Indoor Air Quality Testing - Tulsa, OK

Indoor Air Quality Testing - Tulsa, OK

We spend a great deal of time in our indoor environment, whether it’s at home or at work in our place of business. Air Assurance provides many air quality services including air duct cleaning, air duct sealing, and indoor air quality testing. The professional at Air Assurance can also help correct and improve your indoor environment with a number of options. Call on Air Assurance when you need air quality testing - We service all of Greater Tulsa, including Jenks, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Sapulpa and more.

Way to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Maintaining indoor comfort involves more than keeping your home's living spaces warm or cool. Indoor air quality is also a major factor that affects how comfortable your home will be. When particulates and contaminants such as dust, pollen, mold, and related materials get into your home's air, you can have problems such as allergy and asthma attacks, worsening of respiratory conditions, and the onset of physical discomforts such as irritated eyes and scratchy throats. Here are some suggestions for improving the indoor air quality in your home this fall and year-round.

• Change HVAC system filters: The air filters in your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump help remove particulates from your indoor air. They capture these materials as air from your home circulates through the system to be heated or cooled. Make sure these filters are kept clean and fresh. They should be checked at least once a month and changed when they get dirty.

• Maintain your HVAC equipment: Regular preventive maintenance will improve the function of your HVAC system and boost its ability to remove particulates, reduce humidity, and keep your indoor air cleaner.

• Clean, dust, and vacuum regularly: Keeping your indoor environment clean and free of dust, mold, and other contaminants can significantly improve indoor air quality. Dust and vacuum at least weekly.

• Increase ventilation: Ventilation keeps a steady flow of air moving through your home, which helps remove particulates and send them outside. When weather and outdoor conditions permit, open windows and doors to let breezes move through your indoor spaces. Install a whole-house ventilation system that provides effective airflow for your entire home. Turn your window air conditioner to fan-only to provide extra ventilation.

• Install air filtration and cleaning systems: Install high-efficiency air cleaning and filtration equipment that provides additional removal of particulates and indoor pollution. Use the highest-quality filters possible in these devices.

Air Assurance is a premier source for professional HVAC services in Tulsa and the surrounding Oklahoma communities. Contact us today for more information on indoor air quality and how to keep your home's air cleaner and fresher throughout the year.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Zurijeta/Shutterstock”

How to Combat Your Allergies with Your HVAC System

We're always thrilled to see spring arrive in Broken Arrow, but with it come the inevitable discomforts of spring allergies. Fortunately you've got a friend in combating them that you may not have even been aware of: your HVAC system. Learn how to effectively use your HVAC system to get your household's suffering from allergies and other respiratory ailments under control.

Control Allergens at the Source

No matter what you're allergic to -- be it pollen, pet dander, dust, mold or chemical pollutants in your home -- they should be controlled at the source. Your springtime allergic reactions are most likely caused by flowering plants and the pollen they produce. Reduce the pollen that gets into your home by doing the following

• Keep doors and windows closed.

• Brush off clothes and pets before entering the home.

• Sequester pollen-bearing plants in one room with the door closed, until they are finished producing pollen.

• Fit wire mesh or plastic filters on window screens to block pollen when windows are open.

Trapping Pollen

Pollen that is circulating in your home's air can be trapped in the HVAC system with a good quality, pleated air filter. Low cost fiberglass filters won't do much to improve your indoor air quality, so choose a filter rated from MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) 8-12.

You might also look into some type of electrostatic filter to install in your HVAC system. These filters attract airborne particulates with an electric charge. The particles stick to the filter, which must be cleaned periodically to be effective. They are somewhat expensive, but on the other hand, will last a long time so don't have to be changed and discarded the way other filters do.

Room air purifiers may also help. They use HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters to clean air before it is recirculated. These portable models are sold according to the size room you want to purify. More effective are whole-house air cleaners, installed in the HVAC system.

For more on using the HVAC system to combat allergies, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Is Your Home the Culprit for Your Allergies?

Spring allergies can leave you with a runny nose, itchy eyes, and other unpleasant symptoms, but it’s not just the outdoors you have to worry about. Pollen and other outdoor allergens can make their way into your home through windows and on your clothes. You can also have dust and other indoor allergens in your house all year round. Use the following information to reduce allergens in your home if you have allergies.

