What A Homeowner Wants, What A Homeowner Needs 

IAQ conversations still begin with symptoms — not systems — that shape both what homeowners ask for and how contractors respond.  

Mason Hoover, general manager at Empire Heating and Cooling servicing Atlanta, Georgia, said when customers bring up IAQ, most of their concerns include allergens or dust in their home, with the occasional odor call. In Florida, Marco Radocaj, co-owner of Balance HVAC, sees similar concerns — but humidity and mold dominate.  

BACK TO THE BASICS: Though sometimes a critical part to the success of IAQ solutions, ductwork can often be overlooked.

“It’s been in more recent years, and I don't think they automatically attribute it to the humidity,” said Radocaj. “I think a lot of times it starts with the call that there's mold in an area of their house … and then they find out that it's actually a humidity issue.” 

In New England, where James Patterson is the owner of Orchard Valley Heating & Cooling, cold-climate concerns look different, but follow the same pattern.  

“The most common questions I get is winter humidification and general air quality,” Patterson said. “The air quality part is pretty simple — HEPA filters and ionizers are my go-to technology (as an allergy sufferer, I have tried many brands of each and feel I have a great arsenal of components to offer). Humidification is a bit trickier, as this is a vital component of cold-climate comfort and wellbeing.” 

Homeowners, however, are still largely accustomed to controlling temperature setpoints, not moisture or airflow.  

“They're just satisfied if it’s 73° in there,” Radocaj said. “They don't realize that there are all these other elements of the air that are causing these issues.” 

Most of Patterson’s customers also start with health complaints. 

“Most clients have specific ailments that need addressing (allergies to molds, particulates), and knowing what type of system they have and how IAQ components can be integrated into that is key,” Patterson said. “Knowing how to eliminate the cause of the homeowner’s issues with their HVAC system or series of standalone components is a process driven by experience and investigation.” 

The gap in understanding where the issue stems from often shows up in the types of solutions homeowners might request.

“Unfortunately, a lot of times they want to start with over-the-counter type things like ozone bulbs or UV bulbs, and I always kind of start that conversation with, ‘What are you trying to do? What's the goal you're trying to accomplish?’” said Radocaj. 

While homeowner suggestions might not necessarily be the solution they’re looking for, they do create an avenue for contractors to offer better ones. 

“It does always start the conversation where we can present them with like bulkier filtration to use with their system … but they're usually looking for some type of quick fix, silver bullet type thing,” Radocaj said.  

From Products To Systems Thinking 

The success of IAQ products seemingly depends less on one device, but more on how the home performs as a system — from the building envelope over-up-or down-to duct design and humidity control.  

“In the big picture, you need a properly-sized system, properly-sized ducts, balanced airflow — ducts need to be tight — and you need to have some supplemental dehumidifier to take care of the shoulder seasons and manage moisture,” Radocaj said. “And that’s across the board.” 

But ductwork, Radocaj said, is often overlooked, underestimated, and underwhelmed by homeowners and contractors alike — even though it’s where everything starts and ends.   

“Ducts being properly sized, everything being balanced … I don’t think that’s something customers think about at all, but it makes all the difference in the world having properly-sized, sealed ducts with a balancing damper so you can put the air where it needs to go and not just hope it magically happens that way,” Radocaj said. 

With today’s modern high-efficiency equipment that continues to evolve, this becomes even more important.   

“These advancements are just making bigger problems with your bad ductwork,” Radocaj said. “Problems that were smaller issues 10 years ago with new equipment are exponentially worse.” 

New Vs. Older Home Approaches 

What IAQ solutions work in one home may not work in another. So, understanding ductwork and building envelopes, and how systems work together, is essential for contractors, especially when navigating the differences between older homes and today’s tighter ones. 

“We have our techs give recommendations on a home-by-home basis,” Hoover said. “Not all newer homes are as tightly installed as some think, and some older homes are put together with such precision you couldn't do better with a machine and a decade of trying. This also keeps our techs more open-minded on solutions, instead of having a predetermined mindset before even arriving on site.” 

Still, not every contractor approaches selling IAQ in an honest way. Patterson said that homeowners are misled about IAQ every day. He called some brands “junk” — “untested and installed in manners that don't really benefit homeowners.”  

Vital to the success of IAQ products are knowledgeable and experienced HVAC techs.  

For Balance HVAC, much of the work involves retrofits in Florida’s humid climate, where envelope performance can dictate whether any IAQ improvements could succeed.   

“And I usually start the conversation with, ‘We can't beat the outside, and we need to start with your envelope,’” Radocaj said. “If you don't have a good thermal envelope, and everything outside is just coming in at will, you're at a major disadvantage.” 

