What to Expect from Indoor Air Quality Testing

Because most people spend significant amounts of time indoors—especially during the excessively humid summers in Southwest Florida—the indoor air quality of your home is an important factor in your overall health and comfort. Pollutants such as dust, pollen or other substances can cause or contribute to symptoms like runny noses, congestion, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing, especially for those who already suffer from breathing conditions such as asthma or allergies. Indoor air quality testing can help to determine if there may be a problem with your home’s air quality, and what steps are required to mitigate it.

How Indoor Air Quality is Tested

The indoor air quality testing procedure typically includes a blower door test, which places your home under negative pressure using a large fan placed in an exterior opening. A professional HVAC technician can then find the sources of air infiltration, determine how often per hour the air in your home is exchanged, and use specialized equipment to sample the air for pollutants. Depending on the equipment used, the technician can test for:

• Dust
• Pollen
• Pet dander
• Microorganisms
• Carbon monoxide
• Radon
• Volatile organic compounds or chemical vapors

The samples often have to be sent off for laboratory testing, and after the technician receives the results, he or she can recommend solutions such as upgrading your air filters, installing air purifiers, cleaning your air ducts or installing a ventilation system.

What to Expect From the Tests

Indoor air quality testing can help pinpoint the source of a suspected air quality issue, and with professional help, you can work to improve the quality of the air in your home. Except for carbon monoxide and radon, there are no explicit rules about the allowable amounts of air pollutants, only guidelines. Indoor air quality testing should only be used as a guide to improve air quality in general, and not as a specific diagnosis of a problem.

To learn more about indoor air quality, talk to our HVAC experts at Conditioned Air. We serve many areas in Southwest Florida, including the communities of Naples, Ft. Myers and Sarasota.