Orchard Valley Heating and Cooling

      Its often hard to believe that the air we breathe in our own home's can be unhealthy or even harmful. There are so many factors that determine the air quality within our homes, controlling all of them can be impossible. I always start with recommending the tightest building envelope possible. Make it like a big plastic bag and then use mechanical ventilation and filtration to fine tune your environment. This way you do have control over what enters and exits the structure and you simply choose what you want to remove and choose the appropriate device. One fallacy I often encounter is that a ducted heating / cooling system makes the house dirty.  It does act as a highway for dirt, dust, and debris to move around the home , but if the system was fitted with proper filtration, it would now serve as a central collection and clean air distribution system. The modern variable speed air handlers and furnaces are ideal for this purpose. The slower the air is moving, the more effective the filters become at removing contaminants. The arsenal of air cleaning equipment is outstanding and can remove just about anything from your home's air. HEPA filters scrub the air to surgical suite precision and Ultra Violet light systems kill molds, viruses and bacteria from the air. A ventilation system can be added to provide a source of fresh air by evenly exchanging the stale house air with an equal amount of fresh outdoor air. This is very important in tightly built homes as the moisture levels can rise and create mold and mildew problems. 

   Ok, these remedies work well when you can control the construction sequence from the beginning and assure the home is built correctly. What if you have an older home and want to do the same?  Well, we add the same components and do our best to improve the environment. The conditions may not be perfect, but with the right approach and equipment (installed by the correct HVAC expert ) your home will be well on its way to a healthier and cleaner future!