Do family members in your home have asthma or severe allergies? Do you notice that family members seem to get sick frequently? Are you worried about the quality of the air in your home? It’s time to think about ways that you can improve the quality of the air in your home. Of course, keeping living spaces clean is one place to start, but it’s difficult to keep common contaminants out of the air, no matter how clean the house is. Here are three reasons your indoor air quality may suffer, and what you can do to remedy the situation.
Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category
2 Reasons for Poor Indoor Air Quality (and What to Do about It)
Monday, April 20th, 2015What Types of Products Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Friday, March 20th, 2015The job of your home’s HVAC system is to keep your indoor temperature regulated, but the system can do so much more when indoor air quality products are integrated with it. Many HVAC system come with a standard air filter, but this air filter is not designed to help with indoor air quality. As such, if you are looking to improve your home’s indoor air quality, it’s time to schedule an Indoor Air Quality Services appointment with a Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning expert for your Larkspur, CO home.
IAQ Product Choices
Choosing the right indoor air quality products for your home will depend largely on what your needs are. Some households need to focus on removing allergens while others may want to focus on biological contaminants. Knowing what the products are and their capabilities plays a big role in your decision-making, so here is an overview of the types of IAQ products available:
Air Cleaning Products
“Air cleaning” is a general term that applies to both air filters and air purifiers. The main difference between air filters and air purifiers is that the word “filters” refers to mechanical air filters and the word “air purifiers” refers to electronic air cleaners and UV germicidal lighting. Air filters vary in strength and effectiveness, and the way to know how effective a particular air filter will be is by reviewing its MERV number. Air filters capture contaminants in their filter media while electronic air cleaners use ionization to charge particles and then capture the particles electronically. Both air filters and electronic air cleaners can capture allergens, but each can capture only some biological contaminants. This is where UV lighting comes in.
UV germicidal lighting destroys and eradicates biological contaminants by destroying the cell’s DNA; this disables the cells from reproducing. However, UV germicidal lights do not have an effect on non-biological contaminants like dust, so they are often paired with air cleaners or air filtration systems.
Humidifiers
We can have very low humidity in our area, which can lead to both property and health issues. One of the best ways to help balance the low humidity in your home is with the installation of a whole-home humidifier. These devices become part of your home’s HVAC system, so all you have to do is set your humidistat at the percentage you want and the humidifier does the rest.
Ventilation Devices
Maintaining good ventilation and indoor air quality can be a challenge for homeowners, especially during the very cold or very hot weather. But with an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or heat recovery ventilator (HRV), you can have the benefit of pre-treated, fresh air flowing into your home while also reducing your energy usage.
A trained professional from Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning can help you determine which products will meet your needs and install them. Call us today and schedule an appointment!
Ways a Heat Recovery Ventilator Helps Your Home
Thursday, February 5th, 2015Airflow and indoor climate go hand in hand, with the former affecting the latter in many ways. Often, the relationship between air circulation and climate control results in frustration for the homeowner. You may want to bring in some fresh air during the winter, but you don’t want to open a window and let heat out of the house. The alternative, however, is to let your heating system continue to dry out the air, which is uncomfortable and unhealthy. Luckily, there is actually a way to both get a steady supply of fresh air and keep your indoor climate intact. Read on to find out what a heat recovery ventilator is, and how it benefits your home.
What is a Heat Recovery Ventilator?
A heat recovery ventilator is a device designed to improve the home’s ventilation, while simultaneously maintaining its insulation from heat transfer. It can be used as an integrated part of an HVAC system, but can also operate as a stand-alone device. It is essentially a square or rectangular casing with 4 openings, one each for outgoing and incoming air flow on both the inside and outside parts of the ventilator. It is often installed on an exterior wall or in a window, as it needs access to both indoor and outdoor air.
Inside the unit is a heat exchanger, essentially a configuration of pipes through which the air flows in and out of the ventilator. As the air from inside travels out through the heat exchanger, outside air is traveling through a parallel section on the way inside. Heat always tries to move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. As such, when the two air flows pass each other in the heat exchanger, the warmer air will transfer much of its heat to the cooler air. This is why the part is called a heat exchanger.
How Heat Recovery Ventilators Benefit Your Home
This transfer of heat is what makes heat recovery ventilators so useful. By using a heat exchanger, the ventilator can bring in a constant flow of fresh air without adversely affecting the climate inside. Cold air that enters the ventilator will be warm by the time it actually enters the home, while warm air will be cool. This keeps the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
If you’d like to know more about how a heat recovery ventilator helps your home, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide heat recovery ventilators throughout Security-Widefield, CO.
Services to Improve the Commercial Indoor Air Quality
Thursday, January 29th, 2015Many of the features of your commercial property are regulated by federal and local building code, but the quality of the air in a commercial space rarely comes into question. However, it’s in your best interest to provide the most air filtration possible to protect anyone in your building including employees, customers, clients, and tenants. The filter included with your property’s HVAC system may not be enough to keep everyone healthy and comfortable. Follow along with our guide to find out which types of professional commercial indoor air quality services and installations can benefit you.
