With the pandemic still going on and more of us spending more time at home than ever before, the subject of indoor air quality has never been more relevant.  In fact, one of the most common questions I receive from our customers is centered on how to keep indoor air safe, fresh and clean.

Learning more about indoor air quality only adds to the sense of importance and urgency. A slew of negative outcomes can result from poor indoor air quality.  As an example, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology reports that up to 50 percent of all illnesses are either caused or exacerbated by poor indoor air quality.  According to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, controlling dust mites in indoor air can reduce asthma cases by around 60 percent.

Aside from ensuring a residence or a commercial building simply has a better smell and an increased level of comfort, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) can reduce the number of toxins in the air.  These toxins and pollutants include volatile organic compounds, particulates (dust, dirt, soot, smoke, pollen, pet dander, etc.), and mold/germs.  It is important to point out that these nasties can enter our homes through open doors, cracked windows, and shopping items.  They can even gain access to our homes through our clothes or in the ductwork in our HVAC units.

While some of these pollutants can be deterred with quality air filters and basic UV light components, there are a variety of products to help ensure your IAQ is safe and clean:

• American Standard AccuClean - This is a whole-home air cleaner with patented technology that removes up to 99.98 percent of airborne particles while filtering indoor air up to seven times per hour.  This reduces the need to dust by as much as 50 percent, and the product has been certified as asthma and allergy friendly by the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.
   
• Blue Tube UV - This is a germicidal UV light system installed inside the central air system to prevent mold growth on the evaporator coils and improve IAQ throughout the home by sterilizing airborne biological contaminants.  One cool thing about it is that it allows for chemical-free disinfection.
   
• Apco-X Air Treatment System - This is a whole-house treatment system that combines UV-C light and EverCarbon™ cells to safely reduce odor-causing volatile organic compounds and biological contaminants such as mold, bacteria, and viruses.  People love that it has been validated as an ozone-free solution and that the proprietary EverCarbon™ cells have germicidal nanotechnology.

We understand there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to improving indoor air quality, so we customize solutions to the unique requirements of our clients’ homes.  Taking steps to enhance your IAQ may not have an impact on your IQ, but it could have a drastic impact on your health and quality of life.  For a consultation about how to integrate one of the products referenced above into your HVAC system, call 910-777-3539.      

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Salt Air Heating & Cooling provides a full lineup of maintenance, new installation, and service work to residential and commercial clients in and around the Wilmington, NC area. Salt Air is comprised of true HVAC experts, adept at diagnosing and servicing all makes and models of heating and air equipment. The Salt Air team completes 1,000 hours of continuing education per year to ensure our employees are trained on the latest technology. To arrange a free at-home consultation, call (910) 777-3539, or visit the company’s website at www.saltairinc.com.