Get Rid of Dust

Dust mites are the main reason why you might sneeze when you’re exposed to dust. These tiny critters feed on dust particles and trigger allergic reactions. You can reduce the amount of dust in your home by vacuuming and dusting on a regular basis. You should also place dust mite covers on your pillow and mattress to protect you while you’re sleeping.

Change Your HVAC Filter

If your HVAC filter hasn’t been changed in awhile, it’s most likely covered in dust and debris. This filter helps keep the air in your home clean while your HVAC system is in use. Replace your old filter with a new one to reduce the amount of allergens in your home.

Place Doormats at Each Entrance

Putting doormats at each entrance in your home helps prevent you and other family members, as well as guests, from bringing allergens in on your shoes. Put one doormat outside each entrance and another doormat just inside each entrance. You should also have anyone who comes into your home take off their shoes to avoid spreading allergens around.

Invest in an Air Filter

Air filters can boost the indoor air quality in your home throughout the year. You can get filters that are used in one room only or invest in a whole-house filter that covers your entire home. These filters can help cut down on the amount of allergens that are in your home.

If you need help reducing the amount of dust and other allergens in your home, please contact Air Assurance. We offer indoor air quality services for customers in the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about spring allergies and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Oklahoma Allergy Season Tips

From ragweed to cotton, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma has its share of allergies. When allergy season hits, the itching eyes, stuffy nose, and tickly throat can be almost unbearable. Here are some allergy tips to help you reduce your suffering.

1. Upgrade Your Air Filter

The air filter in your HVAC system traps allergens to keep them from circulating in your home. Filter effectiveness is measured in Minimum Efficiency Recording Value, or MERVs, which range from 1 to 20. If you upgrade your existing filter to a high efficiency one with a MERV rating between 14 and 16, you will have fewer allergens in your home.

2. Remove Debris Around the Outdoor Unit

Plants and other debris around your outdoor unit can impact your indoor allergen levels, because the outdoor unit pulls air through that debris and into your home. Keep the area around your outdoor unit clean and clear.

3. Dust the Registers and Vents

Registers and vents that are dusty blow dust and pollen through your home. Dust these first, then dust the remainder of your home, to remove the dust and other indoor allergens that could be making your allergies worse.

4. Check for Mold

If you have never had your HVAC system checked for mold, schedule an inspection. Mold exasperates allergies and can cause other respiratory concerns. If you do have mold, have it professionally removed to ensure your family can breathe safely.

5. Consider Duct Cleaning

If you are using an efficient filter, have cleaned outside your system and have checked for mold, but you are still struggling with allergies, consider duct cleaning. Removing allergens from the ducts will prevent them from being spread around your home.

One of the best allergy tips, however, is to have your HVAC system professionally inspected and serviced at the start of the allergy season. In Broken Arrow, Air Assurance provides comprehensive HVAC service, including inspections. Contact them today to schedule your HVAC system inspection this allergy season.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Serhiy Kobyakov/Shutterstock”

What Kind of HVAC Air Filter Should You be Using?

With the dust and pollen common in the Broken Arrow area, the right kind of HVAC air filter is essential for maintaining healthy indoor air. To choose the best kind of filter for you, you'll need to understand the factors that play into a filter's effectiveness.

Quality Filters Protect Your Health

Standard fiberglass flat-panel filters may be cheap, but they also offer little benefit. They keep large debris particles out of your HVAC system, but do nothing to improve your air quality. For cleaner air, you'll need a filter with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of at least 5. These are usually fiberglass or synthetic fiber flat-panel filters. Synthetic fibers are packed more densely than fiberglass, allowing them to trap smaller particles, such as mold spores.If anyone in your home has seasonal or dust allergies, or another respiratory concern, look for an air filter of MERV 11 to 12. This range includes pleated filters made of synthetic fiber. The accordion-like folds in these filters provide a greater surface area to trap particles, increasing their efficiency and lifespan.

Better Filters, Better System Performance

Higher-efficiency filters help maintain your HVAC system's energy efficiency by keeping the components cleaner. Dust on your blower fan and A/C evaporator coil places strain on these components and increases their energy demands, which in turn raises your utility bills. The more efficient the filter, the less dust and other debris enters your system.Pleated filters are less likely to clog quickly, reducing the risk of airflow problems. Very high efficiency filters, however, can be dense enough to interfere with airflow. Consult a technician before installing a filter of MERV 12 or higher.Your filter's size also influences its effectiveness. An undersized filter can blow out of the holder or fail to handle your system's airflow rate. Most systems use 1-inch filters, but some use 4-inch models. To make sure you get the right size, take your old filter with you when shopping for a new one.

