Wolseley PRO Pipeline Blog
Indoor air should provide homeowners with a breath of fresh air, but it rarely does when it's not properly cared for. Pollutants, temperature, humidity and other factors can work together to create poor indoor air quality, which can affect the health and comfort of the people living, working or spending time in an indoor space. A properly installed and maintained HVAC system can help improve the air quality — and the lives — of your customers.
While there are six factors of indoor air quality (IAQ), humidity plays a significant role when it comes to air quality. In addition to impacting overall comfort, it can also affect the smell of the air and how the temperature feels. In the summer months, too much humidity can create a damp and sticky environment. During winter months, an imbalance of humidity can cause too much dryness in the air. The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends maintaining a relative humidity that ranges between 35 and 55%.
What can cause home humidity issues?
Typically, there are three causes of home humidity issues:
- Seasonal changes cause swings in humidity, making it challenging for HVAC systems to maintain a constant relative humidity.
- Poor ventilation paired with heating and cooling systems that offer inadequate humidification/dehumidification capabilities.
- Other home issues, such as leaky pipes and faucets or standing water may also affect a home’s relative humidity.
For contractors, the opportunity is in creating a balance for customers by adding ventilation, filtration and humidification/dehumidification to improve the overall comfort of the air quality and ensure it’s properly maintained.
Go Residential with Resideo – A Global Leader in Home Comfort
Resideo, which spun out of Honeywell International in 2018, works with a network of HVAC and smart home professionals to help them become “home heroes.” Resideo's Honeywell Home solutions and services help homes become safer, more energy efficient and more comfortable.
With solutions designed with customers in mind, Resideo offers products that are simple and fast to install. Look for options that can be installed as part of a complete end-to-end system, which syncs with a unified app experience to a smart thermostat that controls HVAC fan, ventilation and humidification/dehumidification.
Other current trends in IAQ Technology
The last two years have increased consumer awareness of the importance of air quality in the home. It’s led to an increase in consideration and demand. Here are a few of the resulting trends:
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In new home construction, customers are starting to request filters with higher Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) ratings (ie, a MERV 13 filters vs. MERV 11 filter), because the higher the MERV rating, the more filtration it offers. This also could mean less airflow, so it's important to select the right filter for the system. More details on how to suggest the correct MERV rating here.
Shop MERV 13 Filters - Honeywell Home
- Residential and light commercial customers are adding UV Air Purifiers to help clean the air in ducts. While there isn't any research that proves UV Air Purifiers kill the Coronavirus, it can reduce airborne odors, toxic chemical vapors, germs and mold.
Shop UV Air Purifiers - Honeywell Home
- Customers are looking for ways to upgrade their filtration systems and are considering electronic air filters. With changing climate patters causing an increasing temperature, humidity and with a rise in forest fires, it's important to treat the polluted outdoor air coming into the home.
Shop Electronic Air Cleaners - Honeywell Home
Stick to IAQ Facts and Holistic Solutions
When working with customers, data and facts go a long way to offer education without exaggerated health benefits. Talk about humidity as one of the six main components of IAQ along with temperature, airborne particles, chemical odours and other smells, as well as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Reinforce that humidity is one of the factors that can be well-regulated with a good HVAC system.
When promoting other IAQ solutions, remember to give the full picture of the capabilities of newer innovations, such as UV lights, which help reduce airborne odors, toxic chemical vapors, germs and mold in the home. These solutions can treat the air in the ductwork, but they can’t eliminate airborne viruses on hard surfaces or floating in the air. The good news is that technology like UV lights and ionizers when paired with proper ventilation and filtration, can reduce contaminants.
Resideo provides education for homeowners and specialized training for contractors to help provide fact-based information and sound advice based on those facts.
Approach The Growing IAQ Market
Ready to tap into the huge demand from customers looking to improve their indoor air quality? Wolseley can help you start the conversation and seize the opportunity. With a complete integrated portfolio of indoor air quality products, Wolseley has the solution for any challenge. Talk to a Wolseley representative to learn the best ways to promote, sell and install the most innovative solutions on the market, back by technical support and excellent support.
To get all the latest news about trends and innovations in IAQ, be sure to sign up and become a Wolseley PRO. You’ll get the latest tips, promotions and more sent straight to your inbox. To learn more about products, training and upcoming webinars from products Wolseley carries, visit the Knowledge Hub.
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