Commercial Air Purifiers
For any type of business, it’s important to have a system that filters as many harmful particles out of the air as possible. The air inside of your building may actually be more contaminated than the air outside. Although you currently have some filtration if you frequently run a forced-air heating and air conditioning system, smaller particles can still continuously circulate through the building, including mold spores, legionella, and pollen. An electronic air purifier uses ionization to attract particles, and may remove over 99% of contaminants when used in conjunction with a quality filter.
UV Germicidal Lights
UV germicidal lights are used to kill and sterilize biological contaminants which could otherwise make people sick or damage the structure of a building. This type of air purifying system is used primarily in areas such as hospitals where a bacterial infection could be deadly or laboratories that rely on sterile equipment. They’re also used in areas with a high concentration of bacteria like sewage treatment plants, and can even help to reduce odors. The UV light kills organic matter at the indoor air handler that could otherwise irritate the sinuses or lead to illness, and it may be useful for smaller businesses as well.
Humidifiers
There are some businesses in which a humidifier is absolutely necessary for the operation of the business. Greenhouses, fruit and vegetable storage facilities, laboratories, and some factories require a certain level of humidification, but other business owners prefer humidifiers because they help keep those in the building more comfortable. A humidifier can alleviate dry itchy skin and may even prevent paint from chipping or peeling due to dry air.
Call on the experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today to find out which Colorado Springs commercial indoor air quality services are best suited for your business needs.
What Is a UV Air Purifier?
Thursday, January 15th, 2015The quality of the air in your home is important to you, which is part of the reason you mop, vacuum, and/or dust as regularly as you can. Unfortunately, there may still be several different contaminants floating around in the air you breathe, and many of these contaminants live in the ducts. Yes, your home heating and air conditioning system contains a filter which traps particles that may otherwise get sucked into the air handler. But these aren’t effective at filtering out every different type of particle, especially smaller ones. Besides that, there may already be microorganisms living in your ducts.
A UV air purifier is installed right above the indoor air handler of your air conditioning and heating system because this is an area where microorganisms tend to thrive. A furnace or air conditioning cooling coil can collect moisture as the components continuously heat up and cool down. A furnace may collect moisture when water vapor is created during combustion and a cooling coil gathers condensation as warm air blows over it.
Very small living organisms can thrive in areas with high levels of moisture. And since a fan blows over the parts to move conditioned air into a room, it’s likely that these microorganisms, which often aggravate allergies and may even cause illness, will blow into the room as well.
UV air purifiers emit enough UV radiation to kill small organisms like mold, bacteria, and viruses. Ultraviolet rays are able to kill small organic matter. When you go out into the sun for short periods of time, you won’t notice an effect, but a microscopic creature can die instantly when it’s exposed. It also sterilizes the organisms so that they no longer upset the quality of your air.
UV air purifiers are recommended for homeowners and residents with allergies, asthma, or immune conditions, or just those who notice that family members are frequently sick. A UV air purifier can even help to eliminate some odors left over from cooking and pets.
Call the indoor air quality experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more about the benefits of UV air purifiers in Monument, CO.
When Is an Energy Recovery Ventilator Necessary?
Thursday, December 11th, 2014You know that your heater or air conditioner will have to work much harder if you open up the windows for a bit of fresh air. Unfortunately, we keep our homes sealed up tight to prevent our air conditioners and heaters from consuming too much energy. If your HVAC system runs for too long, your bills will skyrocket and the parts may wear down far too quickly. While this may help us to save quite a bit of money, it can have consequences to our health and comfort.
Most home comfort systems circulate the air from inside the house in order to consume as little energy as possible. While this is useful in preventing your air conditioner from becoming overworked, poor ventilation is responsible for many indoor air quality problems. Improper ventilation results in stale air and a general feeling of discomfort, but can also allow for a lot of pollutants to remain in the home.
An energy recovery ventilator is necessary whenever improper ventilation allows for less-than-satisfactory conditions in your household. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) brings in fresh air from the outside and pre-heats or pre-cools it so that it is conditioned for your home. The stale indoor air is simultaneously vented to the outside. And don’t worry; the outside air will go through the same filtration process as the indoor air that circulates through the home, and will ultimately be cleaner to breathe in than the air that recycles through the house. Besides, the sealed heat exchanger allows for very little heat to escape, meaning you won’t notice an impact on your bills.
An ERV is also useful when you have a problem with humidity in the home. High humidity levels can allow moisture to buildup in the home, ruining furniture, walls, and structural components, and allowing for a dangerous buildup of mold and mildew. Although it is not technically a dehumidifier, an ERV will transfer moisture from the indoor air to the outdoors to keep the home feeling more comfortable and preventing the possibility of structural damage.
