Indoor Air Quality

**NOTE: HVAC systems are designed to handle a specific resistance to air flow caused by a filter. Placing a high-quality filter in an existing HVAC is not always possible due to the extra resistance to airflow and pressure drop the dense filter material can cause. Always consult with a reputable HVAC company before increasing your filter quality to ensure you don’t damage your existing HVAC system**

Ventilation

Modern construction methods and insulation practices can lead to new homes being very “tight”. These homes do not have as much infiltration as older ones, the process of outside air making its way indoors through joints, cracks, seams, and other openings in the outer envelope of the structure. One reason newer homes are so air-tight is an insulation method that is utilized called spray foam. Spray foam is popular due to how quickly it can be applied, its high R-value per inch, its ability to repel moisture, and most importantly its air sealing properties. Although these properties are great for creating an air-tight structure, they can create challenges of their own such as stagnant air, high humidity, and concentrated pollutants that should be addressed. If you live in a newer home or a spray foam insulated home, it is likely you could benefit from a mechanical ventilator.

Blower Door Test : A test conducted to determine how air-tight a structure is. This test can be useful for determining if your home needs mechanical ventilation. During this test a calibrated fan is placed in an otherwise sealed exterior door opening while all other exterior openings of the building are closed. When the fan is turned on it creates a pressure difference between the outside and inside that can be measured.

*CFM: Cubic Feet Per Minute

**ACH: Air Changes Per Hour

50Pa: 50 Pascals, a testing pressure parameter, simulates 20MPH winds hitting the home from all directions

Note: 2018 Kentucky Residential Building Code requires air leakage be tested and not exceed 3 ACH/50, based on 2015 International Residential Code N1102.4.1.2 (Testing).

A blower door test is often conducted as part of an energy assessment of your home or by a contractor during sealing/insulating. If you live in a newer home, the builder likely has the results of this test or you can request one be performed. Depending on the blower door test results, a mechanical ventilator may be recommended to prevent issues that can be caused by a home being too air-tight and not getting enough natural air exchanges.

Humidification/Dehumidification

Keeping your home at the proper humidity level can make your indoor air more comfortable and healthier. A proper indoor humidity level is good for hydrating your skin, protecting floors/home furnishings, limiting mold and mitigating the spread of bacteria and viruses.

What is Relative Humidity?

Relative humidity represents the amount of water vapor in the air as a percentage of the total it could possibly contain at a given temperature. An acceptable range for indoor relative humidity is 30% to 60% based on the season, with ideal indoor humidity being right around 45%.

Indoor humidity levels higher than this range can cause problems such as condensation on windows and toilets, development of mold and mildew, increase in pests, and uncomfortable indoor temperature. Low lying areas, heavily wooded areas, and property located close to large bodies of water are susceptible naturally to increased humidity levels.

Indoor humidity levels lower than this range can cause, drying of skin and hair, increased risk to sinus infections and respiratory illnesses, wallpaper to peel, and wood floors to shrink.

Take control of your homes humidity level by installing a central humidifier or dehumidifier.

Purification

Whole House Air Purifier

This photocatalytic air purifier makes use of a technology called AHPCO, or advanced hydrated photocatalytic oxidation. This type of purifier focuses intense UV light onto a patent-pending catalyst known as an AHPCO catalyst. The interaction of broad-spectrum UV light with the catalyst produces one of the most potent oxidation effects available. Oxidizer ions released by the process are 100% safe, unlike the oxidizers generated by ozone-based air filters.

Once AHPCO oxidizer ions are released, they immediately begin to eradicate dozens of indoor air irritants. These include such things as mold, bacteria, and viruses. The oxidizers generated by this process do not remain in the air indefinitely. Instead, oxidizers convert back into oxygen and hydrogen once they have neutralized odors and eliminated pollutants.

The Nano Induct air purifier is mounted directly in the duct of your central HVAC system. Because it works with your HVAC system, which serves as the “lungs” of your building, it can filter all areas that your HVAC system serves. The Nano Induct air purifier is much more convenient and efficient than single-room desktop purifiers. You may achieve significant energy savings by retiring your portable filter fleet in favor of this centralized solution.

Photocatalytic technology goes a step beyond air filters you might have used in the past due to its ability to attack mold, viruses, and bacteria in the air and on surfaces. This capability is all but unique to an AHPCO UV air purifier and cannot be expected from other air purifiers.