The Indoor Air Quality Contest 2024

Do you know what’s really lurking in your indoor air? Considering the fact that the average person takes between 17,280 and 23,040 breaths of air each day and spends 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, its essential to know the quality of the air you are breathing in.

In fact, indoor air quality -or, IAQ, consists of temperature, humidity, ventilation, and chemical or biological contaminants that can affect your overall health. Whether you suffer from asthma, allergies, respiratory issues, a compromised immune system or just want to be proactive – testing your indoor air is essential. You may be experiencing negative health effects without even realizing these could be the result of breathing in poor, contaminated air. If you are inhaling high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like cancer-causing xylene, benzene, and formaldehyde as well as asthma irritants, dangerous fumes like radon, smog, and smoke, phthalates, plasticizers, phenols, flame retardants, carbon monoxide, asbestos, lead or mold spores – it’s time to take action.

Great news! Aire Serv is offering one lucky winner:

Complimentary indoor air quality consultation
$1,000 in indoor air quality products
(4) complimentary air filters

The prize will consist of one individually awarded IAQ Consultation, $1,000.00 in IAQ products and free filters for a year valued at $1,200.00 USD! Click below to enter (and share with a friend or loved one who could benefit from breathing clean, fresh and purified air). Sweepstakes open to legal residents of one (1) of the fifty (50) United States, Washington, D.C., or Puerto Rico age 18 or over. Ends 9:00 pm PST on October 31, 2019.

Signs of Poor Indoor Air Quality

Headaches
Fatigue
Sore eyes
Burning nose
Worsening allergies
Respiratory issues
Flu-like symptoms
Heart disease
Cancer
Other serious, long-term conditions
Death, when carbon monoxide and other pollutants are present in high concentrations

Test Before You Guess

Testing your home’s indoor air quality doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, there are some simple, cost-effective methods you can implement right away to find out if the air your inhaling is posing a danger to you and your family. Here are three methods to help you get started:

1.) Air Quality Testing for Mold: Mold spores are ubiquitous indoors and out, but when levels indoor excel the outdoor levels, it’s time to take action. Aire Serv has a simple method to test your ductwork yourself by following these steps:

• Dampen a sterile sponge with a rinse solution and wipe a section of the air filter or supply duct vent.
• Place the sponge in a rinse container and pour more solution over it.
• Shake the rinse container and pour the contents into a sample cup.
• Compare the color of the solution to the chart that came with your test kit. This tells you whether mold is growing on your air filter or in the ductwork.

2.) Air Quality Testing for Radon: Radon may be invisible, but it’s deadly; it’s the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers (and the second leading among smokers). This radioactive gas seeps up from the ground into homes via cracks and crevices as a result of uranium breaking down. The professionals at Aire Serv recommend the following for fast results with tests you can obtain through your state or most hardware and home improvement stores:

• Simply set out a test container that’s filled with granular activated charcoal that absorbs radon from the air.
• After a few days, seal the container and mail it to an accredited lab for analysis.

3.) Air Quality Testing for VOCs: Aire Serv recommends starting with a do-it-yourself test kit to measure the levels of VOC’s present in your home’s air such as a VOC-detecting badge that you wear for 24 hours to measure your exposure level. The badge is sent back to an accredited lab for analysis. You’ll receive the results to determine whether the concentration of VOCs in your home exceeds the permitted exposure levels and further action is required.

Hire an HVAC Professional like Aire Serv

Once you’ve conducted your air tests, it’s best to have these findings verified by a professional like those from Aire Serv, a Neighborly company. He or she can conduct additional testing if needed for mold, radon, and VOCs, and help you determine which steps you should take to clean up your indoor air so you can breathe a sigh of relief. Get in touch with a professional air quality expert in your area like those at Aire Serv to get started.

Aire Serv has been in the business of servicing, replacing and repairing HVAC – or, heating, ventilation and air conditioning – systems for 24 years for both residential and commercial customers in the United States and Canada. Having your heating go out in the winter or your air conditioning shut down during a heat wave can be downright stressful, let alone uncomfortable. The peeps at Aire Serve are available in 200 convenient locations, 24 hours a day, seven days a week should you have an emergency. Oh, and Aire Serv doesn’t charge extra for overtime in most areas. CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment and get a free estimate.

