Is your home making you sick? - IAQ

August 24, 2022

“Indoor air can be 2-5 times and as much as 100 times more polluted than outside air,”

That’s according to the EPA. What do we do about that?

There are 3 main types of indoor contaminants.

Particles and Allergens
Germs and Infectious Agents
Chemical Gasses and Odors or VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)

Particles and Allergens

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology “50% of all illnesses are either caused by, or aggravated by, polluted INDOOR air.” Even the best passive filters are only capable of removing a percentage of the larger dust particles (above 1 micron in size), which is less than 2% of the particles in the air we breathe.

How big is a micron? One thousandth of a millimeter. That’s 70 times smaller than a human hair. 98% of indoor airborne particles are SMALLER than 1 micron in size and pass right through these filters.

This doesn’t just affect your health, it also affects your wallet. According to a Texas A&M Study, an “1/8th of an inch of dirt and dust build-up on the blower wheel can reduce airflow by up to 30%”

“A buildup of only a 20th of an inch of dirt on the heating or cooling coil can result in

a decrease in efficiency of 21%,” according to the EPA

Germs and Infectious Agents

Dust and particles are not the only indoor culprits. These smaller particles that accumulate inside a heating and cooling system, create a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and biological growth. These biological contaminants then get recirculated throughout the house causing potentially adverse health effects.

Mold, Mildew, Bacteria, Viruses

Volatile Organic Compounds

There are other types of airborne contaminants too. VOCs or volatile organic compounds, such as cleaners, gasses, and odors that can negatively impact health and HVAC equipment performance too.

Harvard University conducted a study that found 100% of homes tested had toxic compounds including:

pesticides
cleaning compounds
chemicals found in furniture and building materials,

These can be the cause of asthma, allergies and other ailments.

SolaceAir PMAC

Solutions

So again, what can we do about this? A polarization filter, and a UV air purifier/VOC remover.

Replacing your passive filter with a high efficiency, polarized-media air cleaner will capture these particles to protect your heating and cooling system while improving the quality of the air that you breathe.

The PMAC, or Polarized Media Air Cleaner, by SolaceAir, works by polarizing and attracting large AND small particles traveling through your ductwork, then electroplating them to the replaceable media. What makes this nicer than the more “hefty” looking electronic air cleaners (which use the same polarization technique, by the way) is that rather than having to chemically clean big electroplate cells every 3 months (which nobody does, by the way) you can just remove and replace the filter media, which IS the electroplate cell.

This filter assembly also fits into almost any 1” filter slot or existing media cabinet. With 30 different sizes to match your system and retrofit kits that will also allow for the media to be installed into the most common media filter cabinets. This particular product also has a lifetime warranty.

MOVING ON

So what about the biological life that’s already found a home inside the nooks and crannies of your house, ductwork, and HVAC Equipment?

Using Ultraviolet or UV radiation we can sterilize this growth by exposing it to the UVC wavelength of light for a long enough period of time. A properly placed UVC lamp, or two, can eliminate these contaminants as well. UVC actually destroys the DNA of microbes, which makes them sterile. If microbes are irradiated for long enough with UVC, they can’t reproduce and are then eliminated from the indoor environment.

Ultra Violet light is just a specific wavelength of the same light that the sun shines down on us every single day. Well, on sunny days at least. It’s just that Ultra Violet falls on a different part of the Electro Magnetic Spectrum.

Field Controls UV16/24V

You’ve probably heard of X-Rays, Microwaves, Radio Frequencies. Even visible light falls into the electromagnetic spectrum. UVA, UVB, and UVC are all radiating from the ball of nuclear fusion in the sky constantly.

UVA rays have the longest wavelengths, followed by UVB, and UVC rays which have the shortest wavelengths. While UVA and UVB rays are transmitted through the atmosphere, all UVC and some UVB rays are absorbed by the Earth’s ozone layer. So, most of the UV rays you come in contact with are UVA with a small amount of UVB.

SolaceAir FM-2

All that’s left is those pesky chemicals and other VOCs, how can we get rid of those?

There’s one more type of UV radiation, UVV. Utilizing intense UVV light we can deodorize and control chemical off-gassing the same way the sun’s light does in nature through Photo Catalytic Oxidation or PCO, and happens to be what I have in my home. PCO is a chemical reaction that utilizes a catalyst and a form of activation energy to break down complex and often toxic organic compounds into simple, safe molecules, like carbon dioxide and water.

I personally use the DUO-2000 by Field Controls, but oxidation can be achieved through other brands as well, including SolaceAir’s FM2 and FM3, and the Reme Halo.

Beware of Ozone generators.

Ozone, or O3, is just 3 oxygen molecules bonded together. There’s always a small amount of Ozone in the air, but not at harmful levels.

“Relatively low amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and, throat irritation. It may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma as well as compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections.” - Environmental Protection Agency

There are some “air cleaners” on the market that, sure, they remove contaminants from the air through oxidative means using Ozone, but they also FILL YOUR HOUSE WITH OZONE. Most of these products are cheap single room “air cleaners” that you can buy on websites named after rainforests.

Also, improperly installed Oxidative Air Cleaners can also cause unwanted O3 build up in the home. So if you’re going to be installing one of these guys, make sure you read the directions, ensure proper airflow, and make sure it fits your application.

As an HVAC contractor also I don’t recommend installing UVV/PCO systems on equipment that doesn’t have constant airflow (the fan continuously blowing air). Newer ECM and Variable Speed motors are generally used in this fashion to constantly mix and filter the air, even when the furnace or AC isn’t actively heating or cooling.

On older equipment however, the motor only starts during the heating or cooling cycle and then shuts back off. This can cause a build up of Ozone that gets blown into the house in a big blast the next time the equipment kicks on.

Final Thoughts

The best indoor air quality solutions address the causes rather than symptoms, using a whole-house indoor air cleaning strategy. Your heating and cooling system moves over 1 million cubic feet of air everyday through your home. Exchanging all of the air in your house 5-8 times every day.

This is the perfect place to address indoor air quality challenges using products designed to specifically address the three types of airborne contaminants. A whole-house air cleaning system that cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes your home 24 hours a day is much more effective than units designed for just a room or two.

If you are interested in seeing what solutions would best fit your home contact DallAire Heating and Cooling today!

References:

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners

-EPA on Ozone generators

https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality

-EPA on IAQ

https://acaai.org/resource/home-allergy-management/

-American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/10/silent-spring-50-years-on/

-Harvard - Silent Spring - Article

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