Did you know that the air inside the average home is between two and five times more polluted than outdoor air? It’s a reality that could make you and everyone in your home sick. The good news is that there are air purification measures and systems that can help. However, you won’t know which ones to use until you have your home’s indoor air quality tested. The best time to do that is in the middle of the spring. Here’s why that is, what the process entails, and what to do with the results.
Why Spring Is the Right Time for Air Quality Testing
Your indoor air quality is the product of numerous factors. Many of them stem from everyday activities inside your home. However, the quality of the outdoor air also plays a key role. That’s why spring is the perfect time to test indoor air quality. It is the time of the year when the outdoor air quality is at or near its annual low.
There are a variety of reasons why spring brings poor outdoor air quality. The first is that ozone levels in the air begin rising as the weather starts warming. Another is that farms prepare their fields for the growing season as spring begins. That often includes the use of fertilizers that drive up airborne ammonia levels. Then, as outdoor plants start growing, they add pollen to the air.
It’s also worth pointing out that spring tends to be windier than other times of year. That can increase the amount of airborne dust and dirt. And if you have pets, they’ll start shedding in spring, increasing dander levels in your home’s air. If you were to measure your home’s air quality at a different time of year, you would miss these spring-specific contaminants. That could lead you to assume your home’s air quality isn’t an issue.
The Indoor Air Quality Testing Process
You can purchase a digital monitor if you’re curious about your home’s air quality. Many models can tell you about the quantities of particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, and other contaminants in your air. However, those devices are no substitute for professional air quality testing. Professionals can use multiple methodologies to gain detailed insight into your home’s air quality.
A typical professional air quality test begins with a visual inspection of your home. The technician will look at your HVAC and ductwork, as well as checking for signs of mold or mildew. They’ll also discuss your air quality concerns with you. That will include inquiring about any symptoms or health concerns you or anyone in your home is experiencing. The information gathered will help the technician decide which testing methods your home requires.
At a minimum, the technician will perform air sampling using specially designed cassettes and air pumps. The cassettes can capture a wide range of contaminants from your residential atmosphere. Once collected, the samples go to a lab for processing. The sample tests yield a detailed analysis of what’s present in your home’s air.
If the technician noticed high dust levels in or around your HVAC and ductwork, they may also collect surface samples. They’ll use disposable swabs, contact plates, and tape to do so. That can provide insight into contaminants in your home that went undetected in the air samples. Additionally, the technician may take surface samples from anywhere in your home that exhibits mold or mildew growth.
What the Test Results May Reveal
After processing the collected samples, you will receive a follow-up visit from the technician. They’ll bring a detailed report describing the condition of your home’s air. It will include the levels of various contaminants and remediation recommendations. A typical air quality report will tell you the levels of the following harmful substances:
- Fine particulate matter
- Radon
- Mold spores
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Asbestos
Within those broad categories, you’ll get even more detailed data. For example, laboratory testing can detect hundreds of VOCs and an almost innumerable variety of mold spores. To make the report easier to understand, it will display contaminant levels relative to recommended maximums specified by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Solutions to Common Indoor Air Quality Problems
Once you know what’s in your home’s air, you can choose the right solutions to the identified problems. Your home might benefit most from an extended media filter for issues like excess particulate matter and dust. This is similar to the air filter inside your home’s HVAC system. However, extended media filters can be far more efficient at trapping contaminants than standard HVAC filters are. They typically have much higher MERV ratings and feature thick, pleated designs. We can fit a filter box in line with your HVAC ductwork to install one.
An electronic air filter might be appropriate if your home suffers from high levels of microscopic contaminants like smoke. They also install inside your HVAC ductwork but don’t rely on disposable filters. Instead, they electrify an aluminum collection plate that attracts pollutants like a magnet. The plates are removable and washable, so you can continue using the same ones for years. Electronic filters are also particularly effective at capturing allergens like pollen and pet dander. So, they’re a great addition if you have allergy sufferers in your home.
Finally, if your home has high levels of mold spores, you may want a UV air sterilization system. Most get installed either near your HVAC’s evaporator coil or within the ductwork itself. The former can prevent the growth of mold inside your HVAC. The latter helps keep mold spores out of your home’s air.
UV sanitization systems emit light in the UV-C spectrum. Those wavelengths are the same as the most potent rays emitted by the sun. Fortunately, our atmosphere filters them out and prevents our exposure to them. UV-C radiation is destructive to cellular matter. On contact, it can damage cell walls and even cause mutations. That’s useful for air sanitization because it kills most mold spores immediately. And those it doesn’t kill become sterile, so they cannot reproduce. UV sanitization systems can also kill other microorganisms like viruses. So, they can also prevent the spread of airborne diseases in your home.
Local Indoor Air Quality Experts
Since 2003, Green Dot Heating & Air has been the go-to indoor air quality resource in Wilmington, NC. Our NATE-certified technicians have extensive indoor air quality training and years of practical experience. That makes them the ideal partners to help you protect the health of everyone in your home. We sell and install various indoor air quality solutions from trusted manufacturers like Rheem. We’re also a Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave, so we have your neighbors’ seal of approval. Many of them have even left us glowing online reviews, which we’re quite proud of.
So, if you have indoor air quality concerns, or questions about insulation, in Wilmington, contact our experts at Green Dot Heating & Air today!