Beginning with things like insulation, sealing, or envelope performance can build credibility and trust with homeowners.  

“You're not just jumping into like, ‘Hey, let's sell some air conditioning equipment,’ but ‘let's fix your insulation issues first, and then we can kind of go into how we can make things better once we've secured the inside of your house,’” Radocaj said. 

Patterson said tighter homes also demand more deliberate ventilation strategies. 

“Newer, tighter homes require a more conscious effort to address air exchange (ERV), as older homes tend to leak on their own,” said Patterson. “Sick building syndrome, odors, smells all tend to be more of an issue with newer, super-tight homes.” 

Tried And True  

With how tightly today’s homes are built, there need not be unconditioned spaces in the house — that’s where moisture hangs out and eventually migrates into living spaces and causes comfort and health issues. This is a big issue in encapsulated homes in Florida.  

Radocaj said in these situations, the company has had great success with attic dehumidifiers. By conditioning those spaces and keeping whole-home humidity at 50%, contractors can alleviate multiple IAQ issues at once, while also improving filtration. 

For homes that aren’t encapsulated — or homeowners who just want a second layer of control — Radocaj favors inline ducted dehumidifiers.  

Patterson favors humidification, though its importance in cold climates as well as warm ones is often misunderstood. 

“Humidification is often an unrealized component of IAQ, but without moisture, our skin, respiratory system, house trim — it all suffers,” Patterson said. “You also feel colder, and that makes us raise the thermometer to compensate for the evaporative action of our skin that makes us feel chilled — wasting valuable energy (oil, gas, electricity).” 

But not all humidifiers are created equal.  

“Many humidifiers waste tons of water (typical flow-through model wastes 80% of the water passing over the panel and can lead to 16 ounces of waste per minute of use), and steam humidifiers use lots of electricity,” Patterson said. “Technology is on the horizon for a system that recycles this water waste and reuses it.” Patterson himself has already patented such a system and uses it with his client base. When it comes to air cleaning, Patterson said ionizers remain one of his most reliable tools. 

Small improvements can make meaningful IAQ improvements without always requiring major system overhauls. 

“Many times, you’re correcting a poorly designed HVAC system, and that adds to the financial crunch, but the end results can make that investment a positive without the buyer’s remorse,” Patterson said.  

Another IAQ solution contractors can offer is thicker filters — think 4- or 5-inch, highly-rated MERV filters.   

“A lot of times, with the way houses are built now — they really like the seamless slot, return supply — and there's plenty of filters in there,” Radocaj said. “But putting a bigger, beefier filter in right at the cabinet does a great job — and they have a million different options with carbon for odor removal or moisture management that you don't get out of 1-inch.” 

Hoover said Empire has seen strong results from combinations that may include iWave systems, 4-inch media filters and racks, duct improvements, UV lights in specific cases, and ventilation upgrades. 

“In my opinion, you can only be as confident in a repair as you are in the one providing the service,” Hoover said. “When customers come to us for a second opinion, we have had many of them mention the 'drastic' and 'urgent' recommendations of a more sales-heavy company. We train our techs to offer what is requested, but to additionally explain what they find themselves, and their specific recommendations for each home. This approach has given us great success in closing calls with multiple bids.” 

Setting Expectations And Building Trust  

Communication ultimately determines whether IAQ upgrades succeed — both technically and relationally. At the end of the day, homeowners just want to get what they paid for. They want to know what they’re in for — cost-wise, maintenance-wise, payoff-wise.  

“The key is effective and efficient communication,” Hoover said. “If you truly take the time and walk the customer through all the options, upkeep, requirements, and most likely results (especially in writing) — we have noticed a massive decrease in angry/confused customer follow-up calls.” 

Radocaj’s approach to setting customer expectations usually begins with assessing the severity of the problem, presenting homeowners with a comprehensive solution, and then working backward.   

“I always start with giving [customers] the bulletproof version — 100% going to solve every respiratory health problem they could have and have complete control of the inside of the home — and from there things can be peeled back,” Radocaj said. “It's always easier to take things off than to add things on. … But we can always take things away from the [bulletproof option] strategically, so we know that we're still going to resolve the problem and the issues they’re having.”  

Expectation-setting also requires the recognition that though installs differ from homeowner to homeowner, the need for them comes from deeply personal places.  

“It is certainly an additional cost, and that threshold is different for every homeowner and varies by what specifically drives their desire to make their environment healthier,” Patterson said. “Many clients come to me with health ailments, and the proper assembly of IAQ tools can — and has — changed many of my clients’ lives, and that's hard to put a ‘how much is that worth’ price tag on.”