Indoor Air Quality: How Your Air Handler Can Improve It
Conventional furnace air handlers are primarily designed to move air, not improve indoor air quality. Most have only two speeds: on and off. When the air handler is on, the blower is operating at full output and circulating the maximum amount of air through the heating ducts. When the furnace cycles off, the blower stops completely and no air is circulated.
Modern high-efficiency air handlers, however, utilize variable-speed blowers. These units feature ECM-controlled motors that vary blower speed according to changes in the heating load in the home. The blower runs continuously but often at a lower volume, using less energy and increasing furnace component life. Another advantage of variable speed technology over standard on/off blowers is improved indoor air quality.
Air filtration in a heating system occurs when the blower pulls air through the furnace filter located inside the air handler. During furnace off-cycles, a conventional blower is not circulating air, and airborne particulates like dust, pollen and mold spores can settle out of the air in living spaces and inside ductwork. As these accumulate, they’re less likely to enter the air stream. Because a variable speed blower is always pulling air through the ducts, air filtration never stops. There is no period when particulates are not being removed, so indoor air quality is improved.
In addition, many types of higher efficiency filter media actually filter the air more efficiently at a lower volume of airflow. Since conventional blowers only circulate air at maximum volume, filtration efficiency suffers. Variable-speed air handlers operate at air volumes that are more suitable to the performance specs of higher efficiency filters.
Ask us about more ways new technology can improve your indoor air quality.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Wilmington, Delaware and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).
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