Now, more than ever, it’s important to have clean indoor air.  With more people spending more time at home than ever before and with threats of global pandemics; indoor air quality, or IAQ for short, has become a necessity for homes and businesses.

IAQ or Air Purification from an HVAC perspective can be handled in 3 ways:

• Filtration (or collection)Anytime your air conditioner or heater is running, it is changing out the air in your home.  Most properly sized units will change the air in your home or individual room 5-8 times per hour.  We can use this to our advantage by running this air through a high efficiency filter and capturing impurities in the air.  We recommend a MERV 13 or better filter to accomplish this, this type of filter will capture 90% of household particles.  Particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander, and bacteria.  We sell and recommend a good filter such as an Aprilaire 2410 model filter and cabinet.  In most cases, depending on the environment, it only needs to be replaced once per year, has a relatively low static pressure rating, and is an excellent filter. Click here for more information on the Aprilaire Model 2410 Air Purifier.

• DilutionDilution means introducing fresh, outdoor air into the home to dilute the indoor air.  If you live in an older home that is “loose” or poorly insulated, you are most likely getting outdoor air into the home by infiltration through air gaps or the cracks and crevices in the home.  If you live in a more modern home that is “tight” and well insulated, you would greatly benefit your IAQ by bringing in fresh outdoor air either by the HVAC system itself, or even better, by a mechanical fresh air ventilator with dehumidification (important here in the South); or an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator).  Both of these devices mechanically introduce fresh air into the home, but will partially dry or condition the outdoor air before it’s introduced into the space.

• Air PurificationThe 3^rd approach to IAQ is air purification with a PCO type device.  PCO stands for Photocatalytic Oxidation.  There is a lot of science that goes into PCO devices, but essentially these devices produce ionized hydro peroxide molecules that are distributed into the entire air space of the home.  These molecules attack bad molecules of air contaminants such as mold, bacteria, viruses, and VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds).  These devices use a UV light that shines on a catalyst to produce these friendly hydro peroxides.  We recommend and install the Reme Halo LED device made by RGF.  We prefer this device due to its performance, longer cell life, and zero ozone production.  Click here for more information on RGF’s HALO-LED™ whole-home air purification system.