Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is a three-sided battle:
Filtration
Filtration is the removal of particulates from air flowing through heating and air conditioning equipment. There are inline systems, bypass type and stand-alone systems that can remove airborne particles of varying size. The 1" filter supplied with standard equipment provides the minimal filtration needed to protect the internal parts and operation of the equipment. Upgrading to high efficiency media filters is a great way to improve indoor air quality. Adding HEPA systems provide even further particulate removal by sampling the air from your home and putting it through a three-stage filtration system. UVC systems use ultra-violet light inside the ductwork to neutralize airborne contaminates, such as, legionella, mold, bacteria and viruses. In addition, the units assist in alleviating symptoms associated with asthma, Sick Building Syndrome and some allergies. We use only proven, industry-approved products that deliver as promised. Lexington Unique Indoor Comfort can design a tried and true filtration system to suite your needs and budget.
Humidity
Controlling humidity is very important to achieve a healthy indoor environment. Humidity is important for respiratory comfort, furniture and artwork preservation, as well as preventing cracks in your home's millwork. In Georgia, this means adding humidity during the heating months and removing humidity during the summer months. Bypass humidifiers are clean, low-maintenance and effective at replacing humidity lost due to running the furnace. Steam humidifiers add a lot of humidity to a space and can deliver humidity independently of the heat by running the blower as humidity is needed. Homes with large air volume, antique furniture and delicate artwork often benefit from steam humidity. In the summer, many homes suffer from too much humidity, which can lead to damp, musty homes and even mold problems. A central dehumidifier can be applied in several ways, depending on your needs to provide dry, fresh air throughout your home. Central dehumidifiers can also be used to bring fresh air into your home to alleviate stale, stagnant air that results from tightly sealed homes.
Lexington Unique Indoor Comfort can assess your home's humidity needs and design a year-round solution.
Infiltration
This concerns the air that leaks into your house in an uncontrolled manner. This can be due to windows & doors, roof/floor penetrations, attic stairs, can lights, etc. Beyond sealing any penetrations, Lexington Unique Indoor Comfort can pressurize your home with conditioned outdoor air to insure that any air coming in the house is controlled and air leakage is from the inside/out. Air can also be ventilated from the house without affecting your heating and cooling system. Ventilation involves removing indoor air while simultaneously introducing fresh, filtered, tempered air in exchange. This is a good solution for tightly sealed homes or basements that suffer from stale air. There are a variety of products and ways to apply them to address infiltration.
An indoor air quality solution should address all three of these areas. Recent EPA studies have shown that indoor air is often more harmful then outdoor air. Lexington Unique Indoor Comfort believes in designing systems that not only meet the heating and cooling requirements of a space but also consider the indoor air quality in totality. Please call or email for a free in home consultation with our Engineers.