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CLEAR THE AIR BY KATHLEEN DUFF MARKETING FEATURE
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eating and air conditioning units are basic elements in most houses, but homeowners are now demanding more from their systems to ensure the air they breathe inside their homes is clean and free of particles, allergens and even viruses. Northern Colorado Air, Inc. has provided HVAC services along the Front Range for nearly 30 years.Today,the locally owned company now offers humidifiers, purifiers, filters and systems that help improve their customers' health as well as comfort. "You're going to spend more time at home now more than a few years ago.We spend about 60 percent of our day indoors ... definitely in the winter and with more people working from home," said Jeff Richard, general manager of Northern Colorado Air Inc."And it's important to have the right amount of humidity and air quality." "When I first got into this trade, indoor air quality wasn't even mentioned. In the last 1520 years, though, we've had a lot of changes," Richard explained. Airborne particles such as dust,mold,pollen,formaldehyde and pet hair can impact a person's lungs and nasal passages.Cold and flu viruses, including Covid-19, also can be transmitted in the air. But new technology is addressing some of those concerns. Health conditions such as asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease demand cleaner air. Richard said calls about mitigating Covid-19 fell off after the first six months of the pandemic, but plenty of customers still seek tools to reduce irritants and viruses in general. Northern Colorado Air carries the iWave system that uses positive and negative ions in a forced-air furnace to kill viruses and other biological contaminants. The manufacturer says the system can reduce the COVID-19 virus by 99.4% in about 30 minutes. Another approach is the REME-HALO whole-home air purification system that uses ultraviolet rays to eliminate viruses and contaminants.The maker says it is 99.9% effective against the COVID-19 virus. Richard said, “the Cadillac” of home systems is the Lennox PureAir system, which uses a filter, UV light and a catalyst. The system provides HEPA or High-Efficiency Particulate Air 12 | mywindsor | FEBRUARY 2022
filtration that can match standards set by hospitals. Richard said he installed a system in a home he and his family formerly lived in, but then they moved to a new home without the system. Within three months, he noticed his children’s allergies returning with a need for medication,so he added the Lennox PureAir to his newer residence, as well. The system requires modification to ductwork and annual maintenance to replace the filter, UV bulbs and catalyst. “It can be expensive to maintain, but what is also expensive is having to go to doctors and buy medications because of allergies.” Not all homeowners want to install new air systems in their homes, but Richard says even small steps can have big benefits. “There are a lot of choices to improve air quality.In the old days, 20-plus years ago, the filter was there to protect the furnace,” he said.But advances to dense,poly-fiber filters now focus on cleaning the air. Older systems had 1-inch filters, which were adequate, he said. Next came pleated filters that work well to trap allergens and particles from the air. Richard suggests checking these filters monthly for those who have pets or quarterly, otherwise.
