AC Filter and Purifier Services Houston

For years Americans have been obsessed about what we inhale, for example, second-hand smoke and the health hazards it can bring, including cancers. Not to mention the air pollution such as car exhaust fumes associated with living in urban areas such as Houston.

But many homeowners forget that within the four walls of their home or business can make them sick as well. Most people aren’t aware of how poor the air quality is in their homes. Even when they’re suffering from chronic ailments like asthma or bronchitis. Studies have found that as many as half of all childhood pneumonia cases are attributable to indoor air pollution from dust, bacteria, and mold. With increasing concerns about airborne illnesses, much attention has been focused on AC filters and purifiers.

What is indoor air quality?

This refers to the air quality within and around homes and buildings. In particular, it relates to the comfort and health of the people who live and work inside those spaces. Understanding what the most common pollutants are can help reduce your risk of indoor health problems.  

It’s important to remember that indoor air pollutants’ health effects may be experienced immediately after exposure or years and decades later. 

What is Sick Building Syndrome?

While the condition has been well-known and studied extensively in commercial structures, sick building syndrome (SBS) has recently been found in homes. SBS is defined as a situation where the occupants of a building experience acute health-related effects due to the environmental conditions. Some of SBS symptoms include headaches, scratchy throat, dry coughs, and several other allergy-like ailments. Many of these adverse effects disappear when the affected person leaves the building. They are no longer exposed to the irritant.

How can you alleviate SBS?

Like those without adequate HVAC systems, homes with poor ventilation are likely to allow dirt and dust to settle on surfaces, and furniture, causing sinus irritation. Changing the air filters in your HVAC system regularly, as well as having an annual AC Tune-Up service performed before summer starts, will go a long way to alleviating SBS in your home.

There are many options available for the homeowner looking to improve the quality of air their family breathes. You can replace the filters in your HVAC system, install a whole-house air purification system with ultraviolet light, and many things in between.

What is an air filter?

All HVAC systems use some type of air filtration, generally stacked fiberglass, or pleated paper panels, through which your home’s air is repeatedly circulated. These inexpensive filters are suitable for removing airborne irritants like dust, pollen, and mold. However, to remain effective, they need to be replaced regularly. Dirty air filters reduce your HVAC system’s efficiency by as much as 15%, causing it to work harder, directly affecting your energy bill.

Many air conditioning systems utilize high-efficiency-particulate-air (HEPA) filters that use stronger and denser filter material to remove 99.97% of airborne particles. HEPA filters were initially created to filter radioactive dust out of the air of buildings used in the atomic bomb development in the 1940s. To achieve HEPA certification, the filter material must also remove particulates as small as .03 microns (a micron is one-millionth of a meter). For reference, a single human hair is about 50 microns across, and the human eye cannot see anything smaller than 40 microns.

While HEPA filters can filter out almost all dust, dirt, and dander out of your air, HEPA filters can’t remove odors or gasses. Removing these volatile organic compounds from cigarette smoke, cooking odors, and even our pets require adding activated carbon filters to your HVAC system.

What are the risks of unchanged filters?

Forgetting or refusing to change your filter recommended by the manufacturer means that dust, mold and other particles can enter your household air. This will immediately start to reduce your indoor air quality. Clogged filters will force your HVAC system to spend more energy, thereby costing you more utility costs for inferior air quality. This might also mean that there are areas of your home that aren’t getting the proper airflow they need, reducing your home’s overall comfort level. The other hazard of neglecting to change your filters is either freezing up or overheating your HVAC system.

What is an air purifier system?

For the homeowner looking for the biggest bang for their air-cleaning buck, whole-house air purifiers offer hospital-grade air cleaning for your entire home. Ultraviolet (UV) lights are applied to the air as it passes through your HVAC unit, eliminating bacteria, viruses, mold, and odors.

Nick’s Air Conditioning services offer the REME® HALO system from RGF Environmental Group. It uses UV light and natural hydro-peroxides to clean the air. The REME ® HALO system is easily installed into existing HVAC systems. It kills 99% percent of airborne and surface viruses, bacteria, and mold. 

Why would I need an air purifier?

Air purifiers will not solve all of your problems regarding air quality in your home. However, if you have any of the following situations in your home, we suggest investing in one.

1. You have respiratory issues.

Anyone who suffers from allergies, asthma, or other breathing problems may see some reductions in symptoms when using an air purifier. The most common signs, including coughing, and wheezing, won’t be as frequent. 

2. You are a pet owner

Whether it’s a dog or cat, there really is no such thing as a hypoallergenic pet. Even dogs that are bred to not shed will eventually release dander and skin into the air. All animals will collect pollen and dust in their coats regardless of how long or short they are. You may not be allergic to the pet per se, but that doesn’t mean their fur won’t cause an allergic reaction. 

3. You smoke, or you live with one.

Whether it is first-hand smoke or second-hand, both are extremely dangerous. The smoke has a significantly negative effect on your health and everyone around you. Any amount of second-hand smoke harms people. Tobacco is one of the three particles included in an air purifier’s clean-air delivery rate.

The value of AC filters and purifiers

Breathing quality indoor air is crucial to maintaining good health. The majority of Houstonians spend a considerable amount of time indoors, especially in the summer when it’s just too hot to go outside. Whether you’re enjoying the comfort of your home, office, or other types of buildings, gases, chemicals, and other pollutants can build-up causing headaches, coughing, headaches, and fatigue.

The solution involves more than just opening your home’s windows more often or vacuuming regularly. It should include installing quality AC filters and purifiers, such as those available through us at Nick’s Air Conditioning services. We offer a state-of-the-art product and expert installation. Now is the time to act! 

We look forward to hearing from you!