increasing the life of the air system, as well as sustaining its energy efficiency and your air quality.
Without proper maintenance, dust, mold spores, bacteria, yeast, fungi, and other micro-organisms collect on air system coils, and they thrive in the cool, dark, moist environment. When the air handler forces the air through the ductwork, these troublesome particulates become airborne and are circulated throughout your residential or commercial space.
Combine indoor mold, bacteria, dust, and other contaminants with outdoor pollens and allergens, and this cocktail will negatively affect anyone, not just those with allergies or respiratory issues.
Schedule regular air conditioner maintenance services or enroll in a maintenance program in the Tampa Bay area, and routinely change the air filter in your air handler to improve the overall air quality, increase the longevity of your air conditioner, and reduce energy costs.
One way property owners can help is by regularly checking and changing the air filters.
Air filters are in place to catch dust and other airborne particulates as air passes through the system. If the air filter becomes clogged, the air conditioner will continuously operate in its attempt to force air through the dirty filter, spreading pollutants through the ventilation system, and into your home or workplace. This significantly impacts air quality and air conditioner efficiency. Failing to change air filters easily results in compromised health and higher energy costs.
A variety of air filters are available, depending on your budget, air system requirements, and functional needs:
- Flat-Panel
- Pleated
- Electrostatic
- Washable
- High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)
HVAC Products that Improve Indoor Air Quality
Aside from air filters, there are a variety of effective products that have been designed to work within the air conditioning system to remove pollen, mold, bacteria, yeast, fungi, and dust and prevent them from circulating indoors.
During allergy season and the age of serious flu and coronavirus contagions, consider the addition of one of the following state-of-the-art products Proficient Air recommends and installs to significantly improve the air quality and protect your family:
- Ultraviolet Coil Irradiation UV Lamp Kit
A UV light is a source of destruction for microbes, mold spores, bacteria, and viruses in air conditioning systems, hospital rooms and even drinking water. A stick-shaped device is installed in the air handler near the blower section and coil to prevent mold and fungal growth on all surfaces of the air handler. The air handler is the most common place to find mold, due to cold temperatures of the evaporator and condensate pan.
A study by the American Association of Applied Microbiology showed that a germicidal UV light installed in an HVAC air handler was an effective tool to eliminate fungus, mold, and microbes from the air handler, as well as to reduce airborne microbes.
A UV lamp kit is proven to protect the air you breathe, making it a wise, practical investment, especially during allergy season. The UV bulb is relatively inexpensive and typically lasts one-two years.
- Reme Halo Whole-House Air Purification System
This American-made system installs in the unit’s main supply air trunk dispersing hydrogen peroxide into the entire home’s ventilation system, treating every room and surface it encounters. The combination of the hydrogen peroxide disbursement and internal UV light destroys mold spores, bacteria, viruses, fungi, VOC’s, odors, smoke, etc. It has also been proven to reduce allergens such as pollen, dander, and dust, and it eradicates stinky pet odors
These lamps are commonly used in hospitals and government facilities to safely clean and sterilize the air, and prevent sick building syndrome. Proficient Air recommends the Reme Halo Air Purification System based on the following stats:
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- It destroys 99% of bacteria, mold, and viruses.
- Germs are killed within 3’ of their source.
- It provides whole-home coverage.
- You can control the output of the device.
- Approved for us in the US and international hospitals for combating infectious disease.
- It was proven effective against the SARS virus in China.
- It is approved for use in USDA, FSIS, and the FDA food processing plants.
Bulb replacement is required every two years in Reme Halo System. It is an exceptional product that improves the overall air quality in homes and businesses for the health and well-being of families and guests and customers.
- 4” Media Filter Cabinet
A 4” media filter cabinet is exponentially more effective than a standard air filter at collecting airborne particulates like pollen, dust and dander, as well as bacteria, molds and viruses. This amazing air filter component has multiple layers of pleated materials that filter particulates from the air before they circulate throughout your home or office.
Moreover, this whole-home media filter cabinet also helps extend the life of air conditioning units by reducing the prevalence of dust and other airborne particles that penetrate the air system.
A media filter replaces the need for stand-alone air purifiers in your home for cleaner, healthier indoor air quality. For maximum effectiveness and efficiency, these filters require changing every six months to a year.
Regular HVAC Maintenance Improves Air Quality, Conserves Energy and Saves Money
The air conditioning system is an important investment for property owners in the Tampa Bay area, so you want to make sure it operates at its optimum year-round for the duration of its life. Maintenance is the key to keeping your air system functioning efficiently and effectively year after year while sustaining better air quality for you and your family.
The expert Proficient Air service technicians are highly qualified to exercise best practices in air conditioning maintenance and indoor air quality throughout the Tampa Bay area. Each professional air conditioning service technician and installer is trained to safely and accurately assess your current system and recommend products that are best suited for your air conditioning system, your home’s air quality, and your family’s health.
Proficient Air in Palm Harbor offers a variety of high-quality maintenance contracts, specifically tailored to your needs and budget. Contact Proficient Air for air conditioning maintenance and improved air quality in the Tampa Bay area, and breathe easier by protecting your HVAC investment and your family. 727.386.2732
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