During a time where COVID-19 continues to affect the U.S. population and we are marching into allergy season, maintaining healthy indoor air quality is extremely important. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the concentration of pollutants in indoor air is often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations. With people now spending more time indoors, taking steps to reduce allergens and other contaminants that spread throughout your home can help keep your air fresh and your family healthy. At Wyckoff Heating and Cooling, we offer a variety of whole house, IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) solutions that assist in keeping your home comfortable and your equipment clean and efficient. Our IAQ methods offer indoor air filtration, “scrubbing”, and germ elimination to provide fresher air for you and your family to enjoy.
Change Filters Once a Month
A small, but effective way to ensure you’re reducing the spread of allergens is by taking time to clean/replace your furnace filter each month. If overlooked, your filter becomes clogged with dust, hair, or other particles and instead of containing particles, puts them back out into the air. Dirty furnace filters can also force your heating and cooling system to work harder than necessary, which could end up overheating and/or damaging your system. Wyckoff carries all kinds of air filters to fit your exact needs and can provide you with more information or even replace the air filter in your home for you.
Get UV Lights
It’s easy to clean surfaces/appliances you can see, but what about the parts of your home you can’t see? HVAC ductwork is a common spot to find bacteria, mold, dust mites, and other harmful substances. UV light has been shown to effectively sterilize and eliminate different types of fungi, bacteria, germs, viruses, and pathogens in places like hospitals, restaurants, grocery stores, and even HVAC systems. UV lights can be installed into your ductwork by a licensed professional to help purify the air, kill off mold and other bacteria, and increase your heating and cooling system’s energy efficiency.
Use HEPA Filters
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air and is a type of air filter that forces air through a fine mesh, which allows it to trap contaminants on the first go-around including dust mites, allergens, viruses, and more. HEPA filters are capable of capturing up to 99.7% of all contaminants 0.3 microns or greater. These contaminants will either naturally adhere to the fibers upon contact or get trapped by the curved fibers, preventing them from spreading to the rest of your home, ensuring the air that circulates through your home will be cleaner. This method is especially beneficial for those with allergy problems. Wyckoff carries and installs HEPA filters for a variety of heating and cooling systems.
Consider a MERV 16 Filtration System
A filter’s minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating shows how effective a filter can be at stopping harmful contaminants from passing through the filter back into circulated air around a home. Filters with higher MERV ratings trap small particles more effectively than filters with low ratings. Wyckoff carries MERV 16 filtration systems, one of the highest-rated, medical-grade filters available. This filter is capable of trapping particles like bacteria, tobacco smoke, pet dander, sneeze nuclei, mold, dust mites, pollen, and more.
Install a Plasma Generator
Plasma generators work in a similar way to UV lights but are installed in the blower compartment of your heating and cooling system. This is a fairly new method that uses nuclear fusion to create clean, purified air. A plasma generator is a good solution to help kill off germs, mold, viruses, bacteria, dust mites, etc. Wyckoff’s technicians are SAVE (System Adjustment and Verified Efficiency) certified and can install a plasma generator into your system so you can start enjoying cleaner, safer air.
Find Your Ideal Indoor Air Quality Solution With Wyckoff
Your home should be a haven that keeps you comfortable, safe, and healthy. Contact Wyckoff to speak with a certified technician about what indoor air quality solutions you can explore to ensure the home in your air is safe and clean.