For professional help finding the best air filter for your needs, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere around Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Sonia-Sorbi/Shutterstock”

Easy Ways to Prevent Allergies in Your Broken Arrow Home

Spring is almost upon us and that means allergens are about to start blowing across the prairie. If you're looking for some ways to keep your allergies under control, consider implementing the following tips:

• Control the temperature. Keeping your home around 70 degrees can prevent dust mites and mold from taking hold.

• Use a dehumidifier. By reducing dampness, you can keep mold from forming on interior surfaces.

• Keep the windows closed. Even when the weather warms up, rely on your air conditioner and fans to keep your home cool.

• Upgrade your filter.Using a small-particle or HEPA filter can help remove pollen, dust and spores from the air you breathe. It's important to replace or clean these every month.

• Go chemical-free. Instead of using store bought, chemical-based cleaners, consider making your own natural cleaners.

• Wash linens, drapes and clothing regularly. This will help remove particulates that are stuck within the fibers.

Completing these tasks will remove a great deal of particles that trigger allergies within your home's environment. Other things you can do include reducing the number of knick-knacks you have, which reduces the amount of things you need to dust. You can also replace carpet and wallpaper with tile, which makes cleaning easier and more efficient.

If you have pets, you'll want to increase their bathing regimen as they'll likely begin shedding more as the weather warms up. It's also a good idea to increase your own bathing routine, so as to remove pollen and dirt as soon as you come indoors.

The team at Air Assurance is happy to share some more ways to prevent allergies in your home. We invite you to contact us to learn more about the ways we're helping our clients keep the air in their home's around Broken Arrow clean and clear.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock”

What's Triggering Allergic Reactions in Your Tulsa Home?

Allergic reactions can be caused by a large number of triggers not only outside your home, but also inside your home. This can be especially frustrating for you, since you should feel better protected from allergies when you are indoors. A few of the things that can trigger your allergies indoors include:

• Mold

• Pets

• Pollen

Getting Rid of MoldMold can trigger some very severe allergies in some people, which makes it very important that if you do come across any mold, you take care of it immediately. Paint additives are available for bathrooms and kitchens which inhibit mold growth, but for mold already growing, a solution of warm water and bleach can eliminate it. You still must find out why exactly the mold is growing though and take out the root of the problem.Pet DanderA pet that sheds often is going to leave a lot of hair and dander throughout your house and ventilation system, but especially around the areas your pet frequents. Giving your pet baths frequently can significantly reduce the amount of dander they shed, which should cut down on allergic reactions. Getting a breed of cat or dog that is known to shed less can also help you avoid allergies caused by pet dander.Pollen Making Its Way IndoorsWhile it may be next to impossible to keep all pollen out of your home, you should be taking some basic steps to reduce the amount of pollen getting in if you generally have allergic reactions to it. Pollen is one of the biggest allergens, and one of the only ones that you will never eliminate completely from around you. Vacuuming and shampooing carpets often, along with changing your air filter frequently, can help out immensely with pollen allergies.To get more valuable information about how your allergies are triggered indoors, or for any other home comfort concerns, get in touch with us at Air Assurance. We have been working in the residential heating and cooling business for almost 30 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock”

Reduce Allergies in Your Home By Reducing Dust

Dust, dust mites and other allergens annoy all of us. For someone with asthma or other sensitivities, dust can trigger coughing, wheezing, stuffy nose, skin rash and more severe allergic reactions. You can reduce allergies in your Broken Arrow home by reducing the amount of dust that enters and collects inside your home.

Air Filters

By keeping windows closed and using your HVAC system, you reduce allergies by reducing the amount of contaminants that enter your home. Before air enters your living area it passes through the air filter. This filter traps pollen, pet hair and other pollutants. These particles collect on the filter surface and eventually will restrict air flow. With too much buildup, dust begins to break loose and enter your air. It is important to change air filters on a regular basis for them to perform effectively.

The more expensive, high efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA) do not necessarily last longer. They trap smaller particles and may need to be replaced more often. Not all HVAC systems are designed for these dense filters. Too much air restriction could result in system damage as well as air leaks and defeat the original intent of the filter. Consult with an HVAC technician before switching to HEPA filters. If reducing allergies is a major concern for you, you may benefit from a whole-house air purifier.

