Learn what’s in the air you breathe at home
Schedule an indoor air quality test with Princeton Air
It happens year-round, but springtime often sends homeowners who suffer from allergies in their homes on a quest for relief, which leads to inspecting the quality of their indoor air. And they are right to do so — the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that indoor air contains up to five times more contaminants than the air outside. The air inside your home can harbor a myriad of allergens and pollutants - from dust mites and pet dander to smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - that exacerbate allergies and other respiratory issues.
An indoor air quality test will inform you of what is in the air you are breathing, and from there you can make the home performance upgrades required to keep the air you breathe clean and healthy.
How To Test Indoor Air Quality in Your Home
The best way to test indoor air quality is to hire professional indoor air quality services. Princeton Air approaches IAQ testing with precision and expertise, employing a two-pronged strategy to diagnose air quality issues:
- IAQ Test - The first step is deploying an AirAdvice™ indoor air quality monitor within your living space. This compact yet sophisticated device samples the air for critical parameters:
- Temperature
- Moisture
- Carbon dioxide
- Particulates
- VOCs
- Carbon monoxide
After the monitoring period, the device is retrieved, and the collected data is analyzed to produce a comprehensive report detailing your home's air quality.
- Energy Audit - Complementing the IAQ test, an energy audit delves into the home's overall performance, identifying how and where outside air infiltrates your living spaces. This audit is vital for pinpointing weaknesses in your home's building envelope, which can then be addressed to mitigate unwanted air exchange, a key factor in managing IAQ.
Armed with insights from these tests, Princeton Air's seasoned professionals will guide you through the findings, outlining specific solutions tailored to your home's needs.
What Next? Enhance Home Performance for Better IAQ
Once we know what is in your air, as well as how the construction of your home is affecting the infiltration of outside contaminants, we can start to make improvements that will keep outside pollutants from infiltrating your air. The tighter your home is, the more energy your ventilation and filtration systems can dedicate to removing contaminants that come from inside your home, like pet dander, VOCs, and more.
Upgrades that will help improve indoor air quality include:
Sealing and Insulation - Tightening your home's envelope by sealing leaks, and removing and replacing insulation, can dramatically reduce the influx of outdoor allergens and pollutants, and provide greater control for your ventilation and filtration systems.
Ventilation, Filtration, and Purification Improvements - Even after improving the building envelope, some homes require ventilation, filtration, and air purification equipment. It helps to remove stale indoor air and replace it with fresh outdoor air. Consider installing energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) or heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) to facilitate controlled ventilation without sacrificing energy efficiency.
HVAC Upgrades - Your heating and cooling equipment handles most if not all of the air in your home — upgrading to a high-efficiency system equipped with HEPA filters can capture airborne particles more effectively, ensuring cleaner air circulation. Regular maintenance and periodic duct cleaning are also crucial to prevent the buildup of mold and dust within the system.
Call Princeton Air to Improve Your IAQ
For homeowners affected by year-round allergies, addressing indoor air quality is not just about comfort—it's about health. By partnering with experts like Princeton Air for comprehensive IAQ testing services and implementing strategic home performance, HVAC, and ventilation upgrades, you can achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of your indoor air.
