The air quality in your Atlanta home can be far worse than the air outside. For allergy sufferers, this leads to increased symptoms and decreased comfort.
Along with good housekeeping, such as preventing mold growth and dust build-up, your HVAC system is an important part of your allergy relief toolkit – and it’s not because of its heating and cooling ability. Modern HVAC equipment can also provide enhanced filtration, humidity control, air purification, and ventilation – each of which contributes to better indoor air quality.
Filtration: Today’s air filtration systems combat indoor air pollution by trapping a wide range of airborne allergens and other particles, some as small as 0.3 microns. (For comparison, a medium grain of sand is about 250 microns.) Once trapped by the filter, the particles can no longer circulate back into your home’s air.
Whole-House Humidity Control: Humidity control can include both a dehumidifier, for the summer months, and a humidifier, for the winter months. While humidity itself is not an allergen, improper humidity levels can contribute to allergy symptoms. For example, dry indoor air during the winter irritates the respiratory tract, and humid summer air encourages the growth of mold and mildew spores.
Indoor Air Purification: A whole-house air purifier integrates into the heating and cooling system where it uses UV light to deactivate mold, bacteria, and other contaminants before they can recirculate into the air.
Enhanced Ventilation: Building materials and consumer products may include chemicals that are allergens or that aggravate allergy symptoms.Enhanced ventilation can lessen their impact by continually refreshing indoor air, which is especially important in homes that are sealed nearly air-tight. In addition to exchanging contaminated indoor air with fresh outdoor air, enhanced ventilation equipment also helps regulate indoor humidity levels.
Which indoor air quality solution is right for you and your family?
Each of the air quality components discussed integrates into new or existing HVAC systems. The solution that is best for your situation depends on conditions in your home and the allergies you or a family member suffers from.
A trusted HVAC professional can help you find an effective and affordable solution for improving the air in your Atlanta home, whether it’s adding a single component or opting for a full array of air-quality improvement equipment.