Enter for a Chance to Win

Great news! Aire Serv is offering one lucky winner:

Complimentary indoor air quality consultation
$1,000 in indoor air quality products
(4) complimentary air filters

Solutions for a Safe & Comfortable Home

Just like any appliance in your home, your HVAC system needs to be regularly maintained to operate effectively and efficiently. These are the systems that keep your home comfortable all year long and require care. Routine maintenance plays a key role in ensuring that your heating and cooling system runs smoothly and that you get the most out of your investment such as scheduling an annual air conditioner maintenance service before the cool fall/winter season.

For example, the Aire Serv Total Comfort Tune-up will ensure that your air conditioner is in tip-top working shape and that it will last for years to come. Plus, the experts at Aire Serv can address smaller problems that could grow into larger and potentially costly issues in the future.

In addition to servicing heating and cooling systems for both residential and commercial properties, Air Serv pros can help you install carbon monoxide, smoke detectors, and thermostats, while also providing indoor air quality solutions such as air duct cleaning and installation, air purification services and installation of humidifiers and dehumidifiers. CLICK HERE for a full list of brands that Aire Serv serves.

The Aire Serv Guarantee

As a national company, the pros at Aire Serv can come to your house to conduct a full Heat Gain / Heat Loss evaluation to determine if your current system is installed and sized correctly-and whether or not you are currently overpaying on your utility bill; all absolutely free of charge. In addition, Aire Serv experts can provide five separate guarantees that ensure that if you have a problem, regardless of the name on the system, Aire Serv has a history of craftmanship and excellence and will be there to make it right.

Plus, Aire Serv charges by the job, not the hour. Once they discover an HVAC problem, some locations may waive the fee altogether if you decide to have them perform the full repair and there is no charge for a replacement estimate.

Great news! Aire Serv is offering one lucky winner:

Complimentary indoor air quality consultation
$1,000 in indoor air quality products
(4) complimentary air filters

6 Tips to Improve the Air in Your Home or Office

Proper home maintenance is essential and shouldn’t be overlooked. Ignoring issues when they’re small can lead to larger issues later. Here are six steps to get started on improving the air at home or at work.

1. Air Duct Cleaning

Your home may look pristine throughout; however, looks can be deceiving. What you can’t see, can hurt you. Indoor pollutants and allergens such as mold, bacteria, and dust could be hiding in your air ducts, affecting the air you and your loved ones breathe in daily. Fear not! The professional technicians at Aire Serv can inspect your ductwork, then clean and repair it as required to prevent the contamination of your home. Learn more about Aire Serv’s professional air duct cleaning service.

2. Air Filters

Changing air filters regularly—at least once every two to three months for typical filters or once a year for box-type filters—improves air quality inside your home, cuts down on energy use, and prevents damage while prolonging the life of your heating and cooling system by reducing resistance. Higher efficiency filters can even reduce irritants such as mold spores, pollen, and bacteria. Check with a professional before installing specialty filters, however, as certain filters may be incompatible, causing damage to your system.

3. Air Purifiers / Electronic Air Cleaners

Air cleaners improve air quality by removing harmful pollutants from the air such as smoke, mold, viruses, pet dander and allergens. Whole-house air purifiers are more effective than portable units and can be added to your heating or cooling system to trap and filter pollutants. Air purifiers often include features such as HEPA technology for improved filtration of the smallest particles; carbon filtration for gaseous pollutants; and UV light for disinfection.

4. Dehumidifiers

High temperature and humidity can increase the levels of indoor pollutants. Controlling mold with a whole-house dehumidifier can help reduce allergy-causing mold and mildew. Used in conjunction with your central heating and air, whole-house dehumidifiers remove excess moisture from the air in your home, improving indoor air quality.

5. Mechanical Ventilation

The air inside your home is two to five times more polluted than the air outside, according to the EPA. By bringing fresh air into your home with the help of mechanical ventilation such as window fans, attic fans, energy-efficient heat recovery, and whole-house ventilators, you’ll not only boost indoor air quality but also keep your home more comfortable.

6. Safe & Healthy Cleaning

Daily vacuuming with a HEPA filter is a great way to control larger particles. However, the smallest particles—the cause of the most irritation—can only be removed with filtering devices such as a portable or whole-house air purification system. We also recommend damp dusting and wet mopping to remove dust that can contain toxic chemicals.

Great news! Aire Serv is offering one lucky winner:

A complimentary indoor air quality consultation
$1,000 in indoor air quality products
(4) complimentary air filters