Keep the HVAC System in Your Home Clean by Improving Indoor Air

Many homeowners aren’t aware of how indoor air quality affects an HVAC system, but there’s a direct relationship between the cleanliness of indoor air to how long and efficiently a cooling and heating system will run. Dust and biological contaminants pose the highest risks for your HVAC system and your family’s health.

Airborne Particulates

All forced-air HVAC systems require air filters that keep the components inside the air handler clean. As with all electronic and mechanical devices, efficiency can be affected by dust accumulation, which can even shorten life spans. Dust covering any component in the air handler has a negative impact.

When dust covers the heat exchange components of an HVAC system, including the air conditioner’s evaporator coil and the furnace’s heat exchanger, efficiency is lost, setting the stage for premature part failure. epairs caused by too much dust can be expensive.

Bioaerosols

These are among the smallest particles that have an impact on how indoor air quality affects the HVAC system. They include bacteria, viruses and mold spores that can cover the evaporator coil, reducing efficiency in the same way dust does.

Mold is especially troublesome inside an HVAC system, since the spores can blow throughout your entire home, finding a place to grow wherever sufficient moisture and organic materials are present. Mold causes eventual deterioration of the materials on which it grows.

Solutions

• High quality air filter – Selecting a higher efficiency air filter and changing ti when dirty will reduce the amount of dust entering the HVAC system’s air handler and ductwork.
• UV lights – When mounted in the air handler and ductwork, these lights lower the population of bioaersols by preventing their reproduction, keeping the HVAC components and your home’s air cleaner year-round.
• Dehumidifier – A central dehumidification system eliminates excessive summer humidity and reduces the potential health hazards mold poses while improving comfort and lowering energy bills.

The experts at All American Heating & Cooling can give you more information about how indoor air quality affects the HVAC system, as well as your health and your home. We’ve provided HVAC services for the Sarasota area since 1985.

Image Provided by Shutterstock.com