Homeowner’s Guide to Healthy Indoor Air

Contents

Common Indoor Air Pollutants

Types of Air Quality Systems

Air Quality System Comparison Table

The Aquarius Difference

When cold weather arrives here in Minnesota and Wisconsin, that means it’s time to shut the windows, turn on the heaters, and bundle up. In northern climates, our houses are built a little “tighter” which means better insulation and air sealing to keep the warm air from escaping, so our houses stay cozy and we don’t run up crazy energy bills. What many people don’t realize is that these tight building practices are also contributing to indoor air contaminants and irritants being trapped inside. This article will educate you about the pollutants that could be inside your home and how to address them.

Common Indoor Air Pollutants and Irritants

Fine Particulate

What is it? Fine particulate matter is a generalized category. These are considered facts of life that are practically unavoidable. They can be a huge bother to people with allergies and sensitive respiratory systems.
Some examples:

• Skin cells and fibers
• Soil and outdoor particles
• Pet dander
• Pollen
• Wildfire smoke
• Very small airborne particles (PM2.5 and smaller)

How does it happen? Particles can enter your air from pets and people in the home, or from outside air that comes inside.

How to treat: Fine particulate is best treated by robust air filtration. Filters with high MERV ratings, even into the HEPA range are best. Polarized media air cleaners are another effective option because they use a static charge to attract and trap fine particulate in the central ventilation system.

Mold and Mold Spores

What is it? Spores are the airborne reproductive cells of molds and fungi. Mold spores are found in the air nearly everywhere on earth and can certainly trigger allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and general respiratory irritation. They become a larger issue when they are persistent, overabundant, and bulk water is also present in the home. Some mold spores can also be toxic.

How does it happen? Mold can grow almost anywhere there is moisture. Moisture collects on all kinds of surfaces inside homes. It is common near baths/ showers, laundry units, washing machines, sinks, etc. In cold climates, cold surfaces in the home such as walls or floors with poor insulation can cause airborne moisture to condense and become a breeding ground for mold in unexpected places.

How to treat: Controlling moisture is the best way to control mold. Proper ventilation is key. Always use a bath fan when taking showers or baths. Consider an indoor air monitor for temperature and moisture and use a dehumidifier if you consistently register high moisture levels. Many modern smart thermostats offer this feature. Especially in cold climates, you should check behind furniture for any moisture collecting and consider moving furniture further away from the wall so that the area behind the furniture can warm up and ventilate.

VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds

What is it? VOCs are gaseous chemicals that are hazardous to health and can be irritating to respiratory systems.  To break down the term, volatile means that a chemical is excitable and easily becomes airborne. Organic means carbon-based. Compound means it is a complex chemical. It follows that volatile organic compounds are complex carbon-based chemicals that easily become airborne. Most of these compounds do not naturally degrade giving them the ability to persist in an airborne gaseous state for long periods of time. This is especially relevant in the tight northern homes that remain shut for the winter.

How does it happen?
VOCs enter the air through a process known as “off-gassing” where the chemical compounds become airborne when exposed to the atmosphere. Common sources of VOCs include:

• Paints, stains and adhesives
• Cleaning products
• Air fresheners and fragrances
• Furniture and flooring
• Building materials
• Personal-care products
• Solvents and hobby products
• Tobacco and vaping emissions

How to treat: VOCs are gaseous, not particulate, so a traditional media filter will not remove them from the air. Ventilation is the best defense but be aware that after ventilating, sources of VOCs can continue to off-gas more compounds. Open windows when using chemicals that are known to off-gas VOCs. If opening windows is not an option, turn on bath or kitchen fans and use a respirator. There are limited removal options that you can deploy in the home such as sorbent media and activated carbon, which are specialized items that are not commonly installed.

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Combustion Pollutants

What is it? For most of mankind’s history, we have had a close relationship with fire and have commonly hosted controlled combustion inside our homes. Early humans relied on traditional fires from biomass.  Modern humans now burn hydrocarbons in the home for heating and cooking. All this combustion produces many pollutants that linger in our air.

Byproducts of combustion include:

• Smoke
• Grease aerosols
• VOCs
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Carbon monoxide

How does it happen?
Combustion pollutants can come from many common processes

• Tobacco smoking/ vaping
• Wood-burning fireplaces
• Candles
• Cooking
• Gas appliances

How to treat: Combustion pollutants are a varied category and require different prevention and remediation strategies. Smoke and grease aerosols are particulate that can be filtered from the air with the right filters. Gaseous pollutants like VOCs, CO, and NO2 cannot be filtered with traditional filters and require adequate ventilation to prevent the negative health effects.