You might choose an energy recovery ventilator when you notice conditions in the home have become uncomfortable. But ultimately, you should ask a trained technician whether this type of unit is right for you.
Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more about installing energy recovery ventilators and to gain some control over your indoor air quality today.
Signs of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Wednesday, October 8th, 2014When it comes to living comfortably in your home, your mind may automatically go towards the temperature. However, this is only a part of the overall picture in terms of comfort. In order to live truly comfortably, you must not only maintain comfortable temperatures but great indoor air quality as well. To ensure that this is the case, you may need to work with a trained indoor air quality specialist, such as the ones on the Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning team. Of course, before doing so, you must first realize that there is a problem with your indoor air quality in Colorado Springs, CO to begin with. Here are a few warning signs to keep an eye out for which may suggest the need for our quality indoor air quality products and services.
First of all, any increase in or aggravation of allergy and asthma symptoms among residents in your home are is a major red flag that your indoor air quality may be subpar. There are a lot of different factors at play here, and homes with pets or those in proximity to major roadways will likely have higher concentrations of airborne pollutants. Regardless of your situation, a good air filtration system or electronic air purifier may be necessary in order to boost your air quality to appropriate levels.
If you find that your skin is very dry and itchy, or if you have frequent sore throats and bloody noses, you may be up against issues with low humidity levels. You must have the right amount of humidity in your home if you hope to live comfortably, or else your body will feel the effects of drying out. Additionally, low humidity levels can lead to splitting wooden fixtures, chipping paint, and other problems. A whole-house humidifier is a great way to add the right amount of humidity back to the air.
No matter if your air is too dry or if biological pollutants have infiltrated your home, you need to improve the quality of the air that you breathe.
We spend a lot of time indoors, so your comfort and your health depend upon great indoor air quality in Colorado Springs, CO. Call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more.
Choosing the Right Air Purifier
Wednesday, September 24th, 2014You may think that pollution is only a problem when you are out and about the town. The fact is, though, that the air in your home may be just as, if not more, polluted than that in your backyard. Depending on a number of different factors, your indoor air quality may be far from what we’d consider ideal. The good news is that Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning has the air purification products that you need to breathe the clean, pure air that you deserve. The better news is that we also have the information you need to ensure that you use the right air purifier in Colorado Springs, CO for the job. Only with the right tools can you right the wrongs done to your air quality by different pollutants.
One of the simplest ways in which to clean up the air in your home is with an air filtration system. Mechanical air filters, such as the one in your HVAC system, trap pollutants in the air as it passes through a fibrous material. In many instances, though, such air filters are just not enough to truly improve the quality of the air that you breathe in your house. In such instances, more sophisticated air purifiers may be necessary.
An electronic air purifier, for instance, can pull air into an ionization chamber, where the pollutants in that air are given an electric charge. An oppositely charged collector plate will trap these pollutants on its surface, and the plate is removed for easy cleaning. While this is very effective for the removal of airborne pollutants in your home, it is not an appropriate method for dealing with biological pollutants.
Viruses, mold, bacteria, and other biological pollutants cannot simply be filtered out of the air. Even if they are trapped in a filter, they can continue to thrive and to reproduce. A UV air purifier, on the other hand, will render these pollutants unable to do so, using small amounts of UV radiation in order to destroy them.
To guarantee that you are using the right air purifier in Colorado Springs, CO, call the experts at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning today.
Why Use a Whole-House Humidifier?
Wednesday, September 10th, 2014Living in this area, we don’t have to deal with the issues that an oversaturation of humidity can lead to. However, the fact is that there is a certain amount of humidity which must be present in the air in order for it to be comfortable. Having too little humidity is really no better than having too much, so many homeowners find themselves heading to the hardware store to purchase portable humidifiers. When it comes to adding the right amount of humidity to the air throughout your home, though, there is really no substitute for the effectiveness and efficiency of a whole-house humidifier.
If you think the air in your home is too dry, give the Colorado Springs, CO humidifier pros at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning a call.
Humid air holds heat more effectively than very dry air does. This means that trying to heat your home effectively during the winter when it is very dry therein can be difficult. Not only can this put unnecessary strain on your HVAC system, it can result in high energy costs. We believe that you deserve better than to pay more money for a lousy performance from your air conditioning system, so give us a call to schedule your whole-house humidifier installation today.
In addition to making it difficult to heat your home sufficiently, very dry air can have a direct impact on your comfort in other ways. If the air is very dry in your home, it only makes sense that your skin will start to dry out as well. This can make it itchy and flaky. You may also find that your throat is often sore or that you get frequent nosebleeds. With the installation of a whole—house humidifier, you can resolve such annoying problems.
A whole-house humidifier in Colorado Springs, CO is a great way in which to make your home a more comfortable place to live. Just remember that these devices are installed directly into HVAC systems. That means that you must schedule your whole-house humidifier installation, replacement, repair, and regular maintenance with a skilled, trained professional. In order to do so, just call upon the technicians at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning.
