Raging wildfires do not just impact the area they burn. Smoke and pollution from the fires can carry through the air and travel for thousands of miles. Not only will you notice a difference in the air you breathe outdoors, but the smoke can also infiltrate your home’s interior. Thankfully, you can find a wide range of solutions in the form of indoor air quality products and installations. Our HVAC specialists can analyze your air quality and provide a wide range of updates to ensure the air inside your home remains clean and safe from wildfire pollutants. Learn some of the key ways to improve the air and get through days of wildfire smoke with minimal impact on your home and the health of all your household members.
1.Regular Maintenance The most effective way to start improving your indoor air quality is with an inspection and cleaning of your HVAC system. Our HVAC technicians, with their years of experience, can inspect your system and identify any leaks or malfunctions that may impact the indoor air quality. Using professional tools like an indoor air quality monitor, known for its accuracy, we can help determine your current air quality levels and which rooms in your home are most affected. In addition to replacing any malfunctioning parts, our HVAC technicians can perform a thorough cleaning of your duct system. It’s crucial to understand that the pollutants from wildfires can impact your duct system, even long after the smoke has dissipated. A duct cleaning will effectively remove dust and debris build-up that impacts your home on a daily basis. After maintenance and cleaning, HVAC professionals can use an indoor air quality monitor to run additional tests, ensuring the air in your home is as clean as possible.
2. Duct Sealing A sealed and insulated home will help prevent the infiltrations of outdoor pollutants. Still, duct leaks could worsen indoor air quality. Proper duct sealing will help keep air in the ducts and prevent the intrusion of unwanted pollutants, especially for any leaks that occur in attics, basements, crawl spaces, or outdoor areas of the home. Dirt, insects, and other pests can enter the ducts through leaks, cracks, and gaps, which can quickly lead to poor indoor air quality. An HVAC tech will first look for leaks in the ducts using leak detection technology. From there, they can pinpoint the exact location of the leak and patch the leaks up. The repairs may include simple patches or the replacement of specific pieces. Not only will these repairs help improve the indoor air quality, but they can help reduce energy costs. If you have a duct leak, your system will not run efficiently. Air will leak out and cause the HVAC system to run for longer to reach your set temperatures. With duct sealing, your house will cool faster and save you more money in the long run.
3. Air Purifiers & Filters Even when polluted air gets pulled into your HVAC system, multiple safeguards can clean the air and provide healthier indoor air. Air filters have a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating, which tells you how well they can clean your air. While MERV ratings go up to 20, residential HVAC systems should not use a filter higher than MERV 13, and this will restrict airflow. A MERV 13 filter can eliminate a great number of airborne pollutants, including wildfire smoke. The general recommendation is to replace your air filter at least every three months. However, during periods with a lot of smoke in the air, you’ll want to change them more often. It’s not excessive to check the filter every couple of weeks and change it when it is dirty. To take this a step further, we can add an air purification system to your HVAC system. This enables a HEPA level of filtration, which is equivalent to a MERV 17 and higher.
4. Air Scrubbers If you have household members with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues, you may need to take your solution even further by installing an air scrubber. These devices don’t just clean the air; they can actually remove surface impurities from your home. An air scrubber is installed within your HVAC system. The cool air from the HVAC unit runs directly through the machine before being dispersed throughout the rest of the home. Inside the machine, an air scrubber kills viruses and bacteria, reduces contaminants, helps prevent mold growth, and eliminates odors. Odors may be a big issue when dealing with wildfire pollution because the smell of smoke and wood could permeate your home. An air scrubber will help eliminate those odors and ensure you breathe clean, sweet-smelling air. These machines typically use minimal power and will help provide clean air for years. It would also be great if you have pets, as it can eliminate their odor. An HVAC tech can help pick the ideal installation for your home so the air scrubber is minimally invasive.
5.UV Germicidal Lights Another way to combat air pollutants is to use UV germicidal lights. Typically installed inside your HVAC system, the lights act as a last line of defense when blocking out pollutants. The powerful UV rays will kill off bacteria, prevent the growth of mold spores, and neutralize harmful microorganisms. Our HVAC techs can install the lights in each vent of your home and wire them to run automatically. Like many LED lights, the bulbs are efficient and can last for years, so you don’t need to think about their operation or worry about turning them on and off. Our technicians will inspect each UV light during annual HVAC inspections to ensure they still operate correctly. The process is typically done with a UV meter that will measure the outputs of the UV lights to ensure they work correctly.
HVAC Professionals Can Reduce Your Exposure to Pollutants At JW Plumbing, Heating and Air, our experienced technicians are eager to help improve your indoor air quality with any of the solutions above. We understand the breathing issues and ailments that can come with breathing in wildfire pollutants around the Los Angeles area. We can help you with various other issues along with indoor air quality control. We deal with all kinds of air conditioning needs, including the installation, repair, and maintenance of ACs, heaters, heat pumps, and ductless mini-systems. We also have a team of experienced plumbers ready to help with any of your plumbing needs. Some of those services include water heater repair and replacement, water line installation, sump pump installation and repair, and shutoff valve repairs and replacements.
Our plumbers can help you with drain and sewer line needs on the exterior of your home, including repairs and replacements. We also offer water filter installation. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, contact us at JW Plumbing, Heating and Air today to get started on improving your home’s indoor air quality!
