Homeowners across the country are beginning to understand the connection between their health and the air they breathe in their homes. Here at Healthy Home Energy and Consulting, we find that many of our fellow New Yorkers are surprised to learn that indoor air is estimated by the EPA to be two to five times more contaminated than the air outside!
So what can you do to make your air cleaner and healthier? Make sure your home has a steady supply of clean air using whole-home filtration or a whole-home air purifier.
Why Whole-Home Air Purification is Needed
Even if the air in your home starts off clean, it will pick up foreign molecules along the way. These molecules can infiltrate your indoor air through tiny cracks in the construction of your home, or through open windows and doors. Additionally, the carpet, furniture, and cleaning products can also release harmful particles into the air that you breathe.
These particles get sucked into the ductwork of your heating and cooling system, and unless they are actively removed or ventilated they can recirculate in your breathing air over and over again. This can lead to an increase in unwanted health symptoms like aggravated seasonal allergies, asthma, headaches and colds, and more.
Common Indoor Air Quality Contaminants:
Mold & Excess Moisture
Volatile Organic Compounds
Carbon Monoxide & Carbon Dioxide
Outdoor allergens
Pet dander
The ideal situation for breathing healthy air in your home is to control how much outside air (and contaminants) are coming into the home through proper whole-home ventilation, and to remove or destroy any unwanted contaminants through whole-home air purification. In order to gain control over the air the is infiltrating your home, we must also ensure there are no hidden air leaks or gaps throughout the construction of your home, and that your insulation is sufficiently protecting your living space from outside temperatures. Air sealing and insulation upgrades are integral to whole home filtration and purification!
The Intellipure Whole House Air Cleaner
A healthy home is also an efficient home, which is why at Healthy Home Energy & Consulting, we install Intellipure systems for their medical grade filtration ability, and extreme efficiency. The Intellipure Whole House Air Cleaner utilizes patented Disinfecting Filtration System (DFS) technology to deactivate mold, viruses, fungi and bacteria that end up inside its filter. It filters particles down to .007 microns with just half the pressure drop of a standard MERV 16 air filter found in many central heating and cooling systems, and is 40 times more efficient than a HEPA filter.
Intellipure technology was originally developed with the US military to protect the built environment (now, your home!) from biological and germ warfare, but was adapted by some of the nations top hospitals like the Mayo Clinic, New York Presbyterian, and the Cleveland Clinic. Intellipure air cleaners are built near the Lake Ontario shores, in Pulaski, New York.
Whole House Filtration vs. Single Room Filtration
As an indoor air specialist here in the Tri-State area, we field a lot of questions from homeowners wondering, “What's the best reason for a whole home air purifier?”, or even brand-specific questions like, “Is the Molekule air purifier right for my home?”
For those looking for the best type of air purifier or ventilation system, it is more important to discern between a system that addresses the entire house instead of a single room. There may be certain areas of the home that are more prone to poor indoor air quality (the kitchen, for example, is one of the primary offenders). However, harmful particles can come from many sources and from many areas of the home. Whole-home ventilation ensures that your home sees the optimal amount of air changes per hour, also known as ACH, so that no harmful particles stay in your breathing air for too long.
A whole-house air purifier can also add the benefit of actively killing any bacteria in your air, further reducing your exposure to potential illness.
Breathe Easier, Breathe Healthier
If you are looking for an air testing company near you, or a home air quality inspection that includes the use of an indoor air quality monitor, Healthy Home Energy and Consulting is the contractor you can trust with your indoor air quality issues. Each Whole Home Evaluation includes an air quality test, which we will use to guide how we recommend you proceed with your home improvement project. Solutions we often propose to address indoor air quality issues include air sealing, insulation upgrades, and professional installation of a whole-home filtration system and a whole-home fresh air system.