Does Air Filtration Really Improve Your Home’s Air Quality? 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the most effective ways to improve your indoor air quality is to reduce or remove the sources of pollutants and to ventilate with clean outdoor air. Removing pollutant sources makes sense, unless your pollutant sources include cigar-smoking Uncle Joe and Fritz the family cat. If you live in the Houston area, you’re next door to one of the top 10 most air-polluted cities in the country, so outdoor air quality fluctuates daily. It’s not always safe to ventilate your home by opening windows and doors.

The EPA concludes, “Research shows that air filtration can be an effective supplement to source control and ventilation.” Indoor air filtration can truly help you breathe easier.

Media vs. Basic Filters

Your home or office likely has a standard 1″ filter in place. It’s probably located behind a screwed-down or hinged vent grill in the ceiling. A one-inch filter is minimal but necessary air-return protection. It will trap dust, lint, pet dander, and microbial indoor air pollutants. You can replace standard filters every 90 days, but in Klein, Magnolia, and Tomball communities, you should consider replacing them every 30-60 days.

Filter Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV) designates a filter’s ability to remove very small bacterial particles. The higher the MERV rating, the better the filter.

The average MERV for a standard 1″ filter is 8.

If you have newborns, elderly, or health-challenged loved ones, clean air is important to their quality of life. Country Air IAQ (indoor air quality) professionals can tell you how often to replace your air filter. Factors include square feet, number of people and pets, plus other considerations like wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, cooking (frying vs. baking, gas stove vs. electric), and smokers. (Outdoor smokers bring the smoke inside, on their clothes, hair, etc.) Media filters are larger, more efficient, and more expensive, but you only replace them every 6-12 months. 

Media filter MERVs average 10-16.

Whole-House Air Filtration

Hypoallergenic filtration is a terrific whole-house clean-air system. There are many technological updates to home and commercial filters. For example, the Solaris® whole-house air purification system has:

• Germicidal UV lights – Can disinfect the HVAC blower, coil, and drain lines by killing bacteria, viruses, and preventing biogrowth clogs
• HVAC integration – With most systems or alongside as a semi-permanent component
• Ionization filtration – “Zaps” air nanoparticles too small for regular filters before they and other smaller contaminants enter your HVAC unit
• Odor-management PCO (photocatalytic oxidation) – An advanced technology that reduces bacteria and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) with activated carbon filters to control odors
• Smart sensors – Monitor IAQ and make necessary adjustments

Air Scrubber Plus* is another efficient whole-house air filtration technology originally developed for NASA. It’s cost-effective and uses UV lighting and PCOs that actively “scrub” the air passing through your HVAC system. It’s installed in home and business ductwork.

• Air Scrubber is an ozone-free option, tested and proven to reduce or eliminate airborne pathogens, bacteria, fungi, mold, VOCs, and viruses with a 99.98% COVID surface-kill rate.
• Installations average $500-$2,610. Total costs can reach $5,000 for a top-tier, integrated system.
• Rooms feel fresher and cleaner.
• The output treats air and surfaces (countertops, etc.) up to 3,000 sq. ft.
• This system is one of the top choices for eliminating tobacco smoke and pet odors.

What About Air Duct Cleaning & Antimicrobial Fogging?

Professional duct cleaning removes allergens, dust, debris, and microbial growth from an HVAC system’s supply/return ducts, registers, grills, fans, and coils. The technician will use powerful vacuums, specific brushes, and pressurized air whips to dislodge contaminants.

Air duct cleaning is needed every 3-5 years, but homes with multiple pets, smokers, or loved ones with allergies may require cleaning every 1-2 years. If you notice:

• Clammy-feeling air in one or more rooms
• Dust blowing out of air registers
• Dust/dirt accumulation inside ducts
• Dusty, dirty air returns
• Odor when airflow is on
• Slower airflow
• Unusual noise when air flows
• Visible mold/mildew

…It’s time to request an inspection for air duct cleaning. 

Not always, but sometimes antimicrobial fogging is recommended alongside air duct cleaning.

After an air duct inspection, certified HVAC technicians may recommend antimicrobial air duct fogging if they discover microbes and mildew growing in the air ducts. An infestation of microbes throughout your ductwork can lead to poor air quality and negative health effects for your family.**

Before air duct cleaning became a scam trend, it was a legitimate and effective service. Country Air won’t recommend air duct cleaning if you don’t need it, and we won’t upsell additional services or bait & switch prices with add-on fees.

Here are some red flags that an HVAC or air duct-cleaning company might not be completely honest:

• Additional charges for special equipment rental
• Additional fees for too many vents
• Air duct service took 45 minutes (proper cleaning averages 2+ hours.)
• Company does not provide written estimate or contract
• Company has no physical address
• Company has no references
• Company has no website or internet presence
• Company has portable, not truck-mounted equipment
• Learning the advertised $69 air duct-cleaning special offer was the per-vent charge, not the total cost
• Service technician not wearing company logo on t-shirt or uniform, has no identification and is not HVAC-certified
• Surprise extra charge for “sanitation”
• Suspicious-looking before-and-after photos
• Technician discovers a mold or hazardous material “emergency”
• “Today only” prices; pressure to book the job now

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Solutions in Northwest Houston

HVAC air ducts should serve your home for about 20 years. If it’s time for ductwork replacement or if you’re building new, Country Air will install AmBlue II® flexible air ducts. We don’t offer cheaper or more expensive alternatives; we believe antimicrobial AmBlue II is the best solution for your home or commercial property air ducts to protect against Texas high humidity and air pollution. 

Is whole-house filtration and cleaner, safer IAQ something you’d like to learn more about? Let’s partner to find an affordable, customized IAQ solution for your home and family. Country Air offers duct and dryer vent cleaning and indoor air quality services. 

We look forward to earning your trust.

FAQs

Two frequently asked questions about IAQ are:

Q: I heard one of the things I can do is add indoor plants to help clean the air. Which are the best plants?
A: It’s true indoor plants can improve air quality, but you can’t completely rely on them for clean air. However, they filter toxins and VOCs, and snake plants even convert CO2 to oxygen while you sleep! Top indoor plants for cleaner IAQ include:

• Bamboo palm
• Boston fern
• English ivy
• Golden pothos
• Peace lily
• Rubber plant
• Snake plant
• Spider plant

Q: What is a HEPA filter?
A: Regular, 1″ HVAC filters are made of cotton/polyester materials with fewer filtration properties than HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters. HEPA filters remove at least 99.97% of airborne pollutants.
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*Many companies use the words “air scrubber” to describe several types of high-end air cleaners. Country Air uses and recommends Air Scrubber by ActivePure/Aerus®.
**Microbes are only visible using a special light scope unless there is an infestation, which appears as dark, fuzzy, or slimy patches inside the air ducts.