How can you improve your indoor air quality?

As we have explained in the previous section, indoor air pollutants are all different and require different prevention and remediation strategies. Here are some of the options that you have as a homeowner to treat your air.

Polarized Media Air Cleaner

Central Air Filtration

Central air filters rely on the home’s network of ventilation ducts to clean the air as it circulates through the home. They come in a few configurations.

Furnace filters – the familiar furnace filter can be very effective at removing particulate depending on the MERV rating.
Best for: dust, pollen, dander, mold spores, and airborne particles.

Polarized media air filters – The polarized media air cleaner relies on a static charge to attract and trap up to 97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size. They are long lasting and since they don’t rely on dense media to trap particles like a traditional furnace filter, they do not restrict airflow through your central air system.

Best for: fine particles, dust, pollen, dander, smoke particles and other airborne particulate matter.

Standalone Air Filtration

There are many standalone air filtration devices available that can treat individual zones of your home. The huge number of systems available are mainly differentiated by the amount of air they can treat, measured in cubic feet, and the particle removal efficiency. Some use mechanical filters, some use polarized media, and there are models ranging from MERV 13 up to HEPA range particle removal efficiency.

The upside of standalone filters is that they are inexpensive and flexible. The downside is that you would need several units to treat all the air in your home which, in many cases, ends up being more expensive and energy intensive than central air filtration.

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UV Lamps

UV Lamps can be used in a central ventilation system for two applications. Coil sanitizer lamps can keep the condenser coil, the part of the system that cools air in cooling season, free of any mold or bacterial growth that can cause damage to the coil, reduce efficiency, and circulate into the air.

Air sanitizing lamps treat the air that passes through the system with UV-C spectrum light which inactivates the genetic material of microbes that pass through it so that they cannot reproduce. This is a great tool for people who are immunocompromised as it can greatly reduce their risk of infection from an airborne pathogen inside their home. The same goes for everyday homeowners who simply want to reduce their exposure to seasonal illnesses that circulate more, especially in winter.

Best for: mold, microbes

Humidity Control

Controlling humidity in your air can involve adding or removing humidity.

Whole Home Humidifiers

A humidifier can add moisture to the air that will help suppress dust and other allergens, as well as make the air less harsh on respiratory systems.

Make sure this is done with the guidance of an HVAC professional as extra humidity can easily become condensation and a breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

Dehumidifiers

For homeowners who battle too much moisture in the home, the dehumidifier is a valuable weapon. In cooling season, a central HVAC system’s condenser coil naturally dehumidifies the air, but once the cooling system is turned off, or in homes that don’t have central ventilation systems, that process is not taking place. Dehumidifiers can remove moisture from the air to prevent the mold and bacterial growth issues associated with high humidity.

Fresh Air Ventilation

HRVs and ERVs are ventilation systems that mix the indoor air with incoming outdoor air. Difference between HRVs and ERVs.

Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) is a system that mixes indoor and outdoor air via a heat exchanger to preheat or precool the incoming air (depending on whether it is cooler or warmer outside than inside). Not only does an HRV improve the air circulation in the home, but it means the incoming air that needs to be heated or cooled is closer to the indoor temperature when it reaches the heating or cooling phases of the HVAC system. This can achieve a 55-75% energy reduction.

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) are very similar to HRVs but, lacking a heat exchanger, the indoor and outdoor air streams actually mix physically so they exchange humidity between indoor and outdoor air. ERVs are better at increasing indoor humidity than lowering it. These can achieve a slightly higher energy recovery of 60-80%.

It is best to consult an HVAC professional to determine which system is best given your home’s unique design and the climate you live in.

Best for: VOCs, odors, humidity control, CO2 and CO, any gaseous pollutant.

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Indoor Air Quality Systems Compared

What Can Aquarius Do To Help?

As you can see, there are a lot of things to be careful about when it comes to your indoor air quality, and there is no silver bullet when it comes to treating your air. Often times the best solution is a combination of systems that can attack every challenge you might be facing. Aquarius Home Services is your local expert for indoor air quality solutions for the tough climates of Minnesota and Wisconsin. You can rely on our knowledge to keep your home’s air healthy and comfortable in every season. Our Indoor Air Quality Assessment is only $49, or FREE with your Aquarius Partner Plan membership.

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