Cleaning

• Run a damp mop over hard surfaces each day.

• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Paper bag vacuum filters allow dust to re-enter the air.

• To further reduce allergies: Wet-vacuum and use a steamer when possible. Wet-vacuum cleaning washes the carpets and the heat from steam cleaning kills dust mites.

• Choose tight-weave pillow and mattress covers. They are easier to clean and dust is less likely to penetrate.

Contact Air Assurance for more information about protecting the air inside your home. We began serving the residential and commercial HVAC system needs of the Tulsa metropolitan area in 1985. Our experts will evaluate yours system and consult with you so that you can make informed decisions about maintaining your air quality and HVAC system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Allergies Are Out of Control in Tulsa: Here's One Solution

Allergies Are Out of Control in Tulsa: Here's One Solution

Are you or someone in your household suffering from allergies? If so, then you may be familiar with the multitude of indoor airborne contaminants and allergens that arouse common allergy symptoms of sneezing, watery and itchy eyes and worse in allergy sufferers. You may also have heard that HEPA filtration is one of the leading solutions for an effective indoor-air quality (IAQ) strategy. But, do you know what HEPA filtration is?Understanding HEPA filtrationHEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters are the most efficient filters for capturing airborne contaminants, including biological contaminants and particulates. HEPA filtration systems are most common in commercial buildings, hospitals and places where very clean air are a high priority. However, residential HEPA filtration systems are gaining in popularity.A whole-house HEPA filtration system is installed in the duct system by your HVAC contractor. It is a thick media filter composed of a web-like configuration of fibers which alter the path of airborne contaminants and capture them by impaction. A HEPA filter is 99.97 percent efficient of removing particulates and biological contaminants down to 0.3 microns in size.The MERV number of an air filter determines if it qualifies as a HEPA-grade filter. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The MERV scale spans MERV 1-20, with MERV 20 signifying the most efficient media filter available. HEPA filters are rated MERV 17-20.HEPA limitationsHEPA filters aren't for every HVAC system. HEPA filters create a significant pressure drop across the blower, due to their thick size and resistance to airflow. Your HVAC contractor needs to inspect your heating and cooling equipment to make sure it has the power to pull airflow through a HEPA filtration system.Another consideration for controlling allergies in your Tulsa home is using an air filter with slightly lower MERV ratings. MERV 9-16 filters are more than adequate, and capture the following common allergens and contaminants:

• Mold, pollen and dust mites

• Pet dander

• Auto emissions

• Legionella

• Tobacco smoke and more

Contact Air Assurance if allergies are a concern in your Tulsa home, and you're ready to do something about it.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Dealing With Dust: What Is It, and How Should You Treat It?

Dealing With Dust: What Is It, and How Should You Treat It?

Dust is everywhere. Fighting it is a constant struggle. Following are some tips that will help you when you're dealing with dust in your home.What is dust?It's commonly believed that dirt and dust are the same things, but that's not the case. Dirt is earth, broken down into fine particles.Dust, on the other hand, is composed of fine particles from a variety of sources, including dead skin cells, mites, pollen, pet dander, clothing fibers, decaying insects and some dirt from the street that may blow into your house. Breathing in these components can be quite harmful, especially if you or your family members suffer from respiratory issues like asthma or allergies.How do you treat your home?Treating your Tulsa area home for dust issues doesn't have to be difficult, but if you want to make an impact, you must be diligent. Here are some quick tips that you can start using today:

• Use microfiber cloths -- Feather dusters will do more to spread contaminants around your home than actually contain them. Microfiber cloths attract these contaminants and hold them.

• Wash your bed linens and area rugs frequently -- Use hot water to get rid of dust mites.

• Change your air filter -- Your HVAC system's air filter should be changed every month. These filters catch airborne particles, but once they're clogged up, their usefulness is reduced.

• Invest in an air cleaner -- A great way to remove pet dander, fibers and a whole slew of other airborne particles is to use an air cleaner. These units will greatly improve your home's indoor air quality.

• Vacuum frequently -- Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter for maximum impact.

For more expert advice on dealing with dust, or for any other home comfort concerns, please don't hesitate to enlist the help of Air Assurance. Our professionals have been serving the HVAC needs of the Greater Tulsa Metropolitan area since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock