One thing that many people may not fully realize is just how polluted indoor air often is. The fact is that the air inside a building contains three to five times higher levels of certain pollutants compared to the air outside the building. Many buildings also have fairly high concentrations of various allergens that can trigger reactions and create breathing difficulties. The good news is that there are a range of options that can allow you to easily tackle any air quality issues in your commercial building. In this article, we’ll explain the root causes of poor indoor air quality and the best solutions for overcoming air quality issues.
Why Indoor Air Quality Matters for Your Business
In most buildings, the biggest contributors to indoor air pollution are volatile organic compounds or VOCs. The term volatile refers to the fact that these chemicals continually react and get released into the air. Some of the most common VOCs like formaldehyde are found in a huge range of building materials and furniture. Business environments can have an especially high concentration of VOCs that are given off by various electronics, with printers and copiers being among the biggest culprits. Air fresheners, paints, varnishes, glues and adhesives, cleaning products, disinfectants, carpets and fabrics all also give off a variety of VOCs. While you may think that air quality would be worse in an older building, the fact that VOCs are released by so many building materials means that it is actually newer buildings that typically have more air quality issues.
The issue with indoor air pollution is that even short-term exposure can lead to issues like headaches, difficulty concentrating, brain fog and other symptoms of so-called “sick building syndrome.” That’s partly because air conditioning and heating continually circulate the pollutants and blow them out into every part of the building. A similar issue is that the HVAC system also spreads any bacteria and viruses that are present in the building. That means if one person in the building is sick, the illness can quickly spread to numerous other people. By taking steps to improve air quality and minimize the airborne pollution, allergens and bacteria in your commercial building, you can help to keep everyone healthier and happier while also potentially improving productivity. With that in mind, we’ll now look at some of the most effective options for improving indoor air quality that you should definitely consider.
Media Filters
Replacing the air filters in your building’s HVAC system on a regular basis ensures your air conditioning and heating work effectively and can also help with indoor air quality. The only thing is that basic HVAC air filters can only filter out larger particles like dust, pollen and other allergens. That’s why many people choose instead to upgrade their commercial HVAC system with media filters. Media filters are much thicker and contain much more pleated material, which enables them to trap the majority of tiny particles that would just pass straight through a standard filter. Some media filters are even HEPA filters similar to those used in hospitals, doctor’s offices and laboratories.
Another advantage of using media filters is that they can trap and hold many more particles without getting clogged up. Regular air filters usually need to be at least replaced four to six times a year, whereas media filters usually only need to be replaced once or twice a year.
Electronic Air Cleaners
Sometimes referred to as electrostatic air filters, electronic air cleaners are also an effective option for eliminating most airborne pollutants and contaminants. The way an air cleaner works is that it creates an electrostatic field that either positively or negatively charges particles in the air flowing through the unit. This charge causes the particles to get attracted and stick to collector plates inside the air cleaner since these plates carry the opposite charge.
An electronic air cleaner can work more effectively than an air filter since it’s able to capture much smaller particles that may end up passing through a filter. However, an air cleaner does require more maintenance since you need to make sure to clean the plates every two to three months or else the unit will eventually stop working effectively.
Germicidal UV Lights
Bacteria, viruses and mold spores are highly susceptible to damage from UV-C light. When the ultraviolet rays shine on these microorganisms, the result is that their DNA gets irreparably damaged to the point that they can no longer reproduce or cause an infection. UV light units are mounted within one of the building’s main air ducts so that they continually eliminate a large percentage of the germs and mold spores in the air circulating through the HVAC system. While germicidal UV lights aren’t as effective at destroying some types of viruses, they are extremely effective against mold and bacteria.
Air Purification Systems
A whole-building air purification system is one of the best ways to improve air quality and limit the amount of pollution and contaminants that the HVAC system spreads. Most of the other options can only tackle certain types of airborne particles like mold spores, pollen and dust mites but are ineffective at combating VOCs and other gaseous chemicals. A quality air purification system, on the other hand, is effective at eliminating almost all pollutants and contaminants as well as odors. That’s because air purification systems use multiple methods of filtration and purification. For instance, many systems have a HEPA filter that traps around 99% of germs, allergens and other airborne particles. The filter also often contains activated carbon that helps to eliminate odors.
What makes an air purification system different from just a filtration system is that it uses UV lights to facilitate a process known as photocatalytic oxidization. How it works is that the UV rays react with a catalyst to produce ionized oxygen molecules that attract and react with airborne organic molecules including most VOCs. When the molecules get oxidized, they either get destroyed or degrade into safe or at least less harmful compounds. That means the purification system quickly reduces the level of VOCs and other chemicals and continually tackles those that keep off-gassing from everything in the building.
The only thing to note is that some air purification systems either use ozone (O3) as the oxidizing agent or give off ozone as a byproduct. This is an issue since ozone is a lung irritant, which can damage the lungs and create various respiratory issues. Breathing in ozone also worsens existing respiratory issues such as asthma. For these reasons, it’s important that you choose an ozone-free air purification system.
At Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc., our team has years of experience helping home and business owners in the Nashua and Canterbury areas overcome their indoor air quality issues. We start by using innovative testing methods to determine what specific issues the building is facing so that we can then recommend which solutions will work most effectively. We’re a Lennox Premier Dealer and offer a selection of effective options for overcoming any air quality issues. We also specialize in residential and commercial air conditioning and heating and are ready to help if you need any HVAC repairs, maintenance or installation services. To schedule an air quality consultation and learn more about the solutions we offer, contact us today.
