Why and How to Test Your Indoor Air Quality
Why and How to Test Your Indoor Air
As awareness of quality of air concerns increases, primarily as a result of media coverage and the advice of allergists, homeowners are increasingly choosing to test their indoor air for allergens and contaminants. This trend is certainly caused by positive, since it often leads to actions that improve indoor air quality. (However, unqualified air testing providers can miss potential problems or identify particles which are no hassle, causing homeowners to spend money on unneeded testing and remediation.) This short article will discuss what air testing can identify, what the outcome may mean, and how to inform if an air testing provider has working out and equipment to perform the job right.
The air in a very home can tell the story of the life span of a home's inhabitants and the life span of the structure itself. Exist pets? Do the owners smoke? Gets the building suffered water damage? Could be the crawlspace dry? How new is the building Whole Home Air Humidifiers, and has renovation occurred recently? A qualified air testing professional will find the answers to these questions and identify not only elevated counts of particles the owners don't desire to breathe, but additionally the sources of the problematic particles.
"But," homeowners may ask, "How does the professional know what to consider?" The solution depends about what prompted the test in the very first place. Did the homeowner smell a foul or chemical odor? Did an allergist advise a homeowner to check for particles he suspects are causing health conditions? Did the crawlspace flood recently? Or are owners concerned about the healthiness of a child or immune-compromised adult? A properly trained professional will thoroughly inspect the property to determine exactly how many air samples are expected and where in fact the samples must be taken. Then he will determine where to send the sample. Some labs inspect for mold only, while others include dander, mites, bug droppings, bacteria, lead, asbestos, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and scores of other particles and contaminants.
The gear a specialist air tester should use depends upon the kind of test he's taking. If he's trying to find particulates in the air, he works on the laser particle counter Indoor Air Quality. This provides an overview of the cleanliness of the air and an idea of how efficiently the air filters are working. For chemical or VOC testing, the professional would use a metal canister to trap air during several hours. Allergen tests demand a polycarbonate air filter cassette, which really is a paper filter that traps potentially allergenic particles such as dander, dust mites, and bug and mouse droppings.
If the professional is testing for mold, he begins with a spore trap, which really is a cassette that captures and compacts airborne mold spores (sort of like mold seeds) on a fall which can be analyzed in a lab. Sometimes, the professional usually takes additional air samples and ask the lab to grow the spores to determine the actual type of mold. He also should bring with him to the testing site a hygrometer, which measures the moisture content of the air, and a moisture meter, which measures the moisture content of varied building materials.
Turnaround time for lab analysis of air samples varies but typically is three days. However, in some instances, a homeowner may opt to cover more for a faster turnaround. Once the lab has submitted a report to the air tester, the tester is in charge of presenting the outcome to the homeowner. Not totally all presentations are equal, and hiring a specialist who are able to write a report that puts the outcome in context, using photos, detailed explanation, and suggestions for resolving any problems the test uncovered, is essential. This kind of detailed report not only helps the homeowner understand the sources and solutions, but additionally empowers the homeowner with the knowledge to simply help prevent similar problems in the future.
The bottom line for homeowners concerned about the quality of their indoor air is: Air testing is really a smart, economical first step. However, as with most first steps, this step is most beneficial taken with a trained professional by one's side to inspect thoroughly, gather samples appropriately, and put the outcome in context so the homeowner usually takes any necessary action.
For a lot more than 20 years, Carolina Air Care has provided professional indoor quality of air services to Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and surrounding Upstate, SC areas. What began as a father-son endeavor grew in to a thriving quality of air company that gives a wide selection of services to identify, repair, and prevent conditions that lead to poor air quality.
As awareness of quality of air concerns increases, primarily as a result of media coverage and the advice of allergists, homeowners are increasingly choosing to test their indoor air for allergens and contaminants. This trend is certainly caused by positive, since it often leads to actions that improve indoor air quality. (However, unqualified air testing providers can miss potential problems or identify particles which are no hassle, causing homeowners to spend money on unneeded testing and remediation.) This short article will discuss what air testing can identify, what the outcome may mean, and how to inform if an air testing provider has working out and equipment to perform the job right.
The air in a very home can tell the story of the life span of a home's inhabitants and the life span of the structure itself. Exist pets? Do the owners smoke? Gets the building suffered water damage? Could be the crawlspace dry? How new is the building Whole Home Air Humidifiers, and has renovation occurred recently? A qualified air testing professional will find the answers to these questions and identify not only elevated counts of particles the owners don't desire to breathe, but additionally the sources of the problematic particles.
"But," homeowners may ask, "How does the professional know what to consider?" The solution depends about what prompted the test in the very first place. Did the homeowner smell a foul or chemical odor? Did an allergist advise a homeowner to check for particles he suspects are causing health conditions? Did the crawlspace flood recently? Or are owners concerned about the healthiness of a child or immune-compromised adult? A properly trained professional will thoroughly inspect the property to determine exactly how many air samples are expected and where in fact the samples must be taken. Then he will determine where to send the sample. Some labs inspect for mold only, while others include dander, mites, bug droppings, bacteria, lead, asbestos, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and scores of other particles and contaminants.
The gear a specialist air tester should use depends upon the kind of test he's taking. If he's trying to find particulates in the air, he works on the laser particle counter Indoor Air Quality. This provides an overview of the cleanliness of the air and an idea of how efficiently the air filters are working. For chemical or VOC testing, the professional would use a metal canister to trap air during several hours. Allergen tests demand a polycarbonate air filter cassette, which really is a paper filter that traps potentially allergenic particles such as dander, dust mites, and bug and mouse droppings.
If the professional is testing for mold, he begins with a spore trap, which really is a cassette that captures and compacts airborne mold spores (sort of like mold seeds) on a fall which can be analyzed in a lab. Sometimes, the professional usually takes additional air samples and ask the lab to grow the spores to determine the actual type of mold. He also should bring with him to the testing site a hygrometer, which measures the moisture content of the air, and a moisture meter, which measures the moisture content of varied building materials.
Turnaround time for lab analysis of air samples varies but typically is three days. However, in some instances, a homeowner may opt to cover more for a faster turnaround. Once the lab has submitted a report to the air tester, the tester is in charge of presenting the outcome to the homeowner. Not totally all presentations are equal, and hiring a specialist who are able to write a report that puts the outcome in context, using photos, detailed explanation, and suggestions for resolving any problems the test uncovered, is essential. This kind of detailed report not only helps the homeowner understand the sources and solutions, but additionally empowers the homeowner with the knowledge to simply help prevent similar problems in the future.
The bottom line for homeowners concerned about the quality of their indoor air is: Air testing is really a smart, economical first step. However, as with most first steps, this step is most beneficial taken with a trained professional by one's side to inspect thoroughly, gather samples appropriately, and put the outcome in context so the homeowner usually takes any necessary action.
For a lot more than 20 years, Carolina Air Care has provided professional indoor quality of air services to Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and surrounding Upstate, SC areas. What began as a father-son endeavor grew in to a thriving quality of air company that gives a wide selection of services to identify, repair, and prevent conditions that lead to poor air quality.
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