Trusted Indoor Air Quality Services
The first step every homeowner should take for better indoor air quality in Allen is to check their HVAC filter. The industry rates air filters using the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) scale.
The higher the MERV rating, the more effective the filtration. These filters help avoid accumulation in your system. They also help to avoid the system distributing allergens throughout your home.
Most modern ducted and ductless HVAC systems support air filters up to MERV 13. At this level of filtration, the filter traps dust, pollen, dander and much more. Despite this, many homeowners use an inferior filter and often one as low as MERV 1 to 4. If you’re unsure which filters your system supports, we can help you determine that, or you can check with the manufacturer.
We also recommend considering a whole-home air purifier. There are air purifiers available for homes with both ducted and ductless HVAC systems. For ductless HVAC systems, the air purifier will generally have its own small duct.
It will feed filtered air to a centrally located vent. For homes with a central HVAC system, we recommend a supply-side system, as it allows for more aggressive filtration. In this setup, the air purifier will deliver filtered air to the home through the vents in your rooms.
In either case, most air purifiers will have mechanical and absorptive filtration. There’s often an inexpensive prefilter to trap the largest particles and preserve the more expensive media. You may swap these out often whereas the other filters will usually last six months or a year.
For primary mechanical filtration, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are common. These filters have a MERV rating of over 16. They’re able to trap 99.97% of all particulate matter as small as 0.3 microns in size. This is a benefit of the return side, as it typically isn’t workable on the supply side.
Most air purifier brands use activated charcoal for the absorptive filtration. It absorbs bad odors. It also improves indoor air quality by absorbing gases, chemicals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some systems also employ ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) to neutralize bacteria and viruses. It’s also possible to pair an air purifier with UV lamps in the ducts.
Other ways you can improve indoor air quality include:
- Duct cleaning
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Humidifier installation
- Dehumidifier installation