Plano AC Repair Service offers advice to improve air quality – Part A

Plano AC Repair Service owner Steve Lauten President of Total Air & Heat Co., offers advice to help you improve your indoor air quality – Part A

Could Your Home Be Making You Sick?

— Written by Steve Lauten-Total Air & Heat Co. Plano, TX

The Impact of Heating and Air Conditioning systems on your health.

Your HVAC System can affect your health.

Your HVAC System can affect your health.

This is a series of articles I am writing that covers issues that impacts your health and comfort in your home or office.

In a prior article I discussed some of the filter systems, dehumidifiers, and other products available to address IAQ issues.  In this article I will summarize what I feel is the best choices to address IAQ.

We can sit here and discuss all day long how to fix things and what to do.  However unless you know what’s going on inside a structure you really can’t address how to begin. I have covered in previous articles what testing equipment we have available to help us make recommendations about changes to the structure that can enhance indoor comfort conditions.  When my father started Total Air & Heat Co. in 1957 he did it because his friends and neighbors needed his expertise.  Fred Lauten made the decision at that time… there is only 1 way to do something, and that is “the right way”.  We prefer to assess the structure and have as much information as possible before we make any suggestions, however we have to start somewhere.
Some things I will recommend are fairly obvious, like you need a good filter system.  I don’t know why people want to argue about that, they say I don’t have any allergies, I don’t need it.  I don’t need a 60” plasma screen television according to my wife, but I want one!  Let me tell you why you NEED a good filter system:

  1. Cooling coil designs have changed over the years.  They have more fins per inch now, thus the spacing is closer together; causing them to collect dirt much easier than they used to.  In addition the newer design cooling coils run warmer refrigerant temperatures making them more vulnerable to bacteria growth.  The easy and logical solution is to have a high quality media air cleaner!
  2. Clogged condensate drain lines are caused by dirt, dust, and any other particulates or VOC’s that move though your cooling coil but are not caught by your air filter.  Clogged condensate lines can cause many $$$$ thousands of dollars in property damage due to water leakage.  Insurance deductibles typically are 1% of property value; therefore damage caused by clogged condensate lines is rarely covered by insurance.  In addition, hidden damage can lead to mold issues within a structure.  The easy and logical solution is to have a high quality media air cleaner that captures dirt, dust, and particulates before they can cause a condensate drain to become clogged.
  3. Efficiency-as it ages; you’re a/c and heat system loses efficiency.  The only question is how fast does this occur?  It depends on a multitude of factors including how god of job was done when the system was installed, how well the system is maintained, and……how good of job your air filter system does in capturing airborne particulates before they enter the HVAC system.  The best way of insuring your indoor HVAC equipment does not suffer premature aging is a media air cleaner.

I have focused on media air cleaners as the easy and logical way to avoid cooling coil degrading, clogged drain lines, and reduced efficiency.  I think my reasoning behind my conclusions is very straight forward.  However…..I want to do my best to take those who still are not certain to the finish line.
In my opinion you are paying for the upgraded media filter system whether you install one or not!  My point is the investment of approximately $500 to have the filter system installed is far less expensive than the maintenance issues you will encounter if you don’t install one.  In addition the efficiency of the system will be sustained over its life span, and the life span of the system will also be increased.  There are simply too many critical factors you will likely face if you don’t use a high quality media air cleaner as the minimum choice of air filtration options.

Other Articles in this series are:

  1. Allen Heating Repair Company asks if your home is making you sick.
  2. Richardson Heating Company: Is your home making you sick?
  3. Dallas Heating Company: Is your home making you sick?
  4. Plano Heating Company: Is your home making you sick?
  5. Frisco Heating Company: Is your home making your family sick?

About the author: Steve Lauten is President of the Plano AC Repair Service Total Air & Heat Co. which is located in Plano, TX.  Steve can be reached at 972-881-0020 or by email at sales@totalair.com

Total Air & Heat Co. has been serving the North Dallas/Collin County area since 1957 and has been voted the “Best Heat and Air Contractor in Collin County” 14 times by the Readers of Star community Newspapers.