Stay On Top Of Indoor Quality in South Jersey This Winter

Updated Oct. 23, 2019

Just as we take steps to keep ourselves healthy through the changing of the seasons, we need to do the same with our home. One of the most important ways to do this is by improving our indoor air quality.

It’s an especially important topic as the weather gets colder. Believe it or not, the air in your home is usually more polluted than the air outside.

There are a lot of pollution sources inside. That’s everything from household cleaners, and building materials to dirt people track in and dander and fur from pets.

The problem is, once it’s inside, it’s got nowhere to go — especially when it’s cold outside.

Indoor Air Quality in the Winter

Once you’ve turned on the heat and closed the windows, those contaminants have no place to go. It’s even more of an issue now since today’s homes are built more airtight than older homes.

Meanwhile, your heating system is only adding to the problem. If it’s not cleaned and maintained, then it’s just circulating more pollutants.

Finally, add in the fact that, according to the EPA, we spend 90 percent of our time indoors nowadays.

That’s when the problems start: Asthma flare-ups, dry and itchy skin, sore throats, allergy and flu-like symptoms, and more.

As a result of all this, the EPA also ranks indoor air quality as one of the top five environmental risks to public health.

But, some 87 percent of American homeowners are not aware of indoor pollution.

So, as the cold weather sets in, it’s time to set your sites on your indoor air quality.

In this post, we’re looking at three ways in particular that Broadley’s can help you improve the way you breathe in your home.

If you have any questions, or if you’d like to see how we can improve your home’s health in Ocean City, NJ, Marmora, or anywhere in Cape May or Atlantic counties, give us a call or email.

Three Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality in South Jersey

At Broadley’s, we can help you improve your indoor air quality with:

1. Duct Cleaning
2. Air Purifiers
3. Humidification

Let’s take a look at each one.

Duct Cleaning

Duct cleaning is an important, but often hidden, aspect when we talk about the “wellness” of your home. It gets rid of dust, dirt, and mold that’s out of sight and out of mind — but can still make you very, very sick.

Because these things aren’t in plain sight, people don’t think about them. And, they certainly can’t clean out those ducts themselves.

Those ducts are more delicate than they look. It’s easy to disconnect a section or break something without realizing it.

Rotobrush

At Broadley’s, we offer duct cleaning services using the Rotobrush. It’s a professional tool that can reach through the ductwork — way further than you could reach yourself.

It’s designed to be strong enough to clean out even the dirtiest systems. But, it does so with a brush motor that breaks up dirt without putting too much pressure on the ducts themselves.

Then, a powerful vacuum motor sucks up all the buildup it dislodges. Otherwise, you’d run the risk of all that junk resettling deeper inside your system.

Disinfecting Your Ducts

The second part of the Rotobrush process is disinfecting the system. After all, you do more than sweep up in your house: You also mop and scrub to get rid of germs and bacteria.

Well, those contaminants — along with mold spores, dust mites, and others — can and do take up residence deep in your ductwork.

First, we remove the registers and clean them. Then, we get further into the system. Finally, we disinfect it all with an antimicrobial treatment.

In all, the process takes about two hours and removes up to 99.97% of particles found in ducts.

Air Purifiers

For allergy sufferers, a run-of-the-mill air filter won’t be enough to prevent the runny noses, itchy eyes, and other symptoms of hay fever or seasonal allergies.

One solution is the Reme Halo in-duct air purifier. It was designed to combat “Sick Building Syndrome” for commercial spaces. In homes, it eliminates allergy triggers, including dust, pollen, mold spores, and dander.

And it doesn’t stop there. These products also eliminate viruses and bacteria as well as household odors.

The Reme Halo works year-round. And, once you close the windows and turn on the heater, it’s especially useful.

How It Works

The Halo uses hydroperoxide and an ionic process to clean the air. If that sounds like science fiction, it’s not: Hydroperoxide occurs naturally in the earth’s atmosphere.

And, the process is modeled after the ionic functions that occur all the time as part of nature’s way of cleaning the air.

Humidification

Dry heat can be a big problem in the wintertime. Not only is there naturally less moisture in cold air than when it’s hot out.

But, a forced-air system blows unnaturally dry, hot air. For many people, a humidification system is important once the temperature outside drops.

When the air is too dry, people get dry, itchy eyes, cracked skin, sore throats, and nosebleeds.

The lack of humidity can also damage furniture and musical instruments. Acoustic guitars are especially prone to cracking, for instance.

Whole-House Solutions

If you’ve noticed these problems in your home, then a whole-house humidifier is something to consider.

You’ve likely seen small, portable humidifiers that work for one room. Broadley’s works with April Aire and Honeywell to provide units that attach to your HVAC system to treat your entire house at once.

This fall, start your New Year’s Resolution to get healthy a few months early. When you improve your indoor air quality, you improve your health and general well-being.

And your house will feel better and cleaner all year.

Not sure where to start? Give Broadley’s a call. With a consultation, we’ll identify the most significant challenges to your home’s indoor air quality and recommend the best tools to overcome them.