Residential Indoor Air Quality

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As the medical community reports, exceptionally dry surroundings (and the humans in those spaces) facilitate the spread of viruses more easily.

Dehumidification finds itself in one of those sales-potential sweet spots, thanks to an increasingly sophisticated customer base.

HVAC contractors get involved daily with equipment and conditions that can come into play regarding the presence (or absence) of mold. And yet, most do not offer mold remediation work themselves.

While IAQ has received more homeowner attention over the past few years, many contractors are still not offering those products during their sales pitches. They might be missing a golden opportunity because, according to Aprilaire, those that do are reaping the benefits.

From homes and apartments to office buildings, hospitals, and schools, the average American spends 87 percent of their life indoors — and another 6 percent in enclosed vehicles. That means for the overwhelming majority of Americans, the air entering their bodies every day is directly impacted by the buildings that make up the environment.

Cue the HVAC contractor to the rescue. With the right training and the right customer education, IAQ can be a contractor’s golden opportunity to take advantage of potential sales without the added effort of recruiting new clients.

Manufacturers in the realm of IAQ are seeing an uptick in interest due to increased awareness among consumers as well, as the air quality concerns that come as a byproduct of efforts to tighten up buildings to increase energy efficiency. In response, they’ve been updating IAQ products for the age of the smartphone and the “smart” HVAC system.

While exterior pollutants, such as smog and CO, may receive more attention, IAQ within a home can have serious effects on our physical and mental health, as well.

As common as the duct leakage problem is, it’s also very easy to go in with less-than-adequate knowledge for solving the problem in customers’ homes due to all the possible variables in play.