Indoor air quality

Three kinds of contaminant, three kinds of remedy

Three kinds of contaminant affect the air in a building: particulates such as dust, pollen and dander; biological contaminants such as viruses, germs and mold; and VOCs such as carbon monoxide, aerosols, exhaust and the outgassing of new materials. The remedies fall into three groups: removing the source, ventilation and filtration.

Start with the source

Ventilation and filtration alone will not solve an indoor air quality problem. The first and most important step is removing the source, and many people do not realize that the heating and cooling system is often the biggest source of all.

Duct leakage and blocked airflow, from dirty filters to closed interior doors, depressurize a house and pull in large amounts of outside and attic air, and even gases through the slab. That unconditioned air carries dust, mold, pollen and VOCs, which lower the quality of the air inside while raising the cooling bill.

Every Gilley’s Whole House expert can assess the whole system for proper filtration, ventilation and air circulation.

Filters are not all the same

An average home air filter may capture only about 8% of the particles that pass through it; a professional-grade filter can capture up to 85%. The right filter protects the equipment as well as the air you breathe, and it has to suit your system, because the wrong one can restrict airflow. Read about filtration.

Humidity matters too. A whole-home dehumidifier works with your system to pull moisture from the whole house, and can remove up to 17 gallons of water in 24 hours, depending on conditions. Read about dehumidification.